Japan: Fukushima nuclear power plant continues to smoke, up to 120,000 people may suffer from radiation

In Japan, two emergency reactor continue to smoke, emissions continue, are seriously polluted drinking water, food, the area around the power plant and seawater. At the same time, the IAEA says that the situation is "improving gradually", while environmentalists claim that the accident 120,000 people could get cancer. March 21 and 22 continued "dymlenie" on the second and third power plant emergency Fukushima-1. With the smoke out a huge amount of radionuclides and working with the station once again had to be evacuated.

: "White smoke was seen coming from unit number 2 on March 21 at 9:22 UTC.Gray smoke was seen coming from the power unit № 3 March 21 at 6:55, it was reported that two hours later, the smoke stopped. All workers with power units with one to four were evacuated when smoke was seen over the third power. "

The IAEA is the situation, though the Japanese liquidators afraid of smoke. In fact, with the smoke of the emergency power comes greatnumber of dangerous radionuclides and the evacuation was caused by the fact that radiation levels exceeded all possible limits.

At a press briefing in Vienna on 21 March, Andrew Graham (Graham Andrew), Special Advisor to the Director General of IAEA, said: "We are seeing some incremental improvements, but the general situation at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plants remains very serious."

Food contamination exceeds the norm in many times The Government of Japan has demanded to ban the export of vegetables from other parts of the prefectures of Fukushima, Ibaraki, Tochigi and Gunma because of serious contamination.Data not fully available. that the concentration of iodine-131 in spinach from Ibaraki prefecture is 54 thousand becquerel per kilogram, which is 27 times higher than the recently established a temporary increase in "safe" standards in 2000 Bq / kg.

Nevertheless, government officials continue to assert that the immediate threats to health do not. However, the Minister of Labour Hosokawa Ritsuo reported on the Commission on food safety advice to assess the impact of radioactive materials found in food.

Contaminated drinking water It is also reported serious pollution of drinking water near the plant.For example in Iidate-mura (Iidate-mura) Fukushima Prefecture on March 20 vodorovodnoy water samples found the concentration of radioactive iodine-131 to 956 Bq / kg, which is more than 3 times higher than the newly promoted "safe" level of 300 Bq / kg. Local officials began handing out the inhabitants of bottled water.It is reported that on March 21 the concentration of iodine in drinking water has dropped to 492 Bq / kg, but it is still above the permissible level.

Local authorities are calm people, saying that the time of consumption of contaminated water is not too dangerous, and talk about the complete security when using this water for hand washing dishes, taking a bath.

Contamination of marine radionuclides continues March 22 the owner of the company TEPCO nuclear power plant accident (TEPCO) has extended the data on radioactive contamination of seawater near the plant.In the measurement protocol (attached to this article) indicated a significant excess of permissible concentrations of these hazardous artificial radionuclides: iodine-131 - to 126.7-fold (5.066 Bq / cc), cesium-143 - a 24.8-fold (1.486 Bq / m cm), cesium-137 - a 16.5 times (1.484 Bq / cc). MPC is exceeded by cobalt-58, iodine-132 and cesium-136 was not detected.

Exceeding the permissible level of radionuclides in the tens or hundreds of times talking about the seriousness of pollution. Obviously, the polluted water will be spread by currents and penetration of radionuclides in fish and seafood is quite real.

Samples were taken 100 meters from the discharge channel 4.1 units.We can assume that in the discharge channel rate exceeded a thousand times. TEPCO Companies should take immediate action to stop the washout of radioactivity into the ocean. Whether or block escape channel and collected contaminated water to collect and deposit as liquid radioactive waste. Or at least use the channel filters and sorbents, delaying at least some radionuclides.

Barbaric method of decontamination The main route of exposure of radionuclides in the ocean, most likely next.The Japanese poured reactor building and the SNF pools with sea water, using water cannons and helicopters. Water washes destroyed plant design and partly goes to the relief channel, taking with them settled on the ruins of nuclear radionuclides.

Discharge of water from helicopters and use water cannons to some extent represents a barbaric method of decontamination - The radiation level in emergency units increases, but still dangerous radionuclides washed into the ocean.

Since the continuing injection of sea water is probably leaking reactors 1-3 and the reactor spent fuel pools of spent nuclear fuel units 3 and 4, then we should expect further pollution of the ocean.March 21, it was announced that the water spray also initiated over the life of general repository for spent nuclear fuel.

Today that on March 22-23, the Japan Agency for Marine and land-based Science and Technology (JAMSTEC) will be produced by taking water samples at eight points of the ocean around Fukushima-1.Results of the analysis for the presence of radionuclides will be published on March 24.

Remains a mystery why the issue of ocean pollution had not paid attention before. Perhaps the reason is that the strong ocean currents carries radioactivity from the shores of Japan.

The dose rate exceeded a thousand times At the very emergency nuclear radiation levels significantly higher than all conceivable limits. According to TEPKO now background radiation "fluctuates above and below the value of 500 mikrozivertov per hour."Natural background is about 0,2-0,3 mSv / h, hence, the radiation level at the site of nuclear power plants exceeds the background value by more than 2500 times.

Previously, that the dose rate inside the destroyed reactor building of the third and fourth reactors of 400 and 100 miliziverta per hour, respectively (400,000 and 100 000 mSv / h).

120,000 people develop cancer According to an analysis based on the model of the European Committee on Radiation risk (European Committee on Radiation Risk - ECCR), the number of cancer cases due to radiation emissions from two nuclear power plants in Fukushima Prefecture could reach 120.000 in the world.Such data are contained in the report circulated by the Committee late last week,

"Radiation emissions from nuclear power plants Fukushima was significantly lower than in Chernobyl, but it is sufficient to up to 120,000 people have fallen ill with cancer and on the brink of life and death.Against this backdrop, the Japanese government continues the policy of understating the effects and argues that the health risk from radiation is not.

It is obvious that nuclear power is not only susceptible to accidents in the event of loss of external power source because of natural disaster or human error, but also create health risks for the global population. Old nuclear reactors should be immediately withdrawn from service, both in Russia and in other countries ", - says Vladimir livyak, co-chairman of Ecodefense! "

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