I had to actually go in to the office today rather than working from home and immediately felt the withdrawals from not being able to obsessively watch CNN for updates on the nuclear situation there. Found a livestream directly from NHK on Ustream.

Link for those interested:

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/nhk-world-tv

I received an email which was sent from one of our Japanese Members who is in Sendai.
I can't share the entire email (it would be wrong). BUT...

Here are a few of her words. We can learn so much from the Japanese. I wonder if this happened in America, if we would remain so loving and civilized.

"Utterly amazingly where I am there has been no looting, no pushing in lines. People leave their front door open, as it is safer when an earthquake strikes. People keep saying, "Oh, this is how it used to be in the old days when everyone helped one another."

"And the Japanese themselves are so wonderful. I come back to my shack to check on it each day, now to send this e-mail since the electricity is on, and I find food and water left in my entranceway. I have no idea from whom, but it is there. Old men in green hats go from door to door checking to see if everyone is OK. People talk to complete strangers asking if theyneed help. I see no signs of fear. Resignation, yes, but fear or panic, no."

It just fills me with such respect and admiration for a people who are faced with their mortality, every waking moment during this time.

May Peace be in Japan
May Peace Prevail On Earth

Diva:

Actually thyroid cancer IS just a drop in the bucket. There are a lot of things that can go wrong. I will try to explain why radiation is dangerous.

So, the first thing to keep in mind is that radiation is just another name for 'light'. What we call visible light is just a middle part of the spectrum of electromagnetic frequencies (which I'll call EMF from here out). The spectrum runs from (in ascending order of frequency) radio, microwave, infrared, visible, ultraviolet, X-ray and gamma ray. As you move up the scale the wavelength gets shorter and the energy of the photon (and ALL of these are just photons at different levels of energy) increases. Radio waves are kind of leisurely, poking along photons, X-ray and gamma rays are very fast-paced, energetic photons. Because your body is made of atoms, the higher energy frequencies can actually move with enough energy that they can penetrate your body and begin disrupting the atoms.

What happens is that a fast moving photon can strip an electron from an atom, thus changing the atom into an ion. It's still an atom but while most atoms in your body have a neutral charge because there's an equal number of protons (positive charge) and electrons (negative charge) an ion has a net positive or negative charge because there are more of one than the other. (Obviously, if there are more protons then the charge is positive and if more electrons then negative.) This can cause all kinds of problems because the atoms become chemically reactive in ways they may not be.

Radiation effects living cells so it causes the following kinds of problems*:


1) Cells undergo DNA damage, cannot repair the damage, and undergo cell death.
2) Cells undergo DNA damage, cannot repair the damage, don't *die* and the damage is then passed on to further cell divisions. This can lead to cancers of various sorts.
3) Cells undergo DNA damage, cannot repair it, don't die, errors of either replication or transcription are passed on leading to cancers or mimicking the effects of aging.

Different types of radioactive isotopes** have different characteristics. So, for instance, Strontium attacks bones causing problems with the marrow. Other isotopes attack the internal organs, other attack the skin, etc. If these isotopes get inside the body they can wreak havoc. The really nasty stuff (Cesium, Plutonium, Strontium) also have very long half-lives (the amount of time it takes for a given quantity of an element to lose half its mass) so they tend to *stay* in the body.

This all sounds very grim and it is. However, the news is not ALL bad. There are three types of radioactive particles that concern us--alpha, beta and gamma particles. Alpha and beta particles can be stopped by ordinary substances--like clothing. Gamma particles, on the other hand, are SO energetic that protection needs to be from a material with a high atomic number*** like lead. Unfortunately, lead is inconveniently heavy.

* This is not exhaustive
** (an isotope is when an atom has the same number of protons but differing numbers of neutrons which lead to slightly lighter or heavier versions of the atom in question)
*** Every atom has an atomic number equal to the number of protons in the nucleus. Each element on the periodic table has a unique number of protons. The isotopes of each element is because of the differing number of neutrons in the nucleus of the atom. The higher the atomic number, the heavier the element. Lead has 82 protons, for instance, carbon (which makes up most of your body) has 6 protons so lead is heavier than carbon.

Hopefully this helps.

Cheers
Aj

Seems normal but still a little unnerving:

http://www.vindy.com/news/2011/mar/1...monitors-in-w/

Here in Bay Area, CA, the local stations have been talking-up our radiation warning systems in place. And of course reminding us of the reactor (Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant) down state a ways "a top" an earthquake fault.

