Via Kyodo News :
" Tokyo Electric Power Co. said Sunday it will take at least six months before the utility can stabilize troubled nuclear reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi power plant, saying that about three months are needed to achieve a ''steady reduction'' in radiation leaks.
While announcing for the first time its schedule for bringing the situation under control since the earthquake and tsunami crippled the plant's critical cooling systems on March 11, the utility, known as TEPCO, continued its containment efforts by operating remotely controlled robots inside one of the damaged reactors.
At a news conference in Tokyo, TEPCO Chairman Tsunehisa Katsumata said he is considering resigning from his post at an ''appropriate time'' to take the blame for one of the world's worst nuclear crises, indicating that the company's president, Masataka Shimizu, will also step down.
Under the schedule, the utility aims to bring the damaged Nos. 1 to 3 reactors at the plant in Fukushima Prefecture to a stable condition known as a ''cold shutdown'' in about six to nine months, a situation in which water temperatures inside the reactors have been stably brought below 100 C."
Showing posts with label Kyodo News. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kyodo News. Show all posts
Monday, April 18, 2011
Friday, April 15, 2011
Japan : Groundwater radiation level at nuke plant rises - TEPCO
Article from Kyodo News :
" The concentration levels of radioactive iodine and cesium in groundwater near the troubled Nos. 1 and 2 reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant have increased up to several dozen times in one week, suggesting that toxic water has seeped from nearby reactor turbine buildings or elsewhere, Tokyo Electric Power Co. said Thursday.
The announcement came as the plant operator continued to grapple with pools of highly radioactive water found on the plant's premises, with the level of polluted water filling an underground trench edging up again after the company finished pumping out around 660 tons of water.
According to the latest findings, a groundwater sample taken April 6 near the No. 1 reactor turbine building showed radioactive iodine-131 of 72 becquerels per cubic meter, with the concentration level growing to 400 becquerels as of Wednesday. The concentration level of cesium-134 increased from 1.4 becquerels to 53 becquerels.
The government's nuclear regulatory agency said it had ordered the utility firm known as TEPCO to enhance monitoring of groundwater inside the plant, which is located on the Pacific coast."
" The concentration levels of radioactive iodine and cesium in groundwater near the troubled Nos. 1 and 2 reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant have increased up to several dozen times in one week, suggesting that toxic water has seeped from nearby reactor turbine buildings or elsewhere, Tokyo Electric Power Co. said Thursday.
The announcement came as the plant operator continued to grapple with pools of highly radioactive water found on the plant's premises, with the level of polluted water filling an underground trench edging up again after the company finished pumping out around 660 tons of water.
According to the latest findings, a groundwater sample taken April 6 near the No. 1 reactor turbine building showed radioactive iodine-131 of 72 becquerels per cubic meter, with the concentration level growing to 400 becquerels as of Wednesday. The concentration level of cesium-134 increased from 1.4 becquerels to 53 becquerels.
The government's nuclear regulatory agency said it had ordered the utility firm known as TEPCO to enhance monitoring of groundwater inside the plant, which is located on the Pacific coast."
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Japan : TEPCO confirms damage to part of No. 4 unit's spent nuke fuel
From Kyodo News, excerpt :
" Some of the spent nuclear fuel rods stored in the No. 4 reactor building of the crisis-hit Fukushima Daiichi power plant were confirmed to be damaged, but most of them are believed to be in sound condition, plant operator Tokyo Electric Power Co. said Wednesday.
The firm known as TEPCO said its analysis of a 400-milliliter water sample taken Tuesday from the No. 4 unit's spent nuclear fuel pool revealed the damage to some fuel rods in such a pool for the first time, as it detected higher-than-usual levels of radioactive iodine-131, cesium-134 and cesium-137.
The No. 4 reactor, halted for a regular inspection before last month's earthquake and tsunami disaster, had all of its 1,331 spent fuel rods and 204 unused fuel rods stored in the pool for the maintenance work and the fuel was feared to have sustained damage from overheating.
The cooling period for 548 of the 1,331 rods was shorter than that for others and the volume of decay heat emitted from the fuel in the No. 4 unit pool is larger compared with pools at other reactor buildings.
According to TEPCO, radioactive iodine-131 amounting to 220 becquerels per cubic centimeter, cesium-134 of 88 becquerels and cesium-137 of 93 becquerels were detected in the pool water. Those substances are generated by nuclear fission."
