Editor's note:

The explosions of reactors at Japan's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station following the 9.0-magnitude earthquake and tsunami on March 11 have caused countries around the world to question the safety of their own nuclear plants. Then how does a nuclear plant work?

 

Number of Reactors in Operation Worldwide

International nuclear event scale

 

?Radition accidents:

 

 

? International nuclear event scale

The INES Scale explains the significance of events from a range of activities, including industrial and medical use of radiation sources, operations at nuclear facilities and transport of radioactive material.

 

? Current nuclear plant radiation in Japan

The government of Japan?is asking people living within 20 km of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant to evacuate. People living farther away are at lower risk than those who live nearby. [Japan Quake]

 

?Nuclear radition:

 

 

??Radiation exposure and protection

In a nuclear power plant accident, the general population is not likely to be exposed to doses high enough to cause such effects. Rescuers, first responders and nuclear power plant workers are more likely to be exposed to doses of radiation high enough to cause acute effects.

 

??Health effect and radiation

The danger of radiation leaks from the nuclear plant in Japan is rising after explosions at the site, but the health effects of radiation were poorly understood.

 

??Magic foods to prevent nuclear radiation

Nuclear radiation can be both extremely beneficial and extremely dangerous. It just depends on how you deal with it.