Japan Earthquake

Japan Earthquake | Page 1713

@Edano TORCH report www.chernobylreport.org
by Bobby1 6/21/2011 3:15:09 PM

@Bobby1 thx
by Edano 6/21/2011 3:15:28 PM

@Bobby1 yes, we are going to find more and more things like that were once we know more about the true levels it will likely add to the negative impact going on. I really want to see the Americum levels being released but very little information.
by lillymunster 6/21/2011 3:16:42 PM

@Bobby1 That doesn't mean much. It is due to the fact that 50% of the releases at Chernobyl were prompted by the first explosion that ejected most of the fuel out into the air. The other half were aerosol and particulate emissions due to the ensuing graphite fires that burnt more fuel for two full weeks.

At Fukushima, most emissions (90%) have been aerosol releases. That comparison says absolutely nothing about how much radioactive material has been released on each case because the percentage does not refer to the total fuel but to the total emissions so far.
by Pedro Jesus 6/21/2011 3:17:31 PM

@lillymunster Since we don't have info about isotopes like americium and plutonium, we have to infer it by, say, estimating the ratio of plutonium to cesium at Chernobyl, and then estimating how much cesium has been released from Fuku.
by Bobby1 6/21/2011 3:21:35 PM

@Bobby1 I think I misread your post. I was looking at some data comparisons between Chernobyl and Fukushima. You meant Cs-137 to Cs-134 ratio, right?
by Pedro Jesus 6/21/2011 3:22:22 PM

@Pedro Jesus I was saying that comparing cesium-137 from Fuku to Chernobyl underestimates Fuku cesium, since Fuku is releasing proportionally 80% more cesium-134.
by Bobby1 6/21/2011 3:24:08 PM

@Bobby1 : exactly. the torch report seems to be a good beginning. at last, i would like to put the numbers into some oceanographic simulation program and see what will happen to the mess.
by Edano edited by Edano 6/21/2011 3:24:58 PM

@Bobby1 I hope some day to get actual numbers. It is important as far as the MOX in 3.
by lillymunster 6/21/2011 3:25:57 PM

@Edano We will have some preliminary data from WHOI soon. I'll keep checking their website for updates.
by Pedro Jesus 6/21/2011 3:26:30 PM

Moms Turn Activists in Japanese Crisis
Yuki Osaku worried about the welfare of her 1-year-old and 3-year-old boys after a series of explosions rocked Japan's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear-plant complex in mid-March. But her parents and husband told her she was overreacting—their suburb of Tokyo is 124 miles away from the stricken plant.

Fueled by online networking, mothers like Ms. Osaku are now putting increased pressure on Japanese officials at the national and local level to better protect their children. On Thursday, one small group gathered in Tokyo to protest—the latest in a handful of similar demonstrations by mothers—attracting considerable media attention.

Ms. Osaku hasn't let her sons, Takuma and Yuuma, play outside since mid-March because of radiation levels. She bought a $600 personal dosimeter last month. Her boys have stopped drinking milk and the family buys imported food. She said her friends do the same, causing friction between them and other mothers who think they are overreacting—and making them and their children social outcasts in a society that values conformity.

"They think I am a monster parent," says Ikue Sakai, 27, who has two sons ages three and six, and also bought a dosimeter. "I keep getting asked by other parents, 'Why don't you just move? What do you want?' "

"This is what it's like in Japan," says Ms. Osaku. "If one person does something different, everyone else looks at us like we're strange."
More: online.wsj.com
by joniver 6/21/2011 3:29:48 PM

@Bobby1 I see, I misunderstood what you had written back there. Well, we need a lot more data on that too. Maybe the WHOI conclusions will help. They've just finished conducting the most thorough collection of water and marine biological samples to date. They will hopefully release some preliminary conclusions and estimates in the next days. Lets keep an eye on their updates.
by Pedro Jesus 6/21/2011 3:29:52 PM

@all The thing that stands out to me in all of this is the magnitude of ocean contamination....we're in uncharted waters. Unfortunately the placement of those SFPs has complicated the solution to the massive crisis. Personally...I don't believe we'll be able to say Chernobyl was worse. Significant releases will continue from Fuku for a very long time.
by LM 6/21/2011 3:30:27 PM

@LM Well, whatever Tepco estimated that the sea releases were are likely to be grossly understated, since their water decontamination process was stopped at 5 hours vs the month it was supposed to last... the sea releases might be 144x times what they thought.
by Bobby1 6/21/2011 3:32:28 PM

@Bobby1 I completely agree! And rainy season officially starts today in Tohoku.
by LM 6/21/2011 3:33:50 PM

Rainy season begins in Tohoku
The annual rainy season has begun in the disaster-hit Tohoku region in northeastern Japan, where the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station is located.

The Meteorological Agency on Tuesday announced the start of the rainy season in the southern and northern parts of the region, where heavy downpours were seen during the day.

The start of the season is 9 days later than usual in southern Tohoku and 7 days later in northern Tohoku.

Weather officials are advising caution against mudslides, floods, lightning and strong winds in some areas affected by earthquakes since March, as tremors may have loosened the ground.