Reality....

The link Aj provided has some new info on the crisis-

http://www.iaea.org/newscenter/news/...iupdate01.html

I wouldn't make too much of this. It's a precautionary measure. Better to have the radiation detectors in place, debugged, and known to be working BEFORE we might need to have them in place than to scramble at the last minute.

Cheers
Aj

In all of this, I have to look to a "double edged sword" concerning radiation- one (what we fear most for people being exposed in Japan) that causes disease- and the other, wherein radiation is part of the treatment of many cancers.

Radiation therapy, including radioactive iodine therapy has a positive record in the treatment of thyroid cancer. My son was diagnosed with thyroid cancer 2 years ago and it was this very method that is responsible for his cancer free status.

I so hope that today is more of a success for those working at the Japan plants. They are in danger but they are also a part of a larger community of science and technology that does an awful lot of good!

There is a conversation going on in the next cube and someone is actually considering wrapping their entire house in aluminum foil to "keep from getting fried".


:|

Yeah. Tell them that won't help. Aluminum is practically transparent to gamma rays.

Cheers
Aj

And ...... http://www.ktvb.com/news/health/Japa...118110029.html

So they are planning to cook like tin foil dinners or bake potatoes. This is why we need more science in our schools.

I wanted to add one more thing to the post on radiation.

So, when dealing with radioactivity there's a couple of things to keep in mind:

What kind of radioactive particles are we talking about. (How energetic are they.)
What kind of protection you have.
How long you're exposed.
How often you're exposed.
How intense is the radiation.

So, we spend most of our days bathed in radiation we can see--namely visible light. Visible light, however, is not particularly energetic so it doesn't really hurt us provided the source isn't too strong (which will still hurt your eyes). Radio, infrared and microwaves are even *less* energetic than visible light. We live our lives bathed in those sources of radiation to know real ill effect.* You wouldn't want to be IN a microwave or stand right on top of a very powerful microwave source and, say, camp out there but your cell phone or your radio won't cook you.

Above the visible spectrum, the photons get more and more energetic.** More energetic photons have more opportunity to cause damage and this is why intensity, type of radiation and length of exposure as well as how often you are exposed becomes relevant. DNA has a *remarkable* ability to repair itself. In fact, part of why we are SO resilient as living things is because DNA, by its very nature, has the ability to recreate itself.*** However, even DNA can get overwhelmed. If you are in a, say, field of high gamma radiation for hours at time your body is simply going to have SO many damaged strands of DNA that it will not be able to repair itself effectively. Thus you start to get things like cancers.



* I know people think that cell phones cause problems but they don't. Cell phones are operating in the microwave band and before you think "hey, we use microwaves to cook things!" what is *actually* happening is that the microwaves cause the molecules in the food stuff (like fats and water, both of which are dipole molecules). Think of dipole molecules like little molecular magnets, one side is negative and the other positive. In the presence of an oscillating magnetic field (like microwaves) they will rotate to align themselves with the field. This rotation creates heat and the molecules bump into other molecules which causes them to move. Temperature is the average kinetic energy of molecules or atoms in a substance so the more the molecules rotate, the higher the temperature.

** From radio to gamma rays keep in mind that we are talking abou the same stuff. Gamma rays aren't one thing and radio waves another. Pump enough energy into a radio wave (i.e. increase its frequency) and it will not act 'like' a gamma ray it will *be* a gamma. These are all just photons at different energies. Another word for talking about EMF waves is frequency. To get a sort of visceral feeling for what is happening, use a very familiar experience--hearing a siren. As you get closer to a sound source the pitch rises and the noise level increases. As the sound source retreats the pitch falls and the noise level decreases. The waves get shorter on the approach and longer as you and the siren pull away from one another. Now, what is happening with light is *not* that as you move toward a light source the waves get shorter. Rather, gamma rays are shorter (higher frequency) than radio waves (lower frequency). A low wavelength--literally the length between the peaks and troughs of the wave--in water is less disruptive than a high wavelength. Gamma rays are more disruptive because their higher energy means they are more likely to react with some atom in your body. Visible light rays are just gamma rays slowed down and mellowed out or radio waves with a Type A personality.