" Some of the spent nuclear fuel rods stored in the No. 4 reactor building of the crisis-hit Fukushima Daiichi power plant were confirmed to be damaged, but most of them are believed to be in sound condition, plant operator Tokyo Electric Power Co. said Wednesday.
The firm known as TEPCO said its analysis of a 400-milliliter water sample taken Tuesday from the No. 4 unit's spent nuclear fuel pool revealed the damage to some fuel rods in such a pool for the first time, as it detected higher-than-usual levels of radioactive iodine-131, cesium-134 and cesium-137.
The No. 4 reactor, halted for a regular inspection before last month's earthquake and tsunami disaster, had all of its 1,331 spent fuel rods and 204 unused fuel rods stored in the pool for the maintenance work and the fuel was feared to have sustained damage from overheating.
The cooling period for 548 of the 1,331 rods was shorter than that for others and the volume of decay heat emitted from the fuel in the No. 4 unit pool is larger compared with pools at other reactor buildings.
According to TEPCO, radioactive iodine-131 amounting to 220 becquerels per cubic centimeter, cesium-134 of 88 becquerels and cesium-137 of 93 becquerels were detected in the pool water. Those substances are generated by nuclear fission."
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Japan : Workers start removing toxic water in level 7-rated nuke crisis
From Kyodo News :
" Workers at the disaster-hit Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant started Tuesday to remove highly radioactive water in the plant as part of efforts to bring an end to the nuclear crisis, which the government recognized as reaching the highest severity level of 7 on an international scale.
A series of aftershocks of the March 11 earthquake on Monday and Tuesday raised concerns over the plant conditions, but injecting water into the troubled Nos. 1 to 3 reactors, which is vital to keep the nuclear fuel inside cool, was not disrupted by the latest magnitude 6.3 quake at 2:07 p.m. Tuesday.
The aftershocks forced workers to temporarily evacuate, leading to a delay in the work to remove pools of highly radioactive water that is hampering efforts to restore the reactors' key cooling functions, lost in the March 11 massive quake and tsunami."
" Workers at the disaster-hit Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant started Tuesday to remove highly radioactive water in the plant as part of efforts to bring an end to the nuclear crisis, which the government recognized as reaching the highest severity level of 7 on an international scale.
A series of aftershocks of the March 11 earthquake on Monday and Tuesday raised concerns over the plant conditions, but injecting water into the troubled Nos. 1 to 3 reactors, which is vital to keep the nuclear fuel inside cool, was not disrupted by the latest magnitude 6.3 quake at 2:07 p.m. Tuesday.
The aftershocks forced workers to temporarily evacuate, leading to a delay in the work to remove pools of highly radioactive water that is hampering efforts to restore the reactors' key cooling functions, lost in the March 11 massive quake and tsunami."
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Japan raises nuke accident severity level to highest 7 from 5
Via Kyodo News :
" Japan on Tuesday raised the severity level of the accident at the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant to the maximum 7 on an international scale, up from the current 5 and matching that of the 1986 Chernobyl catastrophe.
The previous evaluation of 5 on the International Nuclear Event Scale provisionally set by the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency, a body under the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, was at the same level as the Three Mile Island accident in the United States in 1979.
While raising the level for the accident, the agency said, however, that the amount of radioactive materials released into the external environment from the nuke plant is estimated to be about 10 percent of the amount released in the Chernobyl catastrophe.
The decision comes after the release of a preliminary calculation Monday by the Nuclear Safety Commission of Japan, which said the crippled nuclear plant was releasing up to 10,000 terabecquerels of radioactive materials per hour at one point after a magnitude 9.0 earthquake and subsequent tsunami hit northeastern Japan on March 11.
Level 7 accidents on the INES correspond to the release into the external environment of radioactive materials equal to more than tens of thousands of terabecquerels of radioactive iodine 131. One terabecquerel equals 1 trillion becquerels.
The agency estimated that up to 370,000 terabecquerels of radioactive materials had been released in the air while the commission said it estimated 630,000 terabecquerels, both far exceeding the criteria for level 7."
" Japan on Tuesday raised the severity level of the accident at the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant to the maximum 7 on an international scale, up from the current 5 and matching that of the 1986 Chernobyl catastrophe.
The previous evaluation of 5 on the International Nuclear Event Scale provisionally set by the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency, a body under the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, was at the same level as the Three Mile Island accident in the United States in 1979.
