Meltdown Likely Under Way At Japan Nuclear Reactor

[StreetCowboy]

I,m not sure it was in this topic already...

Here a report about a nuclear accident in Samut Prakan / Bangkok in the year 2000.

http://www-pub.iaea....Pub1124_scr.pdf

(*** contains graphic material)

It's enough to put you off living near hospitals or scrap yards.

SC

[JetsetBkk]

Interesting analysis:

Nuclear Apocalypse in Japan

Lifting the Veil of Nuclear Catastrophe and cover-up

by Keith Harmon Snow

Garbage. You should be ashamed to post a link to such crap.

Read the truth:

It is becoming more probable by the day that public health consequences will be zero and radiation health effects among workers at the site will be so minor as to be hard to measure. Nuclear experts are beginning to condemn the international hysteria which has followed the incident in increasingly blunt terms.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/03/18/fukushima_friday/

...in Japan, you have radiation zealots threatening to order people out of their homes, to wander, homeless and panic-stricken, through the battered countryside, to do what? All to avoid a radiation dose lower than what they would get from a ski trip.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/03/18/fukushima_friday/page2.html

[jfchandler]

Wow... that's a very interesting official report... I'd never heard about that incident before...though it was some years back.

Anyone interested in radiation issues really should read this official account of a bunch of rube Thai junk yarders who tried to disassemble by hand, using a hammer, chisel and blow torch, an abandoned hospital radiological device they found out in a Samut Prakan junkyard.... and a number ended up dying from severe radiation exposure for it.

The report says a lot, by implication, about how a nuclear future for Thailand likely would fare.... VERY scary stuff.

Interestingly, the report talks about the team of Thai folks who ended up retrieving the cracked open nuclear device, and indicates the highest total exposure among them was 32 mSv... The highest exposure among the Tokyo FD crew from their work the other day at Fukushima was 27 mSv... The report on the Thai incident doesn't appear to indicate if there were any subsequent health effects for the 32 mSv guy on the retrieval crew.

The report on the Thai incident also says the cracked open device was giving off radiation levels of 200 to 300 microsievert (uSv)per hour at the edges of the perimeter for the site where it was found.

I,m not sure it was in this topic already...

Here a report about a nuclear accident in Samut Prakan / Bangkok in the year 2000.

http://www-pub.iaea....Pub1124_scr.pdf

(*** contains graphic material)

Edited March 22, 2011 by jfchandler

[jfchandler]

NISA, via news conference on NHK, says nuclear materials above govt. standards found in sampled sea water 100 meters off the coast from the reactors: Three elements elevated levels, two cesiums and iodine...

But because area residents have been evacuated, don't believe should be an immediate health threat.

Sample thus far only from one location. Need to do further analysis.

Science Ministry plans to do further ocean monitoring...

Edited March 22, 2011 by jfchandler

[brahmburgers]

I,m not sure it was in this topic already...

Here a report about a nuclear accident in Samut Prakan / Bangkok in the year 2000.

http://www-pub.iaea.org/MTCD/publications/PDF/Pub1124_scr.pdf

(*** contains graphic material)

Here's a quote from the foreword of the report, written by members of the IAEA (Int'l Atomic Energy Assoc):

Altogether, ten people received high doses from the source. Three of those people, all workers at the junkyard, died within two months of the accident as a consequence of their exposure.

Interesting that technicians Thailand, a country which wants 5 full scale reactors, can't even be remotely responsible for a relatively tiny amount of radioactive material as mentioned in the report.

I'm not trying to be a 'Thai basher', but instead hoping to avoid unnecessary harm and misery for Thais in the future.

[Hawaiian]

Interesting analysis:

Nuclear Apocalypse in Japan

Lifting the Veil of Nuclear Catastrophe and cover-up

by Keith Harmon Snow

ConsciousBeingAlliance.com - 2011-03-17

http://www.globalres...xt=va&aid=23764

Not an analysis. Just one writer's biased personal opinion. In other words, a scaremonger.

[jfchandler]

I should have clarified, the values below in the NHK chart are the number of times above the government's limits that those various elements were present in the sampled seawater. And also clarify that the sample was said to have been taken 100 meters south from the reactors' seawater outlet.

Also note that the iodine 131 and cesium elements listed are not naturally occurring in the environment, and instead are the byproducts of nuclear fission.

NISA, via news conference on NHK, says nuclear materials above govt. standards found in sampled sea water 100 meters off the coast from the reactors: Three elements elevated levels, two cesiums and iodine...

But because area residents have been evacuated, don't believe should be an immediate health threat.

Sample thus far only from one location. Need to do further analysis.

Science Ministry plans to do further ocean monitoring...

Edited March 22, 2011 by jfchandler

[jfchandler]

NHK update on the smoking reactor yesterday... Contrary to reports yesterday, there was elevated radiation emissions following that event:

Grayish smoke continued billowing from the plant's No.3 reactor building for more than 2 hours on Monday afternoon. What looked like steam later rose out of the No.2 reactor building.

