Japan Earthquake

Japan Earthquake | Page 1625

@LM "There is no major negative impact in iodine tablets [...]" What a lie! Overexposure to potassium iodide can cause more problems that its potential protective effect against radioactive iodine.
by Pedro Jesus 6/14/2011 3:02:35 PM

@elainekirk www.unicef.org
by MaryW 6/14/2011 3:03:18 PM

@pedro I agree, but thyroid cancer is a greater risk for those near the plant.
by LM 6/14/2011 3:03:39 PM

I find it outrageous that in an accident of this magnitude that only those within 12 miles got iodide and even those tablets were given after the blasts.
by LM 6/14/2011 3:06:42 PM

@Pedro Jesus , I guess what ties reprocessing and cleanup together is that reprocessing is a very dirty process. Hence, these companies spent a lot of R&D on filtration systems for high-level radioactive waste, be it airborne, liquid or solid.
by Peter Melzer 6/14/2011 3:06:56 PM

@LM Indeed, but only for those near the plant. Back in Chernobyl they administered a potassium iodide solution to people under 40 years old that lived within a range of 30Km from the nuclear plant. Potassium iodide can be extremely dangerous to people over 40 years old and the potential negative effects fairly outcome the potential protective effects for that age group.
by Pedro Jesus 6/14/2011 3:07:02 PM

@Peter Melzer Yes, I thought about that. Only logical.
by Pedro Jesus 6/14/2011 3:07:44 PM

@Pedro No arguments, but the area of contamination extends beyond 20km and kids are at greatest risk....
by LM 6/14/2011 3:08:20 PM

@LM I'm not sure about those 12 miles. I clearly remember potassium iodide tablets being distributed in Tokyo, 230Km from Fukushima NPP.
by Pedro Jesus 6/14/2011 3:09:02 PM

@LM They should be evacuated. I believe the GoJ is taking too long to extend the evac zone.
by Pedro Jesus 6/14/2011 3:10:44 PM

@mary w thank you for the unicef link it served to reaffirm my belief that they are a questionable org with questionable morals. But then I do know an awful lot about that org unfortunately and nothing I know gives me confidence that they will ever act in the interests of children - totally personal opinion
oops no intention of using your name there Nancy
by elainekirk 6/14/2011 3:10:59 PM

@Pedro I'll have to do some more digging..that's not what I've found so far. I sincerely doubt the GoJ distributed that widely...they couldn't even get dosimeters to plant workers.
by LM 6/14/2011 3:11:24 PM

@Pedro I agree about the evac zone!!
by LM 6/14/2011 3:12:49 PM

@LM Since you're willing to dig that one out, check for potassium iodide tablets provided by US Government or US Military. I think you'll find some more info about it. =)
by Pedro Jesus 6/14/2011 3:14:09 PM

14 June vs. 13 June 12:00 plant parameters. #1 temps generally upper 90s, stable, with one RPV temp around 112C, stable, and DW CAMS B dropped from 228 to 28.1 Sv/hr. #2 temps pretty stable, 100 - 106C, CAMS pretty stable with 3 readings in the 15 - 24 Sv/hr range. #3 has two temps down a bit, but all 4 points are in the 137 - 164C range, CAMS all below 6 Sv/hr.
by Markfm 6/14/2011 3:16:26 PM

Japanese government admits potassium iodide pills should have been distributed earlier www.naturalnews.com
by MaryW 6/14/2011 3:16:56 PM

@mark thank you
by elainekirk 6/14/2011 3:18:28 PM

@mary w ". One lesson we can all learn from this is that those who wait for their governments to tell them what to do may pay for their lack of action with their lives" from your link and 3 months later it still stands true
"A Japanese nuclear safety official, Kazuma Yokota, acknowledged that the government only belatedly realized the need to give potassium iodide pills that help reduce chances of thyroid cancer to those living within 12 miles (20 kilometers) of the nuclear complex."
www.naturalnews.com
by elainekirk 6/14/2011 3:22:44 PM

US Government Distributing Iodine Pills in Japan-Secretly, to the rich only leanleft.com
by MaryW 6/14/2011 3:23:47 PM

@Pedro Every article I find says the GoJ provided iodide only to evac centers for people evacuated from within 20km or 12 miles from the plant. If people in Tokyo took it they did it on their own and foreign nationals were given iodide separate from Japanese advice.
by LM 6/14/2011 3:26:30 PM

Gosh, my embassy never contacted me!
by bo 6/14/2011 3:28:10 PM

...and that was only if you were a foreign national within 50km for US.
by LM 6/14/2011 3:29:53 PM

...or rich.
by bo 6/14/2011 3:30:21 PM

I think I remember Sweden distributing iodide in Tokyo...not sure about country.
by LM 6/14/2011 3:31:19 PM

@all I think the take away is that they under protected those in Fukushima Prefecture!
by LM 6/14/2011 3:32:28 PM

@LM Yes, in fact I think Sweden did it throughout Japan for its citizens and may even have advised taking the iodine too. The British embassy was issuing pills in Tokyo, but never advised taking them.
by Will 6/14/2011 3:33:43 PM