While raising the level for the accident, the agency said, however, that the amount of radioactive materials released into the external environment from the nuke plant is estimated to be about 10 percent of the amount released in the Chernobyl catastrophe.
The decision comes after the release of a preliminary calculation Monday by the Nuclear Safety Commission of Japan, which said the crippled nuclear plant was releasing up to 10,000 terabecquerels of radioactive materials per hour at one point after a magnitude 9.0 earthquake and subsequent tsunami hit northeastern Japan on March 11.
Level 7 accidents on the INES correspond to the release into the external environment of radioactive materials equal to more than tens of thousands of terabecquerels of radioactive iodine 131. One terabecquerel equals 1 trillion becquerels.
The agency estimated that up to 370,000 terabecquerels of radioactive materials had been released in the air while the commission said it estimated 630,000 terabecquerels, both far exceeding the criteria for level 7."
URGENT: UPDATE1: Japan to raise nuke accident severity level to highest 7 from 5
Via Kyodo News :
" Japan has decided to raise the severity level of the accident at the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant to 7, the highest on an international scale, from the current 5, government sources said Tuesday.
The sources close to the Nuclear and Industry Safety Agency under the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry said the Japanese government decided to raise the level to the highest 7 on the International Nuclear Event Scale, which has so far only been applied to the 1986 Chernobyl catastrophe.
The current provisional evaluation of 5 is at the same level as the Three Mile Island accident in the United States in 1979."
" Japan has decided to raise the severity level of the accident at the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant to 7, the highest on an international scale, from the current 5, government sources said Tuesday.
The sources close to the Nuclear and Industry Safety Agency under the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry said the Japanese government decided to raise the level to the highest 7 on the International Nuclear Event Scale, which has so far only been applied to the 1986 Chernobyl catastrophe.
The current provisional evaluation of 5 is at the same level as the Three Mile Island accident in the United States in 1979."
Monday, April 11, 2011
Japan : Chronology of events surrounding crippled Fukushima nuclear plant
It'a a long article but it tracks back from the day the crisis at the nuclear plant in Fukushima started until to this date, so go to the link for the full chronology of events, excerpt article from Kyodo News :
" The following is a chronology of events regarding the nuclear crisis at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station in Fukushima Prefecture, triggered by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami that struck northeastern and eastern Japan.
March 11 -- Magnitude 9.0 earthquake forces power plant's Nos. 1-3 reactors to suspend operations automatically (Nos. 4-6 reactors were shut down, undergoing regular checks). Prime Minister Kan declares nuclear emergency, directing local residents in 3-kilometer radius of plant to evacuate.
March 12 -- Kan inspects stricken plant. Radioactive steam is vented from No. 1 reactor's containment vessel. Hydrogen explosion rips No. 1 reactor building. Government expands evacuation zone to 20 km radius of plant.
March 14 -- Hydrogen explosion rocks No. 3 reactor building. No. 2 reactor's fuel rods are exposed as water recedes inside reactor vessel.
March 15 -- Kan scolds Tokyo Electric Power (TEPCO) officials at company head office. Explosion is heard near suppression chamber of No. 2 reactor's containment vessel. Explosion is also heard at No. 4 reactor. Government directs residents in 20-30-km ring of plant to stay indoors.
March 16 -- Damage is feared to have been done to No. 3 reactor's containment vessel, forcing workers to retreat.
March 17 -- Ground Self-Defense Force helicopters drop water on No. 3 reactor building. Fire engines spray water from ground."
" The following is a chronology of events regarding the nuclear crisis at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station in Fukushima Prefecture, triggered by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami that struck northeastern and eastern Japan.
March 11 -- Magnitude 9.0 earthquake forces power plant's Nos. 1-3 reactors to suspend operations automatically (Nos. 4-6 reactors were shut down, undergoing regular checks). Prime Minister Kan declares nuclear emergency, directing local residents in 3-kilometer radius of plant to evacuate.
March 12 -- Kan inspects stricken plant. Radioactive steam is vented from No. 1 reactor's containment vessel. Hydrogen explosion rips No. 1 reactor building. Government expands evacuation zone to 20 km radius of plant.
March 14 -- Hydrogen explosion rocks No. 3 reactor building. No. 2 reactor's fuel rods are exposed as water recedes inside reactor vessel.