The developments prompted the Tokyo Electric Power Company, or TEPCO, to order all personnel indoors, leading to a suspension of work to restore power to reactors No.1 to No.4.

Radiation levels rose near the plant's front gate, about 1 kilometer west of the reactors. The radiation readings surged to 1,932 microsieverts (1.9 mSv) per hour as of 6:30 PM Monday, compared to 494 microsieverts (0.5 mSv) 50 minutes earlier.

http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/22_09.html

[jfchandler]

NHK:

TEPCO underestimated tsunami, quake -- claims 14 meter tsunami

Tokyo Electric Power Company says its nuclear power plants in Fukushima were hit by a 14-meter-high tsunami. That was more than double the maximum expectation.

The electric company on Monday checked the walls of the Fukushima Daiichi and Daini nuclear power plants. It found that the water reached higher than 14 meters above sea level.

The company had only expected a tsunami of 5.7 meters at the Daiichi plant and one of 5.2 meters at the Daini.

The Fukushima Daiichi plant lost sufficient cooling functions when the tsunami destroyed facilities along the coast, such as seawater pumps and emergency diesel generators.

The buildings that house the reactors and turbines are built on grounds 10 to 13 meters above sea level, but became partially inundated.

The power company said it had underestimated the biggest earthquake to be magnitude 8. It said it admits that this month's magnitude 9 quake was beyond its calculation.

Tuesday, March 22, 2011 05:08 +0900 (JST)

http://www3.nhk.or.j...lish/22_05.html

Edited March 22, 2011 by jfchandler

[jfchandler]

NHK:

World Bank: Disaster damage may reach $235 bil.

The World Bank says damage from the Great East Japan Earthquake may reach as high as 235 billion dollars. That amount far exceeds the losses from the Kobe earthquake in 1995.

The bank says disruption to production networks, especially in the automobile and electronics industries, could pose longer-term problems.

The damage from the March 11th quake is more than double the 100 billion dollars caused by the Kobe quake in western Japan 16 years ago.

The World Bank says Japan's GDP growth will slow. But the slowdown will likely be temporary, and growth should start picking up in the second half of 2011 when reconstruction efforts get underway.

But, the problems at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant and the economic impact from rotating electricity cuts were not factored into the calculation.

The bank says it is still too early for a full assessment.

Tuesday, March 22, 2011 12:43 +0900 (JST)

http://www3.nhk.or.j...lish/22_15.html

Edited March 22, 2011 by jfchandler

[jfchandler]

Other Updates from NHK for Tuesday:

TEPCO resumes work Tuesday morning on restoring electrical systems at damaged reactors, after Monday suspension.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon says the situation at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant remains very serious.

Head of IAEA says he is starting to see positive developments in Japan's efforts to stabilize a crippled nuclear power plant.

U.S. NRC will spend up to 90 days compiling a report on crisis management at 104 plants in the U.S., including preparations for power outages and controlling spent fuel rod pools during major natural disasters.

Japan's oil refining capacity is back to 80 percent, helping to resolve fuel shortages in the disaster-hit region.

Govt. has begun daily briefings for foreign media on the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plants and quake-relief efforts.

Japan has abandoned plans to host the World Figure Skating Championships as it grapples with the aftermath of a massive earthquake.

[jfchandler]

Tuesday Updates from Kyodo News:

NEWS ADVISORY: Official death toll from March 11 quake, tsunami tops 9,000.

TEPCO resumed its rolling blackouts Tuesday after a three-day suspension during Japan's long weekend.

Industry minister Banri Kaieda apologized Tuesday over reports that he threatened to ''punish'' fire fighters if they did not carry out an operation to spray water toward a quake-hit nuclear reactor building in Fukushima Prefecture.

NEWS ADVISORY: Mizuho Bank resumes transfer at ATMs of its branches, over the counter.

Tokyo stocks jump on progress at stricken nuke plant.

-----------------------------

Also... Kyodo via the IAEA is running a report on the same data we reported here the other day from Japanese govt. data:

Radiation 1,600 times normal level 20 km from Fukushima plant: IAEA

VIENNA, March 22, Kyodo News

Radiation 1,600 times higher than normal levels has been detected in an area about 20 kilometers from the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, International Atomic Energy Agency officials said Monday. Data collected by an IAEA team show that radiation levels of 161 microsievert per hour have been detected in the town of Namie, Fukushima Prefecture, the officials said.