*** Part of why DNA is so good at self-repair is because of its very structure. DNA is made up of four amino acids making four 'letters'--ATGC. Now, the interesting thing about DNA is that if one point on the strand is A then its opposite will be T, if one strand is G the opposite will be C. Not might, not sometimes, but IS. This means that as long as one side of the strand is correct, the other side of the strand will be correct. Genes are simply patterns of repetition of those four letters. Another type of damage that radiation can cause are replication errors. The difference between, say, Huntington's chorea and not is, if memory serves, less than a dozen repeats.

Cheers
Aj

Why potassium iodide helps (but you don't need to be taking it now anyway)
 

So, I know that a number of folks posted about getting Potassium Iodide and expressing some concern about it being unavailable. I'd like to put your minds at ease.

Potassium iodide works by preventing the thyroid gland from absorbing radioactive iodine-131, an isotope (kind) of iodine produced in nuclear fission reactions. The thyroid will only take up so much iodine, and Potassium iodide is treated by the body as iodine. So, if you saturate the thyroid with Potassium iodide it won't take up (absorb) the radioactive material.

Now, should you be taking it right now? No. Will it hurt you? Probably not*, Potassium iodide has other uses. But at this point, there is simply no need for you to be taking it--at least not if you aren't already taking it. Firstly, the radiation near the nuclear plant has not and, at this point, is not likely to reach the West coast of the United States. As I said last night, in order for there to be a serious risk of a radiation risk on the West coast all of the worst possible things would have to happen in sequence. While it is very scary, it is simply not that big a threat to the continental United States.

You aren't doing yourself any harm--at least none that I could find--but you aren't doing anything helpful either.

*If you are allergic to iodine you should *not* take potassium iodide.

Cheers
Aj

IAEA briefing
 

Japanese Earthquake Update (17 March 01:15 UTC)
Injuries or Contamination at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant

Based on a press release from the Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary dated 16 March 2011, the IAEA can confirm the following information about human injuries or contamination at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.

Please note that this list provides a snapshot of the latest information made available to the IAEA by Japanese authorities. Given the fluid situation at the plant, this information is subject to change.

Injuries

2 TEPCO employees have minor injuries

2 subcontractor employees are injured, one person suffered broken legs and one person whose condition is unknown was transported to the hospital

2 people are missing

2 people were 'suddenly taken ill'

2 TEPCO employees were transported to hospital during the time of donning respiratory protection in the control centre.

4 people (2 TEPCO employees, 2 subcontractor employees) sustained minor injuries due to the explosion at unit 1 on 11 March and were transported to the hospital

11 people (4 TEPCO employees, 3 subcontractor employees and 4 Japanese civil defense workers) were injured due to the explosion at unit 3 on 14 March

Radiological Contamination

17 people (9 TEPCO employees, 8 subcontractor employees) suffered from deposition of radioactive material to their faces, but were not taken to the hospital because of low levels of exposure

One worker suffered from significant exposure during 'vent work,' and was transported to an offsite center

2 policemen who were exposed to radiation were decontaminated

Firemen who were exposed to radiation are under investigation

The IAEA continues to seek information from Japanese authorities about all aspects of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.

Temperature of Spent Fuel Pools at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant

Spent fuel that has been removed from a nuclear reactor generates intense heat and is typically stored in a water-filled spent fuel pool to cool it and provide protection from its radioactivity. Water in a spent fuel pool is continuously cooled to remove heat produced by spent fuel assemblies. According to IAEA experts, a typical spent fuel pool temperature is kept below 25 ˚C (77 F) under normal operating conditions. The temperature of a spent fuel pool is maintained by constant cooling, which requires a constant power source.

Given the intense heat and radiation that spent fuel assemblies can generate, spent fuel pools must be constantly checked for water level and temperature. If fuel is no longer covered by water or temperatures reach a boiling point, fuel can become exposed and create a risk of radioactive release. The concern about the spent fuel pools at Fukushima Daiichi is that sources of power to cool the pools may have been compromised.

