Japan Nuclear Reactor Explosion - pass the salt please?

[VW_Factor]

Another Chernobyl event is impossible. In short, Chernobyl could not have been designed to explode any better if they had done so intentionally. Everything was against it.

Keith

Wasn't Chernobyl "contained" in a tin sided shed? (maybe not literally, but maybe you know what I am getting at) I don't recall the exact history of it, but I remember that "containment" was hardly an afterthought.

 

[VW_Factor]

In other news..

Daily Kos: Tokyo Passengers Set Off Detectors at O'Hare

Passengers are setting off radiation detectors at this airport and perhaps others.

 

[EZLivin]

We can stop worrying now the great Obama has just announced we have nothing to worry about..............

"Two World Trade is secured. Go back to your office."

 

[trainsktg]

Wasn't Chernobyl "contained" in a tin sided shed? (maybe not literally, but maybe you know what I am getting at) I don't recall the exact history of it, but I remember that "containment" was hardly an afterthought.

Yes, there was no containment. The Soviets were not much into safety.

In the 80s, we oohed and ahhed when it was discovered that some Soviet submarines could exceed fifty knots underwater. We stopped marveling when we discovered that they had eliminated hundreds of tons of shielding to do so. Not good if you are an operator that sits 30 feet from a critical reactor for 6 to 12 hours a day. Somewhat related, in certain ships the Soviets used liquid sodium as a reactor coolant and moderator, which is many more times as efficient than water at cooling the core and adding extra speed to a sub. Does anyone remember high school science when sodium is mixed with water? And these folks thought it was a good idea to put this kind of a plant on a ship surrounded by water. They lost more than a few because of this. The Soviet legacy is one giant environmental disaster.

Keith

 

[2506]

I love Soviet ingenuity. I recall a similar sentiment about their battlefield tanks, which turned out to be junk.

 

[MA Duce]

Oh...1 billion times below the health risk threshold.........

 

[Decker]

Oh...1 billion times below the health risk threshold.........

There was also no tech bubble. Or housing bubble. Or another gunman on the grassy knoll.

=)

-d

 

[MA Duce]

There was also no tech bubble. Or housing bubble. Or another gunman on the grassy knoll.

=)

-d

If I am reading your post correctly you are saying there will be health impacts from this. Time will tell. And after all we are just seeing the first impact. Surely the levels will reflect the rise at the site. I wasn't speaking to anything but the sensationalism of the media. As to your examples: Yes there was, Yes there was, and I'm not biting on that lure.

 

[trainsktg]

Currently, in the area that the workers are occupying the radiation field is reported to be 2 millirem per hour. (This is radiation though, not contamination.) For perspective, we were allowed 30 millirem per month without a waiver and generally never exceeded 20.

Since we were required to wear dosimetry 24/7 while on site, I actually got more exposure from walking around in the California summer sun than I did in the control room of the reactor plant.

Keith

 

[Decker]

If I am reading your post correctly you are saying there will be health impacts from this. Time will tell. And after all we are just seeing the first impact. Surely the levels will reflect the rise at the site. I wasn't speaking to anything but the sensationalism of the media. As to your examples: Yes there was, Yes there was, and I'm not biting on that lure.

I wholly agree that the media is all about sensationalism but there is also a long history of governments doing everything they can to keep the truth from the people because those in power feel that 1.) the little people can't handle it. 2.) they might have to deal with a hard situation 3.) they might lose some of their power.

As an example: TEPCO Director Weeps After Disclosing Truth About Fukushima Disaster | zero hedge

Turns out that there's been a cover up going to some degree for several days now.

Will this change things for people on the west coast? Who knows... but I will certainly be watching: Radiation Network and Online Geiger Counter Nuclear Radiation Detector Map just because I am not all that trusting of government run media and their minions these days.

-d

 

[Blitzkrieg]

Oh...1 billion times below the health risk threshold.........

That's because it's not the serious stuff getting here, yet..

» Reports Of "Harmless" Radiation Reaching California Are a Whitewash Alex Jones' Infowars: There's a war on for your mind!

New book indicates 1 million people died due to Chernobyl

Harmless? Chernobyl Radiation Killed Nearly One Million People

 

[Sasquatchvnv]

At the risk of sounding like a broken record - there are very few things I trust governments to do properly. I think I'll keep my ears open to all sources of information instead of relying on the talking heads.