The government has set an exclusion zone covering areas within a 20-km radius of the plant and has urged people within 20 to 30 km to stay indoors.

http://english.kyodo...1/03/80057.html

Edited March 22, 2011 by jfchandler

[jfchandler]

And straight from beautiful Japan, home of geishas, sushi, Toyotas and nuclear fission emissions, the daily radiation report for Monday, March 21:

The original and full report is located here:

Readings at Monitoring Post out of 20 Km Zone of Fukushima Dai-ichi NPP (PDF:216KB)

The data shows radiation levels in microsievert per hour from about 30 different monitoring locations in the 20 to 30 Km area away from the Fukushima nuclear power plant.

It looks to me like in this data, there are now three monitoring stations reporting radiation rates above 50 microsievert per hour, being #s 31, 32 and 33 generally north of the plant. All three locations are right near the government's 30 Km stay indoors outer boundary, although other monitoring posts both closer to the reactors and farther away had lower radiation levels.

This chart below marks the radiation trends for the locations listed above showing greater than 10 microsievert per hour.

[jfchandler]

Think of the radiation readings above to be local ones around the Fukushima plant.

Apart from those, the government also is monitoring radiation from every prefecture in the country. The government's prefecture monitoring reports also showed a significant spike, albeit at much lower levels, yesterday afternoon at Mito City in the Ibaraki Prefecture -- about the same time the Fukushima plant was emitting smoke from Reactor No. 3 and the plant's radiation levels spiked.

Here was how Mito's radiation levels in microsievert per hour changed during Monday afternoon:

4 pm -- 0.169

5 pm -- 0.256

6 pm -- 0.493

But that compares with a high reading yesterday in the 20 to 30 Km report of 111 microsievert per hour measured at site #33.

The full prefecture report for March 21 is located here:

http://www.mext.go.j...303971_2119.pdf

Edited March 22, 2011 by jfchandler

[JulianLS]

NHK:

TEPCO underestimated tsunami, quake -- claims 14 meter tsunami

Tokyo Electric Power Company says its nuclear power plants in Fukushima were hit by a 14-meter-high tsunami. That was more than double the maximum expectation.

The electric company on Monday checked the walls of the Fukushima Daiichi and Daini nuclear power plants. It found that the water reached higher than 14 meters above sea level.

The company had only expected a tsunami of 5.7 meters at the Daiichi plant and one of 5.2 meters at the Daini.

The Fukushima Daiichi plant lost sufficient cooling functions when the tsunami destroyed facilities along the coast, such as seawater pumps and emergency diesel generators.

The buildings that house the reactors and turbines are built on grounds 10 to 13 meters above sea level, but became partially inundated.

The power company said it had underestimated the biggest earthquake to be magnitude 8. It said it admits that this month's magnitude 9 quake was beyond its calculation.

Tuesday, March 22, 2011 05:08 +0900 (JST)

http://www3.nhk.or.j...lish/22_05.html

This revelation by Tepco beggars belief!!!

Even the townspeople of Miyako expected a tsunami to be much higher than that (from previous experiences in 1611, 1896 and 1933) and built a tsunami protection wall 10 meters high (almost double the Tepco assumption). And as we know, that town was also inundated by the tsunami which breached the wall. There are many previous reports of tsunamis well above 10 meters, let alone 5.7 meters.

And I counted 14 earthquakes in Japan at or above magnitude 8 in its history (some earlier ones estimated), 12 of which occurred prior to the construction of the Fukushima Daiichi plant.

Any idiot could see that these assumptions were too small, and I am sure the people setting these limits were not idiots......

BTW, from diagrams I have seen it looks as if at least part of these reactors is actually underground (the suppression pool), so I think perhaps the comment about the "buildings" being 10 to 13m above sea level may be misleading. Having said that, these diagrams are generic ones of the reactor type used, rather than actual plans of the reactors in Fukushima.

[jfchandler]

Someone might ask, what to make of all these microsievert radiation readings... 10... 60... 111... 160 microsievert per hour?

Well, the International Atomic Energy Agency yesterday said on its web site that it considers 0.1 microsieverts (1/10th of 1) per hour to be a "typical natural background level."

That's how the town of Namie, which registered a reading of 160 microsieverts per hour earlier this week, is being said to have radiation levels that are 1,600 times normal levels. Namie is monitoring station #32 on the above 20 to 30 Km radiation monitoring report.

Also, the prefecture radiation reports issued by the Japanese government, at the far right edge, have a column listing "usual value band" that shows individual low to high normal radiation levels for each of those monitoring stations. Almost all of those values are at or below the 0.1 microsievert per hour level.

Here's the fuller explanation IAEA had on their web site re radiation status in Japan:

The IAEA radiation monitoring team took measurements at distances from 56 to 200 km from the Fukushima nuclear power plant. At two locations in Fukushima Prefecture gamma dose rate and beta-gamma contamination measurements have been repeated. These measurements showed high beta-gamma contamination levels. Measurements by the IAEA and the Japanese authorities were taken at the same time and locations. The Japanese and independent IAEA measurements gave comparable results. Measurement of gamma dose rate and beta-gamma contamination were taken on 20 March at more locations. The dose-rate results ranged from 2-160 microsieverts per hour, which compares to a typical natural background level of around 0.1 microsieverts per hour. High levels of beta-gamma contamination have been measured between 16-58 km from the plant. Available results show contamination ranging from 0.2-0.9 MBq per square metre.