@LM www.thelocal.se
by MaryW 6/14/2011 3:41:29 PM

@all Embassies that readied distribution of
potassium iodide tablets in Japan: search.japantimes.co.jp
by Pedro Jesus 6/14/2011 3:42:57 PM

@All It's a shame that past info on this and the old reuters blog live.reuters.com is so difficult and ineffective to search. The old reuters blog has 298 pages of useful stuff, and you can only move 2 pages at a time.
by RBeaner 6/14/2011 3:43:09 PM

@Will @MaryW Thanks! I'm glad my memory still works sometimes. LOL
by LM 6/14/2011 3:43:20 PM

@Pedro Thanks!
by LM 6/14/2011 3:45:01 PM

@LM yw. I also found another article dated from March 15TH saying that 230,000 units of potassium iodide had been distributed to hospitals and evac centres inside the exclusion zone (30Km around the NPP), which means they were distributed before March 15TH. Also, I saw a picture of the potassium iodide flasks and I estimate they should have a months dosage each, maybe two months depending on the size of the pills. Doctors advise that KI shouldn't be administered on a regular basis for a long period of time. It should only be taken if there is a serious exposure threat, or immediately after exposure.
by Pedro Jesus 6/14/2011 3:52:46 PM

@Pedro Wasn't the exclusion zone not extended to 30km until later?
by LM 6/14/2011 3:54:56 PM

I'm pretty sure the exclusion zone on March 15 was 20km, but besides the point...people weren't protected enough..at least that's my 2 cents..time to move on.
by LM 6/14/2011 3:57:12 PM

It's fair to say that, considering the carelessness of the GoJ towards quickly providing information about radiation levels to the public, the distribution of KI might have been quite irrelevant as a preventive measure.

@LM I can't remember. The evacuation zone was set at 20Km and then they extended an exclusion zone to 30Km but I can't remember the exact date. Might have been after March 15TH.
by Pedro Jesus 6/14/2011 3:58:02 PM

expanded 11th April @pedro @lm ooops wrong link www.greenpeace.org
by elainekirk 6/14/2011 4:03:13 PM

@Elaine ...and way too late! It's the kids that will suffer the most!
by LM 6/14/2011 4:04:09 PM

@Peter I couldn't find a direct link between Heinz-Herbert Karry and NUKEM or ALKEM. I found that he was involved in suspicious licensing of some nuclear industry related firms but I haven't found any direct link or that he had invested any capital in those afore mentioned companies. I also found a direct link between Karry and a scandal involving Daimler-Benz AG but not the nuclear industry (re: the Flick Affair). I'll keep on digging.
by Pedro Jesus 6/14/2011 4:06:53 PM

EQ's in Japan do not subside
EQ 23:56 JST 14 Jun 2011 39.5N 142.6E 20 km 5.3 Iwate-ken Oki
by estacion 6/14/2011 4:12:59 PM

@estacion Thanks! I noticed that the quake we witnessed on the cam yesterday never made it to USGS..definitely puzzling!
by LM 6/14/2011 4:14:29 PM

Levee increases at Ft. Calhoun NPP, US I-29 flooded due to Calhoun flood management journalstar.com
www.ncnewspress.com
by lillymunster 6/14/2011 4:29:49 PM

@lilly how bad is that going on what you have found about the plant?
by elainekirk 6/14/2011 4:31:41 PM

Plutonium detected in Fukushima plant soil
The operator of the damaged Fukushima nuclear power plant says tiny amounts of plutonium have been detected in samples of soil in the plant's compound.

Tokyo Electric Power Company, or TEPCO, announced on Tuesday that an independent research institution has analyzed soil samples taken on May 30th at 3 locations.
The utility said plutonium was detected in samples collected near a recreational ground 500 meters from the Number One reactor. Plutonium was also detected in samples from near a waste disposal facility, also 500 meters from the reactor.

The utility said all the amounts of the detected plutonium are too small to pose risk to human health.
This is the third time that plutonium has been detected in soil samples at the plant since the nuclear accident began on March 11th. TEPCO said the levels of plutonium detected within the compound following the accident were about the same as those detected in Japan after atmospheric nuclear tests carried out by foreign countries during the Cold War era.
The utility said the level of plutonium-238 detected near the recreational ground was 0.19 becquerels per kilogram and the figure is down from the 0.26 becquerels detected in April.

Once plutonium is taken into human lungs and other organs, it can stay in the body for a long period of time and carries the risk of causing cancer.

Tuesday, June 14, 2011 22:35 +0900 (JST)
www3.nhk.or.jp
by estacion 6/14/2011 4:33:52 PM

@lillymunster @elainekirk In the beta radiation study, Omaha looked like a hot spot. Has there been an issue of some kind at Ft Calhoun since mid-March?
by Bobby1 6/14/2011 4:38:15 PM

@elainekirk On Calhoun? Everything is dependent on the sand bags and temporary levees holding . Have not heard more about water infiltration beyond the fire last week. They increased the water flow at the second dam and should be at maximum output today or tomorrow. So water levels should continue to go up. They are predicting a 2 ft. higher crest and now Ft. Calhoun is upping their levees. They were not prepared for more water. The entire thing is dependent on sand bags and dirt....
by lillymunster 6/14/2011 4:40:37 PM