The IAEA can confirm the following information regarding the temperatures of the spent nuclear fuel pools at Units 4, 5 and 6 at Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant:


Unit 4
14 March, 10:08 UTC: 84 ˚C (183.2 F)
15 March, 10:00 UTC: 84 ˚C (183.2 F)
16 March, 05:00 UTC: no data

Unit 5
14 March, 10:08 UTC: 59.7 ˚C (139.46 F)
15 March, 10:00 UTC: 60.4 ˚C (140.72 F)
16 March, 05:00 UTC: 62.7 ˚C (144.86 F)

Unit 6
14 March, 10:08 UTC: 58.0 ˚C (136.4 F)
15 March, 10:00 UTC: 58.5 ˚C (137.3 F)
16 March, 05:00 UTC: 60.0 ˚C (140 F)
(All conversions to Fahrenheit were done by me, they are not in the original)

The IAEA is continuing to seek further information about the water levels, temperature and condition of all spent fuel pool facilities at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.

Cheers
Aj

So they did drop water from a heliocopter. If they can keep them cool till they get that power line up, it sounds like they can avert a total meltdown. At least we can see a scenario that might work now. i find that comforting.

Wild to see the U.S. government basically call the Japanese govt/TEPCO on their lies. But it's public safety, and Japanese officials and corporate folks are notorious for lying to the public.

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0311/51456.html

Nuclear Regulatory Commission sounds alarm on Japan nuclear crisis

Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories...#ixzz1GowqOT3G

I don't know what to make of the descrepancies announced today by the NRC. I am feeling that it has got to be damn difficult with all of what is going on in Japan to get all info out. Don't know if this is helpful, either in the middle of this.

Apparently, our military over there are going to do testing to see if what we are hearing from Japan is reliable.

Any thoughts- or other info anyone has come across?

Me too. At this point that would be the best case scenario from where we are right now.

True on both counts. At this point, I think the Japanese government should expand the exclusion zone.


Yes, I've heard this and at present, I just don't know what to think. I'm prone to believe the NRC and the IAEA over the Japanese government for one simple reason; neither the NRC or the IAEA gain anything from making things look worse than they already are and *no one* wants a panic. The Japanese government and TEPCO (Tokyo Electric Power Co.) have *every* reason to lie. They shouldn't lie but they certainly have a motivation to do so. The NRC is an objective observer in this, even more than the IAEA perhaps.

Tomorrow there will be overflights to assess the radioactivity over and surrounding the site. We'll have a better picture after that happens.

Cheers
Aj

IAEA briefing: Morning edition
 

This is the latest information coming out of IAEA. I will continue to post these briefings as the events unfold until such time as the crisis passes.

Japan Earthquake Update (17 March 2011 11:05 UTC)

Based on a press release from the Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary dated 17 March 2011 04:00 UTC, the IAEA can confirm that the Japanese military carried out four helicopter water droppings over the building of reactor unit 3 of the Fukushima Daichi nuclear power plant.

According to the press release, the droppings took place between 00:48 UTC and 01:00 UTC.



Cheers
Aj

I would figure that all areas in and around the ones I named would be affected.
Sorry I didnt mention all the other countries, as I know many are in the path.
Since my info came from a US Military mtg., we were only discussing the plan for US cities.
Since I was quoting a source, I stuck with repeating the facts, and not adding my opinion.


When I posted my info I clearly stated it would "change daily" as the events unfolded. My info was also clearly stated as "in event of a med/lg radiation release". That hasnt happened yet. It wasnt ref to the the current amts in the air.
Even if I was ref to those amts, I wouldnt find my info any more or less "contradictory" than any other post here.:|

As we've all no doubt seen, just about every story you hear from the news is a CONTRADICTION.
A lot of it is because at this stage of the event, things are still evolving and changing. Then you add the movements of tide & winds, and the variables become many. NO ONE will EVER be able to give you a 100% def answer.

The very next days info mtg. had a different dispersion pattern which included Hawaii.
They also were waiting to get the reports from the experts at NRC folks that were still enroute, not the news channels.

My info came from a Military mtg., that was using a number of "professional" sources & experts, not NEWS stations. Of course we all know that the "news" is always 100% accurate, and they would never be wrong. LOL
I would suggest for the best info, go to the sites of the experts, and not base everything on news accounts.


Good Idea. Its true that we do get info overloaded after each event. And every station & grp tells it a different way. These news people are less about informing, and more about ratings just like any other TV show. During Katrina I actually watched CNN stage a backdrop to report from. WTH? Like it wasnt already bad enough?

I think we should try to keep some perspective. Perhaps when it gets too much, try prayer, meditation, or whatever your path uses. Japan and her people could sure use it.