Further measurements are needed to assess possible contamination beyond the area currently monitored - both closer to the facility and further way. We have no contamination measurements showing that that contamination levels are high at greater distances than 58 km from the plant, but this cannot be excluded.

I have no further information available regarding the measurement of alpha radiation. As I reported yesterday, from the measurements taken within the evacuation zone (20 km), no significant alpha radiation had been detected at that time.

In the coming days, the IAEA monitoring team will continue to take measurements in the Fukushima prefecture. We are seeking data from Japan on radioactivity contamination measurements for the rest of Japan.

Some results on the monitoring of foodstuffs have been made available by Japan to the IAEA and FAO. Results provided recently by the Japanese authorities range up to 55 000 Bq per kg of I-131 in samples of Spinach taken in in the Ibaraki Prefecture. These high values are significantly above Japanese limits for restricting food consumption (i.e. 2 000 Bq/kg). I understand that the Japanese Government is actively considering relevant precautionary measures and has instructed four Prefectures (Ibaraki, Totigi, Gunma, Fukushima) to refrain, for the time being, from distributing two types of vegetables (spinach and kakina) from these Prefectures and milk from Fukshima.

Edited March 22, 2011 by jfchandler

[JulianLS]

Wow... that's a very interesting official report... I'd never heard about that incident before...though it was some years back.

Anyone interested in radiation issues really should read this official account of a bunch of rube Thai junk yarders who tried to disassemble by hand, using a hammer, chisel and blow torch, an abandoned hospital radiological device they found out in a Samut Prakan junkyard.... and a number ended up dying from severe radiation exposure for it.

The report says a lot, by implication, about how a nuclear future for Thailand likely would fare.... VERY scary stuff.

Interestingly, the report talks about the team of Thai folks who ended up retrieving the cracked open nuclear device, and indicates the highest total exposure among them was 32 mSv... The highest exposure among the Tokyo FD crew from their work the other day at Fukushima was 27 mSv... The report on the Thai incident doesn't appear to indicate if there were any subsequent health effects for the 32 mSv guy on the retrieval crew.

The report on the Thai incident also says the cracked open device was giving off radiation levels of 200 to 300 microsievert (uSv)per hour at the edges of the perimeter for the site where it was found.

I,m not sure it was in this topic already...

Here a report about a nuclear accident in Samut Prakan / Bangkok in the year 2000.

http://www-pub.iaea....Pub1124_scr.pdf

(*** contains graphic material)

Yes indeed, a very interesting report. Thanks for posting, Superskunk!

Just to extract the key info for the 10 people who rec'd the highest exposures:

Of the ten people highly exposed to the radiation, the four involved in the scrap collection were estimated to have received 1 - 2 Sv (whole body) all survived*. They did however have very serious injuries from localised radiation burns, from being in close or direct contact with the cobalt-60 source for limited periods of time (hours rather than days).

Of four people at the junkyard estimated to have exposures in excess of 6 Sv, three died within two months whilst one survived*. These four people were exposed to the radiation for many days. There is no estimate of the exposure of two other people at the junkyard, who also suffered radiation sickness but survived*.

* I assume that they survived at least 2 years, as the report was published two years after the accident

Edited March 22, 2011 by JulianLS

[bkkjames]

in case anyone is interested in what the US 7th Fleet in the area is up to...as of yesterday evening....

USS George Washington got underway from Yokosuka today to assure the ship can sustain a state of readiness in the long term for the defense of Japan. The forward deployed carrier is scheduled to remain in the local waters off Japan. Moving USS George Washington is a precaution given the capabilities of the vessel and the complex nature of this disaster. (hmmm - seems like they are getting out of dodge) USS Lassen also departed Yokosuka today.

The USS Ronald Reagan Carrier Strike Group to include USS Chancellorsville (CG 62), USS Preble (DDG 88), USS Fitzgerald (DDG 62), USS John S. McCain (DDG 56), USS McCampbell (DDG 85), USS Mustin (89) and USS Curtis Wilbur (DDG 54) along with USS Cowpens (CG-63) and USS Shiloh (CG-67) continued operations north of Sendai. Strike group helicopters carried 17 tons of supplies to 24 separate sites, and identified 16 additional sites where groups of people are isolated to be serviced with supplies in the coming days. Aircrews report that people on the ground are particularly interested in receiving shipments of gasoline, kerosene or diesel fuel.

USS Blue Ridge (LCC-19), flagship for the United States Seventh Fleet, conducted a connected replenishment with USNS Pecos today in the vicinity of Nagasaki.