March 15 -- Kan scolds Tokyo Electric Power (TEPCO) officials at company head office. Explosion is heard near suppression chamber of No. 2 reactor's containment vessel. Explosion is also heard at No. 4 reactor. Government directs residents in 20-30-km ring of plant to stay indoors.
March 16 -- Damage is feared to have been done to No. 3 reactor's containment vessel, forcing workers to retreat.
March 17 -- Ground Self-Defense Force helicopters drop water on No. 3 reactor building. Fire engines spray water from ground."
Friday, April 8, 2011
Radioactive materials spread around northern hemisphere in 2 weeks
From Kyodo News :
" Radioactive materials released from Japan's crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant had spread around the entire northern hemisphere in the two weeks following the March 11 quake and tsunami disaster, a Vienna-based international nuclear watchdog said Thursday.
The Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization said minute traces of radioactive substances spread around the hemisphere by around March 25 after moving across the Pacific Ocean and other places. It said the amounts of such substances were far below levels that could affect human health.
The organization runs 63 monitoring stations around the world, including one in Takasaki, Gunma Prefecture in Japan. The Takasaki station detected radioactive substances on March 12, followed by detection in eastern Russia on March 14 and in the west coast of the United States two days later. The radioactive materials then crossed the Atlantic and reached Iceland on March 22, it said."
" Radioactive materials released from Japan's crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant had spread around the entire northern hemisphere in the two weeks following the March 11 quake and tsunami disaster, a Vienna-based international nuclear watchdog said Thursday.
The Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization said minute traces of radioactive substances spread around the hemisphere by around March 25 after moving across the Pacific Ocean and other places. It said the amounts of such substances were far below levels that could affect human health.
The organization runs 63 monitoring stations around the world, including one in Takasaki, Gunma Prefecture in Japan. The Takasaki station detected radioactive substances on March 12, followed by detection in eastern Russia on March 14 and in the west coast of the United States two days later. The radioactive materials then crossed the Atlantic and reached Iceland on March 22, it said."
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Japan : Nuclear-crisis evacuees may be allowed to return home briefly
From Kyodo News :
" The government is considering allowing people evacuated from areas around the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant to return home for a short period of time, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano said Thursday.
''Yes, it is true that we are considering it,'' the top government spokesman said at a news conference, when asked about the possibility of allowing the evacuees to make brief visits to their houses to collect valuables and necessities after nearly a month since the crisis at the nuclear complex began.
Edano said the government and nuclear experts are currently studying how to secure safety during their possible hometown visits.
The government has ordered residents within a 20-kilometer radius of the nuclear power station to evacuate and those in the 20-30 km zone to stay indoors since the plant was slammed by a deadly earthquake and tsunami on March 11.
With the crisis at the plant dragging out, Edano also indicated again that the government is considering changing the radiation exposure level currently used to determine the evacuation zone.
''The level was set under the assumption of an accident that risked releasing a huge amount of radioactive particles in a short time,'' Edano said. ''We have asked (nuclear experts) to consider what to do with areas with high cumulative levels of (radiation exposure)."
" The government is considering allowing people evacuated from areas around the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant to return home for a short period of time, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano said Thursday.
''Yes, it is true that we are considering it,'' the top government spokesman said at a news conference, when asked about the possibility of allowing the evacuees to make brief visits to their houses to collect valuables and necessities after nearly a month since the crisis at the nuclear complex began.
Edano said the government and nuclear experts are currently studying how to secure safety during their possible hometown visits.
The government has ordered residents within a 20-kilometer radius of the nuclear power station to evacuate and those in the 20-30 km zone to stay indoors since the plant was slammed by a deadly earthquake and tsunami on March 11.
With the crisis at the plant dragging out, Edano also indicated again that the government is considering changing the radiation exposure level currently used to determine the evacuation zone.
''The level was set under the assumption of an accident that risked releasing a huge amount of radioactive particles in a short time,'' Edano said. ''We have asked (nuclear experts) to consider what to do with areas with high cumulative levels of (radiation exposure)."
Japan : Nitrogen injected into Fukushima reactor to reduce risk of explosion
Via Kyodo News :
" Tokyo Electric Power Co. on Thursday started injecting nitrogen into one of the reactors at the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power complex to reduce the potential risk of a hydrogen explosion, while it succeeded in stopping highly radioactive water leaking into the Pacific Ocean from the plant the previous day.