Its a lot about the culture they are raised in. They are a peaceful & spiritual people. Not as much of a me, me, me attitude.
It would be a joy to go there and help. Wow, it might even be appreciated.
Unlike getting shot at, cursed, and spit on for trying to help during disasters in the US.

I think we should all keep in mind, that the US has already been through bigger radiation releases than this one.
The releases of the early atom bomb tests, and 3 mile Island, and prob a few that we never even knew about.

A piece of good news
 

According to both the BBC and Reuters TEPCO officials have reported to the IAEA that they are going to connect power up to unit 2 after they are done spraying unit 3. If that is the case that's the first piece of really good news we've had. Power means pumping and pumping means water.

I'll update as I find out more.

Cheers
Aj

I see. Yes, waiting for over flights. What is just hard about this is conflicting reports, but, given all that is happening at one time, and how fluid this is- makes sense.

And I am thinking that those at the plant sites, are rather busy and trying to get water in any way possible. Getting power back in to some degree is VERY GOOD NEWS!!

The recent photos of damage (containment vessels) at the plants are disturbing. Yet, we don't have any real comparative images, plus viewing them as "lay" people, really.

I know there has been a lot of criticism about evacuations further from the plant- but, Japan is a mess right now. Roads are covered with debris, gas is scarce, mass transit is upended, evacuation centers are full, food and water supplies are stretched. This is a country with a dense population under phenomenal infrastructure stress. People can't just be moved immediately!

Yup.... getting some power to that plant sounds good to me!

IAEA Briefing
 

Japanese Earthquake Update (17 March 17:55 UTC)

Japanese authorities have informed the IAEA that engineers were able to lay an external grid power line cable to unit 2. The operation was completed at 08:30 UTC.

They plan to reconnect power to unit 2 once the spraying of water on the unit 3 reactor building is completed.

The spraying of water on the unit 3 reactor building was temporarily stopped at 11:09 UTC (20:09 local time) of 17 March.

The IAEA continues to liaise with the Japanese authorities and is monitoring the situation as it evolves.

I have been thinking a lot about Aj's statement earlier about robotics (started me thinking about how this could be so useful, if developed in ways to use with getting water in plants during a crisis like this). I found this article today-

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20110317/sc_nm/us_quake_japan_robots
Japan a robot power everywhere except at nuclear plant


By Jon Herskovitz Jon Herskovitz – Thu Mar 17, 7:23 am ET
TOKYO (Reuters) – Japan may build robots to play the violin, run marathons and preside over weddings, but it has not deployed any of the machines to help repair its crippled reactors.

While robots are commonplace in the nuclear power industry, with EU engineers building one that can climb walls through radioactive fields, the electric power company running Japan's Fukushima Dai-ichi plant has not deployed any for the nuclear emergency.

Instead, its skeleton team has been given the unenviable and perhaps deadly task of cooling reactors and spent nuclear fuel on their own, only taking breaks to avoid over-exposure.

A science ministry official said a robot used to detect radiation levels is at the site of the accident in Fukushima, north of Tokyo, but nuclear safety agency official Hidehiko Nishiyama said: "We have no reports of any robots being used."

That robot would have come in handy early on Thursday when workers monitoring radiation had to back away from the plant because it was becoming too hot.

While Japan is renowned for its cutting edge technology, it also maintains an anachronistic element in its society that relies on humans for tasks that have given way to automation in many other parts of the world, such as operating elevators and warning motorists of road construction.

In one of Japan's worst nuclear accidents, two workers were killed in September 1999, when workers at a nuclear facility in Tokaimura, northeast of Tokyo, set off an uncontrolled nuclear chain reaction by using buckets to mix nuclear fuel in a lab.

Japan is a world leader in robots, using them to automate the most complicated manufacturing processes and to sift through rubble to look for victims in earthquakes.
Robots were also used after two infamous nuclear disasters -- Three Mile Island and Chernobyl, and will almost certainly be used at Fukushima for work in highly radioactive areas.

Kim Seungho, a nuclear official who engineered robots for South Korea's atomic power plants, said: "You have to design emergency robots for plants when they are being built so they can navigate corridors, steps and close valves."

[Related: What is acute radiation syndrome?]

The Fukushima plant was built in the 1970s, well before robots were able to work on sophisticated tasks.