The commander, U.S. Pacific Command, directed that precautionary measures be taken due to the potential of future radiological exposures, including directing the distribution of potassium iodide (KI) tablets to military personnel and their families in Yokosuka and Atsugi. Personnel in Yokosuka and Atsugi will not actually take KI unless advised to do so by U.S. or Japanese authorities. Seventh Fleet personnel conducting disaster relief missions inside of 100 nautical miles from the Fukushima Dai-Ichi plant continue to take KI as a precautionary measure.

the whole story here.. http://www.facebook.com/note.php?created&&note_id=203733609656433&id=96699782061#!/notes/us-7th-fleet/operation-tomodachi-update-21-march/10150162769673615

[bkkjames]

TOKYO | Tue Mar 22, 2011 2:46am EDT

Reuters) - White smoke rising on Tuesday from reactor No. 2 at Japan's stricken nuclear power plant is likely to be steam from the spent nuclear fuel pool, Japan's nuclear safety agency said.

Earlier on Tuesday, steam appeared to rise from reactor No. 2 and white haze was detected above reactor No. 3.

http://www.reuters.c...id_dest=Twitter

Edited March 22, 2011 by bkkjames

[jfchandler]

NHK reports that new and wider ranging seawater sampling confirms earlier reports of elevated radiation levels in seawater along a wide stretch of the coastline in the area of the Fukushima Daiichi reactors, including radioactive iodine and cesium levels well above government limits.

Officials said the test results did not pinpoint the source of the radioactivity, adding it could have come from the water spraying runoff of the reactors at Fukushima Daiichi and/or from recent rainfall and rainwater runoff. Nuclear experts said the cesium levels are more troublesome, whereas the iodine levels are less problematic because the radioactivity of iodine in the environment diminishes relatively quickly.

The charts show the number of multiples that the levels of cesium and iodine in the seawater exceeded Japanese government standards.

Edited March 22, 2011 by jfchandler

[bkkjames]

3/22/2011

One for all, all for one - Japan disaster toll nears 22,000; WHO issues radiation warning

RIKUZENTAKATA, Japan (AFP, Reuters, AP) – The sign on the wall of the school hall that is now home to hundreds of Japan's tsunami homeless reads: "Let's all support each other. One for all and all for one."

The rescue center at Daiichi middle school in Rikuzentakata is testament to that spirit of standing together in the face of an incomprehensible tragedy that has left the number of people confirmed dead or listed as missing close to 22,000.

The national police agency said 8,649 people had been confirmed dead and 13,262 officially listed as missing – a total of 21,911 – as of 12 p.m. (0300 GMT) Monday as a result of the March 11 catastrophe.

A total of 2,644 people have been injured.

Miyagi prefecture was worst hit, with a confirmed death toll of 5,244.

But Miyagi police chief Naoto Takeuchi told a Sunday task force meeting that the prefecture alone "will need to secure facilities to keep the bodies of more than 15,000 people," Jiji Press reported.

The municipal government of Ishinomaki city in Miyagi said on its website: "A final number of missing citizens in the city is expected to reach 10,000."

As the Japanese government try to recover from this catastrophe, the World Health Organization WHO) said on Monday that radiation in food after the 9.0-magnitude earthquake damaged the Fukushima nuclear plant was a "serious situation", eclipsing clear signs of progress in a battle to avert a meltdown in the reactors.

Engineers managed to rig power cables to all six reactors at the Fukushima complex, 240 km (150 miles) north of Tokyo, and started a water pump at one of them to reverse the overheating that has triggered the world's worst nuclear crisis in 25 years.

Some workers were later evacuated from one of the most badly damaged reactors when gray smoke rose from the site. There was no immediate explanation for the smoke, but authorities had said earlier that pressure was building up at the No. 3 reactor.

The amount of smoke later receded.

Overshadowing news from the facility, however, was mounting concern that radioactive particles already released into the atmosphere have contaminated food and water supplies.

"Quite clearly it's a serious situation," Peter Cordingley, Manila-based spokesman for the WHO regional office for the Western Pacific, told Reuters in a telephone interview.

continued here...http://www.tropangwsr.com/2011/03/one-for-all-all-for-one-japan-disaster.html

Edited March 22, 2011 by bkkjames

[jfchandler]

in case anyone is interested in what the US 7th Fleet in the area is up to...as of yesterday evening....

Thanks for the update from the U.S. military, James... I had asked here the other day about trying to find that kind of recap, since I hadn't seen one...

It strikes me as very that we/you find that kind of update on the Navy 7th Fleet's FACEBOOK page of all places... I wonder if they've posted something similar on their actual official government web site... As of a couple days ago, they didn't have any of that kind overview on their own website.

[bkkjames]

in case anyone is interested in what the US 7th Fleet in the area is up to...as of yesterday evening....

Thanks for the update from the U.S. military, James... I had asked here the other day about trying to find that kind of recap, since I hadn't seen one...