Nitrogen, an inert gas, was injected into the No. 1 reactor's containment vessel, a process that could take several days. Hidehiko Nishiyama, a spokesman for the government's Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency, denied there is an ''immediate danger'' of explosion and described the injection as ''a preventive measure.''
In addition to the task of maintaining the relative stability of all six reactors at the nuclear complex in Fukushima Prefecture, the utility firm known as TEPCO has also been engaged in efforts to stop highly radioactive water from leaking into the sea and cleaning up contaminated water within the plant."
" Tokyo Electric Power Co. on Thursday started injecting nitrogen into one of the reactors at the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power complex to reduce the potential risk of a hydrogen explosion, while it succeeded in stopping highly radioactive water leaking into the Pacific Ocean from the plant the previous day.
Nitrogen, an inert gas, was injected into the No. 1 reactor's containment vessel, a process that could take several days. Hidehiko Nishiyama, a spokesman for the government's Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency, denied there is an ''immediate danger'' of explosion and described the injection as ''a preventive measure.''
In addition to the task of maintaining the relative stability of all six reactors at the nuclear complex in Fukushima Prefecture, the utility firm known as TEPCO has also been engaged in efforts to stop highly radioactive water from leaking into the sea and cleaning up contaminated water within the plant."
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Japan : Tokyo Electric disposing of low radioactive water in Pacific
Via Kyodo News :
" Tokyo Electric Power Co. on Monday took the unprecedented measure of dumping 10,000 tons of low-level radioactive water in the Pacific Ocean from a facility at its crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power complex to make room for the storage of more highly contaminated water, which is hampering restoration work at the plant.
With the total amount of water to reach 11,500 tons, including contaminated groundwater from near the No. 5 and No. 6 reactors, the government said the disposal was unavoidable in order to secure safety. The level of radioactive substances in the water is up to 500 times the legal limit permitted for release in the environment.
The government's nuclear agency said the disposal will pose ''no major health risk'' and experts say that the radioactive materials are likely to be diluted in the sea, but it remains uncertain how the marine environment will be affected when taking into account the impact of highly radioactive water already leaking into the sea from the plant located on the coast of Fukushima Prefecture."
" Tokyo Electric Power Co. on Monday took the unprecedented measure of dumping 10,000 tons of low-level radioactive water in the Pacific Ocean from a facility at its crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power complex to make room for the storage of more highly contaminated water, which is hampering restoration work at the plant.
With the total amount of water to reach 11,500 tons, including contaminated groundwater from near the No. 5 and No. 6 reactors, the government said the disposal was unavoidable in order to secure safety. The level of radioactive substances in the water is up to 500 times the legal limit permitted for release in the environment.
The government's nuclear agency said the disposal will pose ''no major health risk'' and experts say that the radioactive materials are likely to be diluted in the sea, but it remains uncertain how the marine environment will be affected when taking into account the impact of highly radioactive water already leaking into the sea from the plant located on the coast of Fukushima Prefecture."
Friday, April 1, 2011
Japan : Groundwater at nuclear plant 'highly' radiation-contaminated - TEPCO
Via Kyodo News :
" More signs of serious radiation contamination in and near the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant were detected Thursday, with the latest data finding groundwater containing radioactive iodine 10,000 times the legal threshold and the concentration of radioactive iodine-131 in nearby seawater rising to the highest level yet.
Radioactive material was confirmed from groundwater for the first time since the March 11 quake and tsunami hit the nuclear power plant on the Pacific coast, knocking out the reactors' key cooling functions. An official of the plant operator Tokyo Electric Power Co. said, ''We're aware this is an extremely high figure.''
The contaminated groundwater was found from around the No. 1 reactor's turbine building, although the radiation level of groundwater is usually so low that it cannot be measured.
Japanese authorities were also urged to consider taking action over radioactive contamination outside the 20-kilometer evacuation zone around the plant, as the International Atomic Energy Agency said readings from soil samples collected in the village of Iitate, about 40 km from the plant, exceeded its criteria for evacuation.
The authorities denied that the seawater and soil contamination posed an immediate threat to human health, but the government said it plans to enhance radiation data monitoring around the plant on the Pacific coast, about 220 km northeast of Tokyo.
According to the government's nuclear safety agency, the radioactive iodine-131 at a concentration of 4,385 times the maximum level permitted under law has been detected in a seawater sample collected Wednesday afternoon near the plant, exceeding the previous high recorded the day before."