Robots are in place in many nuclear plants for structured situations such as monitoring pipes and simple maintenance.

Kim, a deputy director in nuclear technology for the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, said budget constraints and denial have kept emergency robots out of many plants in his country and around the world.
"Nuclear plant operators don't liked to think about serious situations that are beyond human control," he said by telephone.

(Editing by Jeremy Laurence)

---------------------------
I say get the dame $ out there for robotic R&D in this industry!!

OK this sorta alarmed me although life has taught me not to worry too much about worst case scenarios. Still.

From a New York Times article:

IAEA Morning briefing
 

Japanese Earthquake Update (18 March 10:15 UTC)

Japanese authorities have informed the IAEA that new INES ratings have been issued for some of the events relating to the nuclear emergency at the Fukushima Daiichi and Daini nuclear power plants.

Japanese authorities have assessed that the core damage at the Fukushima Daiichi 2 and 3 reactor units caused by loss of all cooling function has been rated as 5 on the INES scale.

Japanese authorities have assessed that the loss of cooling and water supplying functions in the spent fuel pool of the unit 4 reactor has been rated as 3.

Japanese authorities have assessed that the loss of cooling functions in the reactor units 1, 2 and 4 of the Fukushima Daini nuclear power plant has also been rated as 3. All reactor units at Fukushima Daini nuclear power plant are now in a cold shut down condition.


Cheers
Aj

Is this a good thing?

Japan Earthquake Update (18 March 2011, 06:10 UTC)

Temperature of Spent Fuel Pools at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant - UPDATED

Spent fuel removed from a nuclear reactor is highly radioactive and generates intense heat. Nuclear plant operators typically store this material in pools of water that cool the fuel and shield the radioactivity. Water in a spent fuel pool is continuously cooled to remove heat produced by spent fuel assemblies. According to IAEA experts, a typical spent fuel pool temperature is kept below 25 °C (77 F) under normal operating conditions. The temperature of a spent fuel pool is maintained by constant cooling, which requires a constant power source.

Given the intense heat and radiation that spent fuel assemblies can generate, spent fuel pools must be constantly checked for water level and temperature. If fuel is no longer covered by water or temperatures reach a boiling point, fuel can become exposed and create a risk of radioactive release. The concern about the spent fuel pools at Fukushima Daiichi is that sources of power to cool the pools have been compromised.

Concern about spent fuel storage conditions has led Japanese officials to drop and spray water from helicopters and trucks onto Unit 3 at Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant (See earlier update).

Japan's Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency has reported increasing temperatures in the spent fuel ponds at Units 5 and 6 since 14 March. An emergency diesel generator at Unit 6 is now powering water injection into the ponds at those Units, according to NISA.

The IAEA can confirm the following new information regarding the temperatures of the spent nuclear fuel pools at Units 4, 5 and 6 at Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant:

Unit 4
13 March, 19:08 UTC: 84 °C (183.2 F)
Unit 5
17 March, 03:00 UTC: 64.2 °C (147.56 F)
17 March, 18:00 UTC: 65.5 °C (149.9 F)
Unit 6
17 March, 03:00 UTC: 62.5 °C (144.5 F)
17 March, 18:00 UTC: 62.0 °C (143.6 F)

(All conversions performed by me. Not in original text)

Cheers
Aj

I was thinking about this on my drive in this morning. My honest answer is that I'm not sure. I think it is improvement while still not being out of the woods.

The reason I think it is improvement was that early in the week, we were looking at six on the scale. The scale that IAEA uses goes like this:

1. Anomaly
2. Incident
3. Serious incident
4. Accident with local consequences
5. Accident with wider consequences
6. Serious accident
7. Major accident

So, TMI was an accident with consequences for the region the plant was located in but not more widely. (And contra what you might have heard, most epidemiological studies have not demonstrated an increase in incidents of cancer.) Chernobyl was an accident with consequences far beyond the region the plant was located in. So since around Tuesday this event looked like a 6 and possibly a 7, if it's now been classified as a level 5 incident that means things are trending in the right direction. A level 5 is not good but it's a damn sight better than a level 7.

That said, there's all of that spent fuel which is now in a state we don't know about right now. I'm encouraged that there is now serious discussion on the ground of implementing the same solution used at Chernobyl--hit the place with a mixture of sand and boron and then encase the whole thing in concrete. Since the site is absolutely never coming back for power generation encasing all of the damaged reactors in concrete might be the best solution.