It strikes me as very that we/you find that kind of update on the Navy 7th Fleet's FACEBOOK page of all places... I wonder if they've posted something similar on their actual official government web site... As of a couple days ago, they didn't have any of that kind overview on their own website.

amazing that the fleet commander (comms team) has been given the all clear to communicate such detail - good for the families back home I suppose.

[bkkjames]

Interesting reading..

Japan Nuclear Crisis: What About The Plutonium MOX?

Mar. 21, 2011, 5:27 PM

DK Matai

DK Matai is the chairman of mi2g, ATCA, and The Philanthropia

The media tells us that things are looking much better now in regard to the Japan nuclear crisis and we should all relax about the damaged nuclear reactors in Fukushima. Yet, there is something bothering us in London which makes it difficult for us to relax completely:

1. What does the smoke and vapour being emitted from the various nuclear reactors at the plant actually contain?

2. What if one of the elements being discharged is plutonium -- the deadliest substance known to man -- which is extremely difficult to detect?

Universal Concerns

• Reactor 3 suffered significant damage after the quake and the tsunami waves on March 11th;

• The roof of the building was destroyed by a powerful explosion last week caused by an accumulation of hydrogen;

• Reactor 3 raises the most concern since it runs on MOX or Mixed Oxide fuel -- a mixture of plutonium and uranium;

• MOX is far more dangerous than uranium on its own; and

• MOX is two million times more deadly than normal enriched uranium.

• Reactor 3's recent smoke appears to have originated from the building's side, where the spent nuclear fuel pool is located;

• The precise contents of the smoke and vapour at reactor 3, and other reactors, are as yet unknown;

• However, workers were evacuated from the nuclear plant after smoke appeared from reactor 3;

• No radiation spike has been detected so the common assumption is that all is fine;

• Radiation levels are NOT up after the smoke release from reactor 3 which seems to have reassured the global financial markets for the moment;

• Should the world relax if we don't as yet know the precise contents of the smoke and vapour from reactor 3?

• What if the release of elements in the smoke and vapour were not just radioactive iodine, caesium and uranium but a MOX combination including plutonium?

• This would explain why the workers were immediately evacuated given the deadly nature of plutonium;

• Plutonium is extremely difficult to detect because it emits limited gamma rays -- unlike radioactive iodine, caesium and uranium -- and it is deadly;

• Plutonium release would not show up as a radiation spike;

• Plutonium 239 is the deadliest element known to man;

• Half-life of Plutonium-239 in MOX is 24,000 years: Few milligrams of P-239 escaping in a smoke plume will contaminate soil for tens of thousands of years; and

• Plutonium comes from Pluto: god of wealth and power and also the god of hell and death.

the rest here: http://www.businessi...nium-mox-2011-3

Edited March 22, 2011 by bkkjames

[jfchandler]

Nuclear medicine expert Dr. Robert Gale, a leading figure in the bone marrow transplants for radiation victims from the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, said the radiation levels coming from the Fukushima Daiichi plant are "not comparable" with what occurred at Chernobyl, NHK reported.

Gale said during a current one-week advisory visit in Japan that while there was basically no containment of the radiation in Chernobyl, there has been containment, even if not perfect, at the Daiichi plant. "The amount of radiation released between the two accidents is not comparable and cannot be compared," Gale said. "There is some effective containment at Fukushima, but there was no effective containment at all at Chernobyl."

In 1986, Gale was asked by the government Soviet Union to coordinate medical relief efforts for victims of the Chernobyl nuclear power station accident. In 1987, he was

asked by the government of Brazil to coordinate medical relief efforts for a radiation accident in Goiania. In 1999 he was asked by the government of Japan to help treat victims of the nuclear criticality accident near Tokyo.

In 2007 Gale, a former longtime physician at UCLA in Los Angeles, joined Celgene Corp. in Summit, NJ, where he is Executive Director of Clinical Research, Hematology and Oncology. His activities include development and execution of clinical trials in blood and bone marrow cancers, transplantation and immune disorders.

http://www.robertgal...e_Biography.pdf

Edited March 22, 2011 by jfchandler

[bkkjames]

NHK reports that new and wider ranging seawater sampling confirms earlier reports of elevated radiation levels in seawater along a wide stretch of the coastline in the area of the Fukushima Daiichi reactors, including radioactive iodine and cesium levels well above government limits.

Officials said the test results did not pinpoint the source of the radioactivity, adding it could have come from the water spraying runoff of the reactors at Fukushima Daiichi and/or from recent rainfall and rainwater runoff. Nuclear experts said the cesium levels are more troublesome, whereas the iodine levels are less problematic because the radioactivity of iodine in the environment diminishes relatively quickly.

The charts show the number of multiples that the levels of cesium and iodine in the seawater exceeded Japanese government standards.