" More signs of serious radiation contamination in and near the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant were detected Thursday, with the latest data finding groundwater containing radioactive iodine 10,000 times the legal threshold and the concentration of radioactive iodine-131 in nearby seawater rising to the highest level yet.
Radioactive material was confirmed from groundwater for the first time since the March 11 quake and tsunami hit the nuclear power plant on the Pacific coast, knocking out the reactors' key cooling functions. An official of the plant operator Tokyo Electric Power Co. said, ''We're aware this is an extremely high figure.''
The contaminated groundwater was found from around the No. 1 reactor's turbine building, although the radiation level of groundwater is usually so low that it cannot be measured.
Japanese authorities were also urged to consider taking action over radioactive contamination outside the 20-kilometer evacuation zone around the plant, as the International Atomic Energy Agency said readings from soil samples collected in the village of Iitate, about 40 km from the plant, exceeded its criteria for evacuation.
The authorities denied that the seawater and soil contamination posed an immediate threat to human health, but the government said it plans to enhance radiation data monitoring around the plant on the Pacific coast, about 220 km northeast of Tokyo.
According to the government's nuclear safety agency, the radioactive iodine-131 at a concentration of 4,385 times the maximum level permitted under law has been detected in a seawater sample collected Wednesday afternoon near the plant, exceeding the previous high recorded the day before."
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Radioactive material detected in air, water in New York
Via Kyodo News :
" Trace amounts of radioactive iodine believed to have come from Japan's quake-hit Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant have been detected in the air and rainwater in New York, the state's health department said.
There is no threat to public health, the department said in a statement published Tuesday. ''The most recent analyses show that levels range from 0.01-0.1 picocuries (one-trillionth of a curie) per cubic meter in air. These levels are similar or below what other states are reporting,'' it said.
In the United States, trace amounts of radioactive materials believed to have come from the Fukushima nuclear plant have also been detected in several other states, including Hawaii, California, Nevada, Florida and Massachusetts.
The amount detected in New York is ''dramatically below levels that would cause human health concerns,'' State Health Commissioner Nirav Shah said in the statement, adding that exposure to this level of radiation is thousands of times lower than common medical imaging procedures, such as chest X-rays."
" Trace amounts of radioactive iodine believed to have come from Japan's quake-hit Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant have been detected in the air and rainwater in New York, the state's health department said.
There is no threat to public health, the department said in a statement published Tuesday. ''The most recent analyses show that levels range from 0.01-0.1 picocuries (one-trillionth of a curie) per cubic meter in air. These levels are similar or below what other states are reporting,'' it said.
In the United States, trace amounts of radioactive materials believed to have come from the Fukushima nuclear plant have also been detected in several other states, including Hawaii, California, Nevada, Florida and Massachusetts.
The amount detected in New York is ''dramatically below levels that would cause human health concerns,'' State Health Commissioner Nirav Shah said in the statement, adding that exposure to this level of radiation is thousands of times lower than common medical imaging procedures, such as chest X-rays."
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Traces of radioactive iodine, cesium detected in S. Korea
Via Kyodo News :
" Trace amounts of radioactive iodine and cesium believed to have come from Japan's quake-stricken Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant have been detected in South Korea, the Education, Science and Technology Ministry said Tuesday.
The radiation level poses no risk to public safety and the environment, the ministry said.
Radioactive iodine has been detected in 12 radiation stations nationwide, including Seoul, while cesium was found only in Chuncheon, 85 kilometers west of Seoul, Yonhap News Agency reported Tuesday, citing the Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety.
''Most of the readings taken from captured nuclides were so minute they were barely detectable by existing instruments, and it took 24 hours to get precise readings,'' president of the nuclear safety agency Yun Choul Ho was quoted as saying."
" Trace amounts of radioactive iodine and cesium believed to have come from Japan's quake-stricken Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant have been detected in South Korea, the Education, Science and Technology Ministry said Tuesday.
The radiation level poses no risk to public safety and the environment, the ministry said.
Radioactive iodine has been detected in 12 radiation stations nationwide, including Seoul, while cesium was found only in Chuncheon, 85 kilometers west of Seoul, Yonhap News Agency reported Tuesday, citing the Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety.
''Most of the readings taken from captured nuclides were so minute they were barely detectable by existing instruments, and it took 24 hours to get precise readings,'' president of the nuclear safety agency Yun Choul Ho was quoted as saying."
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Q&A: How dangerous is the plutonium found at Fukushima power plant?