 

[EZLivin]

At the risk of sounding like a broken record...

For sure. All governments (at any level) can be relied upon to hide/downplay the facts via the media. Their track record of doing so is close to 100%. It is the nature of the beast.

TEPCO Director Weeps After Disclosing Truth About Fukushima Disaster | zero hedge

 

[MA Duce]

That's because it's not the serious stuff getting here, yet..

» Reports Of "Harmless" Radiation Reaching California Are a Whitewash Alex Jones' Infowars: There's a war on for your mind!

New book indicates 1 million people died due to Chernobyl

Harmless? Chernobyl Radiation Killed Nearly One Million People

True, we can expect the results here to mirror the spikes seen in Japan, and roughly in the same timeline plus the travel delay, and of course at much lower levels...... but comparing this event to Chernobyl is like comparing the Titanic to a grounded Staten Island Ferry. I must say however, that it is odd how those who dismiss reports that don't support their fears/biases rush to accept those just as error prone reports that do.

 

[Sasquatchvnv]

True, we can expect the results here to mirror the spikes seen in Japan, and roughly in the same timeline plus the travel delay, and of course at much lower levels...... but comparing this event to Chernobyl is like comparing the Titanic to a grounded Staten Island Ferry.

Which one is the Titanic? I think I'll be reserving judgement for a while. So far, Japan is looking like one huge, out of control mess. Round and round and round she goes - where she stops...

 

[MA Duce]

Which one is the Titanic?

Seriously??? A massive explosion at a reactor with absolutely no containment structures whatsoever vs the either partial or complete meltdown inside a containment vessel inside a containment building........you really need to ask???

 

[Sasquatchvnv]

Seriously??? A massive explosion at a reactor with absolutely no containment structures whatsoever vs the either partial or complete meltdown inside a containment vessel inside a containment building........you really need to ask???

I'm just saying that until they get a handle on the damaged reactors, and until there is enough time to be sure that the information being released is accurate, that is too soon to call. The catastrophe is still in progess, and there is still plenty of time for things to get worse.

As for containment - the reports are that they were storing 40 years worth of expended fuel rods (6,000?) in a tank over the reactor vessel. Also reported is that these rods blew all over the landscape during one of the explosions. I think we can infer that containment has been violated. But, like I said, its a little early to tell for sure. Give it time for the BS to dissipate.

Remember all the seawater they were pumping through the core earlier? Think it might be contaminated? Wonder where it went?

 

[The B]

As for containment - the reports are that they were storing 40 years worth of expended fuel rods (6,000?) in a tank over the reactor vessel. Also reported is that these rods blew all over the landscape during one of the explosions. I think we can infer that containment has been violated.

what kind of crackpot news website are YOU reading??? that's the single most ridiculous thing i've heard this whole catastrophe. spent fuel is kept in cooling pools to the sides of the units- not ABOVE THE HIGH PRESSURE REACTOR CORE! hilarious.

Remember all the seawater they were pumping through the core earlier? Think it might be contaminated? Wonder where it went?

it flashed into the atmosphere as steam. thats where ALL the water that's gone into the cooling system has gone.

 

[Sasquatchvnv]

what kind of crackpot news website are YOU reading??? that's the single most ridiculous thing i've heard this whole catastrophe. spent fuel is kept in cooling pools to the sides of the units- not ABOVE THE HIGH PRESSURE REACTOR CORE! hilarious.

Crazy as it sounds - a google search indicates that these reactors have the containment pools ABOVE the reactor... (multiple sources) But conflicting reports as to whether they have been blown.

it flashed into the atmosphere as steam. thats where ALL the water that's gone into the cooling system has gone.

That makes sense, but wouldn't you think the steam was contaminated?

 

[The B]

That makes sense, but is the steam contamination free?

no... it's radioactive, for sure.. but the contaminant that rises with steam does have a short half-life, and depending on exactly which contaminants have escaped, will only stay radioactive for 5 minutes to 8 days. things like uranium235 and caesium137, the biggest concerns (unit 3 aside, which is actually a MOX reactor, and a different situation entirely), are also very heavy and dont stay in the air for long. with steam as a vehicle, that is.