Radioactive substances detected in seawater

Excessive levels of radioactive iodine and cesium have been found in seawater near the Fukushima Daiichi power plant.

The Tokyo Electric Power Company, or TEPCO, collected seawater samples 100 meters south of the plant's water outlet on Monday afternoon.

The samples were found to contain radioactive iodine-131 in excess of the legal standard by 126.7 times, cesium-134 by 24.8 times, and cesium-137 by 16.5 times.

Each standard is considered safe even for someone consuming the average amount of water every day for a full year.

Such annual intake corresponds to one millisievert, or the maximum radiation exposure considered safe per year. The International Commission on Radiological Protection recommends that exposure be kept below one millisievert per year.

Marine Ecology Research Institute senior researcher Jun Misono'o says seawater contamination is unlikely to pose an immediate hazard, since radioactive materials are known to spread in the ocean.

But Misono'o says radioactive cesium tends to build up in fish tissue, so it's necessary to continue monitoring data and grasping their impact on sea life.

http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/22_19.html Tuesday, March 22, 2011 14:45 +0900 (JST)

[JetsetBkk]

Another 6.6! These people are going through hell:

6.6 M - OFF EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN

Preliminary Earthquake Report Magnitude 6.6 M

Date-Time 22 Mar 2011 07:18:47 UTC

22 Mar 2011 17:18:47 near epicenter

22 Mar 2011 14:18:47 standard time in your timezone

Location 37.249N 143.956E

Depth 26 km

Distances 272 km (169 miles) E (85 degrees) of Iwaki, Honshu, Japan

292 km (182 miles) ESE (111 degrees) of Sendai, Honshu, Japan

312 km (194 miles) E (99 degrees) of Fukushima, Honshu, Japan

415 km (258 miles) ENE (64 degrees) of TOKYO, Japan

Location Uncertainty Horizontal: 13.9 km; Vertical 0.5 km

Parameters Nph = 305; Dmin = 518.7 km; Rmss = 1.18 seconds; Gp = 32°

M-type = M; Version = 7

Event ID US c00028pe

For updates, maps, and technical information, see:

Event Page

or

USGS Earthquake Hazards Program

National Earthquake Information Center

U.S. Geological Survey

http://neic.usgs.gov/

TSUNAMI BULLETIN NUMBER 001

PACIFIC TSUNAMI WARNING CENTER/NOAA/NWS

ISSUED AT 0738Z 22 MAR 2011

THIS BULLETIN APPLIES TO AREAS WITHIN AND BORDERING THE PACIFIC

OCEAN AND ADJACENT SEAS...EXCEPT ALASKA...BRITISH COLUMBIA...

WASHINGTON...OREGON AND CALIFORNIA.

... TSUNAMI INFORMATION BULLETIN ...

THIS BULLETIN IS FOR INFORMATION ONLY.

THIS BULLETIN IS ISSUED AS ADVICE TO GOVERNMENT AGENCIES. ONLY

NATIONAL AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT AGENCIES HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO MAKE

DECISIONS REGARDING THE OFFICIAL STATE OF ALERT IN THEIR AREA AND

ANY ACTIONS TO BE TAKEN IN RESPONSE.

AN EARTHQUAKE HAS OCCURRED WITH THESE PRELIMINARY PARAMETERS

ORIGIN TIME - 0719Z 22 MAR 2011

COORDINATES - 36.9 NORTH 144.5 EAST

DEPTH - 10 KM

LOCATION - OFF EAST COAST OF HONSHU JAPAN

MAGNITUDE - 6.6

EVALUATION

NO DESTRUCTIVE WIDESPREAD TSUNAMI THREAT EXISTS BASED ON

HISTORICAL EARTHQUAKE AND TSUNAMI DATA.

HOWEVER - EARTHQUAKES OF THIS SIZE SOMETIMES GENERATE LOCAL

TSUNAMIS THAT CAN BE DESTRUCTIVE ALONG COASTS LOCATED WITHIN

A HUNDRED KILOMETERS OF THE EARTHQUAKE EPICENTER. AUTHORITIES

IN THE REGION OF THE EPICENTER SHOULD BE AWARE OF THIS

POSSIBILITY AND TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTION.

THIS WILL BE THE ONLY BULLETIN ISSUED FOR THIS EVENT UNLESS

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION BECOMES AVAILABLE.

THE JAPAN METEOROLOGICAL AGENCY MAY ALSO ISSUE TSUNAMI MESSAGES

FOR THIS EVENT TO COUNTRIES IN THE NORTHWEST PACIFIC AND SOUTH

CHINA SEA REGION. IN CASE OF CONFLICTING INFORMATION... THE

MORE CONSERVATIVE INFORMATION SHOULD BE USED FOR SAFETY.

THE WEST COAST/ALASKA TSUNAMI WARNING CENTER WILL ISSUE PRODUCTS

FOR ALASKA...BRITISH COLUMBIA...WASHINGTON...OREGON...CALIFORNIA.