An informative article from Kyodo News on the dangers and aspects of Plutonium, excerpt :
" Plutonium has been detected in soil at five locations in the crippled Fukushima Daiichi atomic power plant of Tokyo Electric Power Co. The following are questions and answers regarding the potential health hazard of the highly toxic material.
Q: What are the salient characteristics of plutonium?
A: Plutonium emits alpha rays which get lodged in people's bones and lungs after being inhaled and could become highly carcinogenic. One half-life of plutonium-239, a variant of the radioactive element, is estimated at 24,000 years. It could keep emitting radiation inside a human body and is difficult to eliminate.
Q: How will the plutonium discovered this time at the plant affect human health?
A: The plutonium-238 isotope reading at one of the five contaminated spots was 0.54 becquerel per kilogram of soil. Tokyo Electric Power (TEPCO) said that it is the same level as found in most soil so it is not a health hazard. Experts of the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency also say that it does not pose any immediate threat to human health.
Q: How far has the plutonium traveled from the reactors?
A: Since plutonium is a heavy element, it is generally considered unlikely to travel very far. But given other highly concentrated radioactive materials were found outside the buildings that house the nuclear reactors, experts say it is necessary to stay vigilant over unfolding developments."
" Plutonium has been detected in soil at five locations in the crippled Fukushima Daiichi atomic power plant of Tokyo Electric Power Co. The following are questions and answers regarding the potential health hazard of the highly toxic material.
Q: What are the salient characteristics of plutonium?
A: Plutonium emits alpha rays which get lodged in people's bones and lungs after being inhaled and could become highly carcinogenic. One half-life of plutonium-239, a variant of the radioactive element, is estimated at 24,000 years. It could keep emitting radiation inside a human body and is difficult to eliminate.
Q: How will the plutonium discovered this time at the plant affect human health?
A: The plutonium-238 isotope reading at one of the five contaminated spots was 0.54 becquerel per kilogram of soil. Tokyo Electric Power (TEPCO) said that it is the same level as found in most soil so it is not a health hazard. Experts of the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency also say that it does not pose any immediate threat to human health.
Q: How far has the plutonium traveled from the reactors?
A: Since plutonium is a heavy element, it is generally considered unlikely to travel very far. But given other highly concentrated radioactive materials were found outside the buildings that house the nuclear reactors, experts say it is necessary to stay vigilant over unfolding developments."
Japan : FOCUS - Courageous workers at troubled nuclear plant endure tough conditions
From Kyodo News :
" Each of the employees of Tokyo Electric Power Co. and other workers engaged in containing damage at the stricken Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant is given 30 survival food crackers and a 180 milliliter pack of vegetable juice for breakfast after getting up just before 6 a.m.
Around 400 workers including subcontractors are working there and are given just two meals per day, according to Kazuma Yokota, an official of the government's Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency.
Yokota stayed at the nuclear power plant damaged by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami for five days through March 26 to check on progress in the ongoing operations.
After breakfast, the workers move on to their respective assignments at various locations within the plant at the center of the worst nuclear crisis in Japan. The workers are given no lunch.
Until March 22, they were given only one 1.5 liter bottle of mineral water per day. From March 23, however, with more supplies having arrived, they can ask for one more bottle, according to the official."
" Each of the employees of Tokyo Electric Power Co. and other workers engaged in containing damage at the stricken Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant is given 30 survival food crackers and a 180 milliliter pack of vegetable juice for breakfast after getting up just before 6 a.m.
Around 400 workers including subcontractors are working there and are given just two meals per day, according to Kazuma Yokota, an official of the government's Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency.
Yokota stayed at the nuclear power plant damaged by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami for five days through March 26 to check on progress in the ongoing operations.
After breakfast, the workers move on to their respective assignments at various locations within the plant at the center of the worst nuclear crisis in Japan. The workers are given no lunch.
Until March 22, they were given only one 1.5 liter bottle of mineral water per day. From March 23, however, with more supplies having arrived, they can ask for one more bottle, according to the official."
Japan : Radioactive trench water not confirmed to have overflowed - agency
An article from Kyodo News :
" Radioactive water that has been filling up underground trenches connected to the crippled reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant has not been confirmed to have overflowed, the government's Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency said Tuesday.
The nuclear regulatory body said the levels of water in the trenches some 55 to 70 meters away from the shore that were found by the plant operator Tokyo Electric Power Co. on Sunday have been stable and that the utility has taken measures to stop the water from flowing out. The plant is situated on the Pacific coast.