The agency also says a rain front near the southern coast of Japan's main island Honshu and a cold air mass brought torrential rains to southern Kyushu in western Japan and the Kanto region in central Japan on Tuesday. www3.nhk.or.jp
by LM 6/21/2011 3:38:12 PM

June 20, 2011 - PTI - Eye lens is more vulnerable to radiation: new studies - There are three main forms of cataract; nuclear, cortical, and posterior sub-capsular (PSC). Among these, PSC is the least common and is associated with exposure to radiation. Till recently, scientists believed that cataract was formed only after the lens received a typical radiation dose, called the threshold dose, of 2Gy for a single dose, and 5 Gy when the exposure occurred in a protracted way. Not any more. Recent studies appear to show that formation of radiation induced cataracts at much lower doses than the current standards. ICRP now considers that the threshold dose for cataract is 0.5Gy. The present ICRP recommendations must serve as a wake-up call for interventional cardiology and radiology professionals, Parthasarathy said. Cataract analysis of 8,607 Chernobyl clean-up workers 12 and 14 years after exposure indicated that posterior sub-capsular or cortical cataracts appeared in 25 per cent of the participants. www.iem-inc.com
by Bobby1 6/21/2011 3:44:50 PM

Keep up the good work, beautiful people. I've got to got set up for tonight's gig. See you soon. =)
by Pedro Jesus 6/21/2011 3:51:11 PM

US Customs and Border Protection to alter radiation screening procedures for aircraft www.nbaa.org
by Bobby1 6/21/2011 3:55:44 PM

Tennessee to incinerate 1,000 tons of German nuclear waste www.ibtimes.com
by Bobby1 6/21/2011 3:58:59 PM

back
by dean 6/21/2011 4:06:34 PM

@Pedro Jesus have a good night.
by lillymunster 6/21/2011 4:16:20 PM

@dean should have the water storage post done here in a few so it can be reviewed.
by lillymunster 6/21/2011 4:16:56 PM

I am a nuclear engineer with 37 years experience in the nuclear reactor field and want to implore you shut Cooper power station down and secure it into a cold shutdown now instead of waiting for another few inches above where it is currently at... Calhoon is shutdown and reported to stay shutdown until the flood subsides and they said they have 10 feet to go before water is an emergency level.... Cooper has less than one foot and is operating.. this is very illogical and places schedule to keep power production and profits going over safety to the reactor and general public. In light of the issues facing Fukushima, the power plants in the USA should not continue to operate under such a close level as is Cooper, especially with the levies and protective barriers that are on the brink of failure. my email FOR COOPER AND CALHOUN
by dean 6/21/2011 4:18:56 PM

TY LILLY... is there anything else needing review.. I just got back
by dean 6/21/2011 4:19:22 PM

@ Dean, thanks for writing the email. We have Edano's fuku vs. chernobyl comparison done, needs review, planning on putting live in an hour or two unless we run into considerable changes. Here is the link, let me know if you see changes or additions to make wp.me
by lillymunster 6/21/2011 4:28:51 PM

***ulative radiation reaches as high as 82 millisieverts
TOKYO, June 21, Kyodo
english.kyodonews.jp Does anyone know what this is referring to? Quite the cryptic headline.
by LM 6/21/2011 4:30:14 PM

@LM It would take 6 years to develop cataracts and blindness at 82 millisieverts/yr, according to the new ICRP guidelines.
by Bobby1 6/21/2011 4:37:22 PM

@Bobby1 Yikes.
by LM 6/21/2011 4:41:50 PM

@Lilly I'm looking at the Tepco cam and there seems to be some odd activity at what we thought was the common pool. I realize it's hard to see but it almost looks like a panel is missing from the front and dark smoke is coming from it. Am I seeing things?
by LM 6/21/2011 4:44:22 PM

@LM Your not seeing things. It looks like they removed an upper right square panel and there is steam coming out. They have been avoiding watering because they are running out of room to store it. I wonder if we have gotten a temp on the common pool in recent days?
by lillymunster 6/21/2011 4:47:10 PM

@lilly I'm glad I'm not going crazy. I haven't heard anything mentioned recently about the common pool.
by LM 6/21/2011 4:49:21 PM

Could not find a common pool temp in today's plant parameters. #4 sfp is running about 93c that is hotter than they have let it get before.
by lillymunster 6/21/2011 4:49:47 PM

They are getting up against a wall. Out of water storage. #4 is perpetually heating up more and more and now the common pool is steaming. Others have mentioned they thought they saw steam out of that building before.
by lillymunster 6/21/2011 4:50:46 PM

@Lilly Wow. That's hot. I've seen steam from that building before but the hole in the side appears new. There is a bright flashing light to the right of the building as well..not sure what that is.
by LM 6/21/2011 4:53:35 PM

#1 and #2 they've decreased each by 0.5 cubic meters/hr, and #3 decreased by 1.
by Markfm 6/21/2011 4:57:57 PM

@LM I am not seeing a flashing light. They seem to have a spot light on the side of the building.
@Mark, 3's SFP seems to be maintaining with the lower water rate. 4 isn't coping well. I would hate to see that common pool get worse it has a lot of fuel in it.
by lillymunster 6/21/2011 5:02:04 PM

Interesting? At 9:49 am on June 20, we started fresh water injection to the reactor
wells and pools for temporary storage of equipments of Unit 4 and Unit 5,
in order to improve the working environment (to reduce radiation dose) on
the 5th floor of the reactor building of Unit 4 and Unit 5. www.tepco.co.jp
by marierich 6/21/2011 5:03:13 PM

reviewing now lilly
by dean 6/21/2011 5:06:03 PM

@Lilly The flashing isn't continuous..could just be some camera thing. How many rods are in the common pool? I forgot the number.
by LM 6/21/2011 5:07:10 PM

@marierich : unit 4 and 5 ?
@lillymunster : are we sure that it is the common pool ?
by Edano 6/21/2011 5:09:06 PM

@Edano AND in the reactor wells? Dose is understandably high in #4 on the upper floors (yet it is open to air), but why in the upper floors of five?
by marierich 6/21/2011 5:11:10 PM