[jfchandler]

James, just to be clear for everyone, the report you've posted below was the original, earlier one... based on one sample... We already posted that info here earlier this morning in post #2025.

The data above in my more recent post that you're quoting is the more recent report based on subsequent and multiple water sampling... Both readings are accurate, yours below the original single ones, mine above the newer, multiple sample ones.

Radioactive substances detected in seawater

Excessive levels of radioactive iodine and cesium have been found in seawater near the Fukushima Daiichi power plant.

The Tokyo Electric Power Company, or TEPCO, collected seawater samples 100 meters south of the plant's water outlet on Monday afternoon.

The samples were found to contain radioactive iodine-131 in excess of the legal standard by 126.7 times, cesium-134 by 24.8 times, and cesium-137 by 16.5 times.

Each standard is considered safe even for someone consuming the average amount of water every day for a full year.

Such annual intake corresponds to one millisievert, or the maximum radiation exposure considered safe per year. The International Commission on Radiological Protection recommends that exposure be kept below one millisievert per year.

Marine Ecology Research Institute senior researcher Jun Misono'o says seawater contamination is unlikely to pose an immediate hazard, since radioactive materials are known to spread in the ocean.

But Misono'o says radioactive cesium tends to build up in fish tissue, so it's necessary to continue monitoring data and grasping their impact on sea life.

http://www3.nhk.or.j...lish/22_19.html Tuesday, March 22, 2011 14:45 +0900 (JST)

Edited March 22, 2011 by jfchandler

[bkkjames]

James, just to be clear for everyone, the report you've posted below was the original, earlier one... based on one sample... We already posted that info here earlier this morning in post #2025.

The data above in my more recent post that you're quoting is the more recent report based on subsequent and multiple water sampling... Both readings are accurate, yours below the original single ones, mine above the newer, multiple sample ones.

Radioactive substances detected in seawater

Excessive levels of radioactive iodine and cesium have been found in seawater near the Fukushima Daiichi power plant.

The Tokyo Electric Power Company, or TEPCO, collected seawater samples 100 meters south of the plant's water outlet on Monday afternoon.

The samples were found to contain radioactive iodine-131 in excess of the legal standard by 126.7 times, cesium-134 by 24.8 times, and cesium-137 by 16.5 times.

Each standard is considered safe even for someone consuming the average amount of water every day for a full year.

Such annual intake corresponds to one millisievert, or the maximum radiation exposure considered safe per year. The International Commission on Radiological Protection recommends that exposure be kept below one millisievert per year.

Marine Ecology Research Institute senior researcher Jun Misono'o says seawater contamination is unlikely to pose an immediate hazard, since radioactive materials are known to spread in the ocean.

But Misono'o says radioactive cesium tends to build up in fish tissue, so it's necessary to continue monitoring data and grasping their impact on sea life.

http://www3.nhk.or.j...lish/22_19.html Tuesday, March 22, 2011 14:45 +0900 (JST)

Thanks for clarifying that John: have been tied up all day and havent read through all your posts. cheers

[bkkjames]

More US navy stuff for you John ... and anyone else interested...

Good morning PSNS & IMF family,

I would like to share with you a recent update from U.S. 7th Fleet. USS George Washington (CVN 73) got underway from Yokosuka last night to assure she can sustain a state of readiness in the long term for the defense of Japan. The forward deployed carrier remains in the local waters off Japan. Moving George Washington is a precaution given the capabilities of the vessel and the complex nature of this disaster.

PSNS & IMF has more than 460 project personnel onboard George Washington, nine of whom are our Yokosuka Detachment workers. This team continues to perform work on her Selected Restricted Availability. I have every confidence our team will accomplish this availability despite the additional challenges presented over the last week and a half.

Also as a precautionary measure, Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Japan, ordered that Potassium Iodide (KI) be available for all DoD personnel and dependents currently located at Commander Fleet Activities Yokosuka, Ikego Housing Detachment, Negishi Housing Detachment, and Naval Air Facility Atsugi in case a need is identified. People are being directed not to take any KI until official notification is given, and then only to take the recommended dosage; there is enough KI for all personnel. Medical personnel will be standing by at each distribution location to answer any questions and explain about possible side effects from KI.

To those of you still in Japan, and to the many of you onboard George Washington—know you have the support, respect and admiration of your Command family. We are all proud of you working through the disaster that hit Japan and the resulting transitional challenges of shifting location and, in some cases, your families.

To those of you stateside—it’s because of your tremendous support, planning and flexibility that we are able to continue our work to meet the fleet’s needs.

We continue to monitor the situation in Japan, and it is still our top priority to look out for the safety and well-being of our workers and their families.

R/CAPT Mark Whitney

Commander, PSNS & IMF

http://www.informationdissemination.net/2011/03/whiskey-tango-foxtrot-in-japan.html