Among the trenches connected to the Nos. 1-3 reactor buildings, water in the gutter linked to the No. 1 unit is just 10 centimeters below its ground-level hole and the firm, also known as TEPCO, has put up sandbags and concrete blocks around the hole."
" Radioactive water that has been filling up underground trenches connected to the crippled reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant has not been confirmed to have overflowed, the government's Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency said Tuesday.
The nuclear regulatory body said the levels of water in the trenches some 55 to 70 meters away from the shore that were found by the plant operator Tokyo Electric Power Co. on Sunday have been stable and that the utility has taken measures to stop the water from flowing out. The plant is situated on the Pacific coast.
Among the trenches connected to the Nos. 1-3 reactor buildings, water in the gutter linked to the No. 1 unit is just 10 centimeters below its ground-level hole and the firm, also known as TEPCO, has put up sandbags and concrete blocks around the hole."
Radioactive material detected in air of 3 southern U.S. states
An article from Kyodo News, excerpt :
" Trace amounts of radioactive material believed to have come from Japan's quake-hit Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant have been detected in the atmosphere in South Carolina, North Carolina and Florida, Reuters news service reported Monday, citing officials.
There is no current threat to public safety, the report said, quoting Drew Elliot, a spokesman for the power generation and distribution company Progress Energy Inc., which operates some of the power plants in the southern states.
Monitors at several nuclear plants in the three states picked up low levels of radioactive iodine-131, the report said."
" Trace amounts of radioactive material believed to have come from Japan's quake-hit Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant have been detected in the atmosphere in South Carolina, North Carolina and Florida, Reuters news service reported Monday, citing officials.
There is no current threat to public safety, the report said, quoting Drew Elliot, a spokesman for the power generation and distribution company Progress Energy Inc., which operates some of the power plants in the southern states.
Monitors at several nuclear plants in the three states picked up low levels of radioactive iodine-131, the report said."
Monday, March 28, 2011
Japan : Radioactive water removal underway, fresh seawater pollution found
Via Kyodo News, excerpt :
" Work to remove highly radioactive water from inside buildings at the troubled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant continued Monday, in an effort to enable engineers to restore the power station's crippled cooling functions, while high radioactive concentrations were again detected in the nearby sea.
The plant operator Tokyo Electric Power Co. said early Monday that the concentration of radioactive substances of a pool at the No. 2 reactor was 100,000 times higher than usual for water in a reactor core, correcting its earlier analysis of 10 million times higher.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano told a press conference that the highly radioactive water found at the basement of the No. 2 reactor's turbine building is ''believed to have temporarily had contact with fuel rods (in the reactor's core) that have partially melted.''
The Nuclear Safety Commission of Japan, a government panel, said Monday in its recommendations to Prime Minister Naoto Kan that highly radioactive water in the No. 2 reactor's containment vessel could have directly leaked, raising concerns that polluted water could spread to the building's underground and to the sea."
" Work to remove highly radioactive water from inside buildings at the troubled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant continued Monday, in an effort to enable engineers to restore the power station's crippled cooling functions, while high radioactive concentrations were again detected in the nearby sea.
The plant operator Tokyo Electric Power Co. said early Monday that the concentration of radioactive substances of a pool at the No. 2 reactor was 100,000 times higher than usual for water in a reactor core, correcting its earlier analysis of 10 million times higher.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano told a press conference that the highly radioactive water found at the basement of the No. 2 reactor's turbine building is ''believed to have temporarily had contact with fuel rods (in the reactor's core) that have partially melted.''
The Nuclear Safety Commission of Japan, a government panel, said Monday in its recommendations to Prime Minister Naoto Kan that highly radioactive water in the No. 2 reactor's containment vessel could have directly leaked, raising concerns that polluted water could spread to the building's underground and to the sea."
Japan : URGENT - Radioactive water at No. 2 reactor due to partial meltdown: Edano
Another one from Kyodo News :
" The government believes highly radioactive water detected at the No. 2 reactor of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant is due to a partial meltdown of fuel rods there, its top spokesman said Monday.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano told a news conference that the government believes that the meltdown was only temporary."
" The government believes highly radioactive water detected at the No. 2 reactor of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant is due to a partial meltdown of fuel rods there, its top spokesman said Monday.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano told a news conference that the government believes that the meltdown was only temporary."
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