ABSTRACT
This chapter presents various aspects of nuclear power plant accidents. It covers the international nuclear event scale (INES); world nuclear power plant accidents' fatalities, rankings, and costs; the Three Mile Island accident, the Chernobyl accident, and the Fukushima accident; lessons learned from the Three Mile Island, Chernobyl, and Fukushima accidents; a comparison of the Chernobyl and Three Mile Island accidents and of the Fukushima and Chernobyl accidents; and problems.
The Three Mile Island accident is discussed in general as well as its radiological health effects, the Three Mile Island reactor No. 2 cleanup, and the accident's effect on the nuclear power industry, separately. Similarly, the Chernobyl accident is discussed in general as well as from dispersion and disposition of radionuclides and operator errors aspects, separately.
There are 10 problems at the end of the chapter to test the reader's comprehension in the area, and sources of most of the material presented in the chapter are given in its reference section. This will be useful to readers if they desire to delve more deeply into a specific area.
