What Are the Protections in Place to Stop a Nuclear Melt Down?

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Clare corkhill, professor in nuclear material degradation at the university of sheffield. She explains how a nuclear power plant works and what to look out for when it's up and running. What are the things that safety officers are concentrating on and looking out for? The number one thing that we're looking for is that cooling water.

Last week, a team of inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) arrived at Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. The plant was seized by Russian forces in early May and has recently been the target of sustained shelling, increasing the risk of a nuclear disaster. The head of the IAEA, Rafael Grossi, who is leading the inspection team, has reported that the integrity of the plant has been violated several times. Ian Sample speaks to Prof Claire Corkhill about what this could mean for Zaporizhzhia, what the risks are if the plant loses external power, and how a nuclear meltdown can be avoided. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/sciencepod