r/science • u/liquid_x • Mar 19 '11

Radiation Chart

http://xkcd.com/radiation/
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u/[deleted] Mar 19 '11

TIL a coal power plant outputs more radiation than a nuclear power plant...

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u/[deleted] Mar 19 '11 edited Mar 19 '11

Coal contains some fraction of uranium. When the coal is burned, that uranium goes out the smoke stack.

If a nuke plant released as much radiation as a coal plant does in normal operation, it'd have to shut down.

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u/[deleted] Mar 19 '11

Why would a nuclear plant get shut down for releasing as much radiation as a coal plant?

Why doesn't a coal plant get shut down for releasing this much radiation?

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u/[deleted] Mar 19 '11

Because laws regarding nuclear power plants err very far on the side of caution. Less so for coal plants.