Cheers
Aj

Japan Earthquake Update (18 March 2011, 12:25 UTC)

Japanese authorities have informed the IAEA that, prior to the earthquake of 12 March, the entire fuel core of reactor Unit 4 of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant had been unloaded from the reactor and placed in the spent fuel pond located in the reactor's building.

Clarification

Contrary to several news reports, the IAEA to date has NOT received any notification from the Japanese authorities of people sickened by radiation contamination.

In the report of 17 March 01:15 UTC, the cases described were of people who were reported to have had radioactive contamination detected on them when they were monitored.

Cheers
Aj

I have been thinking about why something like what was used at Chernobyl hasn't been considered- glad it is. Also, I have to realize just how impacted these folks are in terms of this entire disaster. Things might have been very different if they were dealing with only the power plant situation due to some other problem causing it- without a 9.0 earthquake and a tsunami.

Last night via CNN, emails were read from power plant workers (that are not at the plants now) and their families (of those that are still working)- gut wrenching. These people are risking their lives to try and save the rest of the population.

About 4 pm , PST- CNN reporting that back-up generators now working. Possibly the result of new power lines finally completed? But, no real run down on which reactor (s), etc. Still, this seems like a positive thing. Hope to see more info.

IAEA Briefing (18 March 2011, 14:00 UTC)
 

IAEA Briefing on Fukushima Nuclear Emergency (18 March 2011, 14:00 UTC)

On 18 March 2011, Graham Andrew, Special Adviser to the IAEA Director General on Scientific and Technical Affairs, briefed both Member States and the media on the current status of nuclear safety in Japan. His opening remarks, which he delivered at 14:00 UTC at the IAEA headquarters in Vienna, are provided below:

1. Current Situation

As I reported yesterday, the situation at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plants remains very serious, but there has been no significant worsening since our last briefing.

The situation at the reactors at Units 1, 2 and 3 appears to remain fairly stable.

Seawater was injected yesterday into Unit 2 and white smoke was again observed through the blown-out panels.

At Unit 3, which was the subject of helicopter water drops yesterday, water cannons have been spraying water on the spent fuel pond and seawater was injected into the reactor pressure vessel.

An important safety concern remains the spent fuel pools at Units 3 and 4. Information is lacking on water levels and temperatures at the spent fuel pools.

Efforts are being made to restore electrical power to the whole site. Another positive development is that diesel generators are providing power for cooling for both Units 5 and 6.

No problems have been reported at the common spent fuel pool. The spent fuel in the pool is fully covered by water.

The Japanese authorities today issued new ratings for the incidents on the IAEA International Nuclear and Radiological Event Scale - INES.

They assess core damage at the Fukushima Daiichi 1, 2 and 3 reactor Units, caused by the loss of all cooling function, as 5 on the INES scale.

The situation at Unit 4, where cooling and water supply in the spent fuel pool have been lost, is rated 3 by the Japanese authorities.

At the Fukushima Daini nuclear power plant, the loss of cooling functions in Units 1, 2 and 4 has also been rated as 3. All reactor Units at Fukushima Daini are now in a cold shut down condition.

2. Radiation Monitoring

As mentioned yesterday, regular dose rate information is now being received from 47 Japanese cities.

Dose rates in Tokyo and other cities remain far from levels which would require action - in other words they are not dangerous to human health.

First measurements in Tokyo by the Agency's newly arrived radiation monitoring team today showed no indication of Iodine-131 or Caesium-137. A second sampling will be carried out overnight.

3. Agency Activities

As you know, the Director General is in Tokyo, where he met the Prime Minister and other senior government ministers as well as the Vice-President of Tepco. The Director General stressed the importance of providing faster and more detailed information about the situation at the nuclear power plants, including to the international community. He also emphasized the importance of Japan working closely with the international community to resolve the crisis.

There was agreement between the Agency and our Japanese counterparts that the Agency mission would focus on radiation measurements and the identification of Japanese needs for a future environmental monitoring programme.

The Agency has started radiation measurements in Tokyo, as I mentioned, and we will move towards the Fukushima region as soon as possible. The Japanese counterparts confirmed their willingness to further strengthen their cooperation with the Agency and make available measurements made by TEPCO and the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology.

The Director General plans to brief the Agency's Board of Governors on his return from Japan.

