Manhattan Project Case Study

Superior Essays
On December 7th, 1941 Japan launched a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor that led to the US entering World War II. With the US’s entrance into the war and advances in atomic theory the stage was set for the development of nuclear weapons. The pressing question was who would develop them first and to what lengths would they go to achieve nuclear warfare capabilities. The Hanford site is a great example of both the technological advancement of the time and the urgency shown by the US government to develop nuclear weapons which left a trail of environmental and ethical issues in its wake.
Nearly a year after Pearl Harbor, as part of the Manhattan project, the world’s first self sustained nuclear chain reaction took place at the University of Chicago
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Although the effects of radiation were not well understood at the time, steps were taken to limit the amount of radiation that workers were exposed to. Although most workers were not made aware of the potential dangers of radiation, they were required to wear multiple radiation monitors that were checked daily. The meteorological patterns of the area were also studied so that in the event that radioactive material be released into the air, preventative measures could be taken to reduce the negative effects on the populations downwind. Twenty nine air monitoring stations were also erected to test for plutonium nitrate dust, iodine-131, and other fission isotopes. The stations also served to test waste stream and dispersion models. Despite these steps, the amount of radioactive contaminants released into the air or placed in the ground was staggering. Water containing plutonium and uranium was simply dumped onto the soil. Other waste was put into confinement chambers, many of which have since started to leak. Pollutants such as iodine-131, manganese, and other heavy metals were released into the atmosphere and groundwater. Research was also done to assess the risk plutonium production posed to the aquatic life of the Columbia river, especially salmon. Research was first conducted at the University of Washington in 1943 using x-rays as a way to maintain plausible deniability during war time. In 1945, tests were conducted on site to determine the radioactive effects on fish such as tolerances, diseases, and reproductive viability. While the study did little more than conclude that the effects were more prevalent in younger fish, it did mark the beginning of a continuously operating environmental monitoring

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