Following our request yesterday, the CTBTO informed us today that data from its radionuclide monitoring stations will be made available to the Agency with immediate effect. On behalf of the Director General, I express my thanks to CTBTO Executive Secretary, Mr. Tibor Toth.

The International Civil Aviation Organization, in consultation with the Agency and a number of other international organizations, said today that international flight and maritime operations can continue normally into and out of Japan's major airports and sea ports and there is no medical basis for imposing additional measures to protect passengers. This will be kept under review.

Agency staff continue to work around the clock. We intend to hold another Technical Briefing and press conference at the same time tomorrow, Saturday.

Chernobyl "option"
 

http://inthearena.blogs.cnn.com/2011...rnobyl-option/

Famous Physicist Michio Kaku says it's time to call out the Japanese air force to entomb quake-damaged nuclear reactors.

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I do not know much about this physicist's reputation or credentials- he has been on a couple of shows the last few days talking about this.

Something that does come to mind is the state of Japan'e infrastructure at this time being in chaos- if they can't even get enough food, water and blankets to most of the hardest hit areas of the quake and tsunami- how can this type of "option" be organized and realized?

According to news reports we have begun to receive radiation in California from japan.

Faux News-According to the USDA, the readings at a Sacramento monitoring station were far below levels that could pose any health risks.

Questions for our science geek:

So are 5 and 6 getting water circulation by way of generator power? i just read that the generators are configured to do that. i am confused.

i also read that TEPCO said not to be optimistic about the pumps working in 2. Then there is 4, which is leaking. And there is no more likelihood that the pumps will be working in1, 3 and 4.

If they are indeep pumping, does the fact that the pumps are working in 5 and 6 mean anything re the other units? i feel like i am doing a close reading of all this and am still not getting it. Some of it is the science, some of it is the fact that there is so much confusion, and some of it is obviously the rotten communication coming from TEPCO and the Japanese government. Even the journalism is weak. i can't see why there isn't some story laying out the possible scenarios. Is it that people just don't know?

So i finally found mention of what would happen if the cooling systems are not functional. People would have to go in and fix or replace them. Is that doable without it being a suicide mission?

i don't understand why unit 4 has a 4 rating while 1, 2, and 3 have a 5. Is it because 4 was shut down before the earthquake hit so there is no fuel in the reactor? It seems like the fact that the unit 4's pool is leaking poses a more immediate danger. i read that if those fuel pellets fall in a heap, fission could resume and that pure water can accelerate fission. i read that the reason they are concentrating on 2 is the radioactive steam that keeps coming out, but at least that means there is water in there. Clearly the pool at 4 may have next to no water inside it. How long can that go on without stuff happening?

So again this is something i have pieced together -- and i am so annoyed that i keep having to do this -- but the mox in some of the spent fuel rods in unit 3 is not a problem because plutonium is so heavy that it is unlikely to disperse in the air and because it won't aggregate enough to explode?

i just read that a residual-heat removal pump at unit 5 has been started. That is good news.

From NPR - "Science Friday"
 

http://www.npr.org/2011/03/18/134658...clear-Reactors

There is a podcast as well as the transcript.

Guests-

David Lochbaum, director, Nuclear Safety Project, Union of Concerned Scientists, Cambridge, Mass.

David J. Brenner, director, Center for Radiological Research, Columbia University, New York, N.Y.

Charles D. Ferguson, president, Federation of American Scientists, Washington, D.C.

Joe Palca, science correspondent, NPR, Washington, D.C.

Listening to ABC News on the radio on the way home yesterday and the lead story at the top of the hour was, "Radiation to hit the West Coast within 48 hours!"

They had a reporter talking to a radiation expert something or other here in Seattle who said - yes, there is a small possibility that some type of radiation may arrive on the west coast within the next two days but it's highly unlikely that the amount will be any larger than what we are exposed to every day.

Then they went back to the anchor guy who said - that was so and so at the Univ. of Washington, confirming that radiation from Japan will arrive on the West Coast in 48 hours!

While listening to that, I realized that even if large amounts of radiation come flying across the water, there really isn't anything I can do anyway. I refuse to live, the way I did for a few days, as if the sky is falling. I will pay attention to the people who know things and if they say to panic, I'll panic. In the mean time, I'm much more interested in the other news coming out of Japan right now.