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Reactor meltdown possible in Japan.


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Hopefully after yesterday's seemingly chain reaction of bad things occurring, stabilization occurs today. What concerns me most for people in Japan is this is uncharted territory, any textbook answers and solutions are useless. Just praying that things stabilize.

News seems to really slow from about 8am ET to about 4pm ET before things start to pick up again...middle of the night.

Radiation still low but it's continued to tick up all night in Tokyo. http://www.ustream.tv/channel/%E3%82%AC%E3%82%A4%E3%82%AC%E3%83%BC%E3%82%AB%E3%82%A6%E3%83%B3%E3%82%BF

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131I decays with a half-life of 8.02 days with beta and gamma emissions. This nuclide of iodine atom has 78 neutrons in nucleus, the stable nuclide 127I has 74 neutrons. On decaying, 131I transforms into 131Xe:

3af763f908e3c4cfed0822bca18b47a9.png

The primary emissions of 131I decay are 364 keV gamma rays (81% abundance) and beta particles with a maximal energy of 606 keV (89% abundance).[3]

The beta particles, due to their high mean energy (190 keV; 606 kev is the maximum, but a typical beta-decay spectrum is present) have a tissue penetration of 0.6 to 2 mm.[4]

131I is a fission product with a yield of 2.878% from uranium-235,[5] and can be released in nuclear weapons tests and nuclear accidents. However, the short half-life means it is not present in significant quantities in cooled spent nuclear fuel, unlike iodine-129 whose halflife is nearly a billion times that of I-131.

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lol people are really ignorant and paranoid, especially when it comes to radiation..which most don't understand.

Unfortunately yes but lots of paranoia comes from the unknown, placing faith in corporations and governments has not worked out for a lot of families, asbestos, cancer causIng chemicals etc.

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Why is there no talk in the mainstream media about the cooling pools for the spent nuclear waste? Didnt the hydrogen explosion take out the pumping system for these pools. Personally more concerned about these pools overheating and catching fire, than a reactor meltdown..

From what I've been reading on Kyodo

Tepco was having problems getting water into the cooling pools

The Gov't then eyed the idea of dropping buckets of water from helicopters, but weren't comfy about what that might do to the rods in the pool (or the people around the unit)

And just a few minutes ago this: NEWS ADVISORY: Gov't orders injection of water into No. 4 reactor spent fuel pool at Fukushima plantico_note.gif

I guess Tepco has it's hands full trying to keep 1,2 & 3 cooled, so the Gov is looking at defense forces joining the battle on the storage pool.

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The highest I heard at the gate was 12 msev/hr last night. It's really crazy the increase from the gate to near the reactor...nearly an increase of 40 fold.

I think it's that 12 that I was referencing earlier. I didn't realize that it increased that much near the reactors.

But if the highest it has gotten at the gate was 12 msev/hr, it's still a very localized problem. Even the evacuated zone around the plant wouldn't really be threatened. It's just more of a precaution "just in case" things get much worse it seems (which, of course, they could).

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From what I've been reading on Kyodo

Tepco was having problems getting water into the cooling pools

The Gov't then eyed the idea of dropping buckets of water from helicopters, but weren't comfy about what that might do to the rods in the pool (or the people around the unit)

And just a few minutes ago this: NEWS ADVISORY: Gov't orders injection of water into No. 4 reactor spent fuel pool at Fukushima plantico_note.gif

I guess Tepco has it's hands full trying to keep 1,2 & 3 cooled, so the Gov is looking at defense forces joining the battle on the storage pool.

Storage Pools seem to be an alarming issue. If those catch fire this crisis would make a terrible change in direction.

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Following are some facts about potassium iodide:

* Potassium iodide is a common form of salt, similar to table salt. It can protect the thyroid gland from radiation and cancer caused by radioactive iodine. Known chemically as KI, the substance saturates the thyroid gland with non-radioactive iodine, reducing how much dangerous radioiodine the gland can absorb.

* Potassium iodide is most effective if administered before exposure and can provide protection for 24 hours. It will have beneficial effects if taken up to three to four hours after exposure, as well.

* Children are considered most at risk from radiation exposure, whether through the air or in contaminated food or milk. After the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster significantly increased rates of thyroid cancer were detected in children in countries such as Belarus and Ukraine.

* Pharmacies in the United States do not typically stock potassium iodide, but it is readily available through many of outlets on the Internet.

* The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission recommends states with people living within a 10-mile (16 km) radius of commercial nuclear power plants stockpile potassium iodide as a protective measure for the general public. Individual states decide their own policies.

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i doubt the gov is hiding nearly as much as some think.

People think the gov is hiding stuff when in fact they may just be trying to get their facts straight before going public. In a rapidly changing and confusing situation such as this, its obviously easy to get things wrong. Because people tend to view what the government says as ironclad truth, there's a big burden to get it right... a retraction is very damaging.

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Kyodo just updated their story with some information I wasn't aware of:

http://english.kyodonews.jp/news/2011/03/78352.html

*The firm said its workers were only able to remain in the central control rooms at the Fukushima plant for 10 minutes to avoid exposure to excessive radiation levels. They have retreated to a remote site to monitor data on the reactors, it added.

About #4 pool:

*The nuclear agency said the water temperature in the pool stood at 84 degrees C as of 4 a.m. Monday, higher than the normal level of 40 to 50 degrees. Usually, the upper tip of the fuel rods is at a depth of 10 meters from the surface of the pool, it said.Agency officials said the fuel rods will not reach criticality again as they have been stored in racks containing boron to prevent it.

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People think the gov is hiding stuff when in fact they may just be trying to get their facts straight before going public. In a rapidly changing and confusing situation such as this, its obviously easy to get things wrong. Because people tend to view what the government says as ironclad truth, there's a big burden to get it right... a retraction is very damaging.

I think even the PM is pissed....he said last night that he wasn't aware of the explosion until after he saw it on TV. That's bad....goes to how poorly they are getting information out.

does anyone truly believe that any one knows what is happening inside the plant?

I have been watching for days (like the rest of you) and really feel that the people in charge don't know what is happening inside the reactors.

Very true. With TMI we didn't know for days/weeks/months how bad it actually was/how much damage was done etc. Excellent chance they won't know how bad it is until long after the cleanup begins, doubtful anyone can get close enough to see.

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Unfortunately yes but lots of paranoia comes from the unknown, placing faith in corporations and governments has not worked out for a lot of families, asbestos, cancer causIng chemicals etc.

You should never believe anyone in power who assures you that you're safe in these situations. Personally, I do think they are telling the truth...but I wouldn't be willing to bet my life on it. I'd be as far away from there as I could get.

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People think the gov is hiding stuff when in fact they may just be trying to get their facts straight before going public. In a rapidly changing and confusing situation such as this, its obviously easy to get things wrong. Because people tend to view what the government says as ironclad truth, there's a big burden to get it right... a retraction is very damaging.

does anyone truly believe that any one knows what is happening inside the plant?

I have been watching for days (like the rest of you) and really feel that the people in charge don't know what is happening inside the reactors.

The Soviets would not even admit to Chernobyl until the Swedes detected it

Which is pertinent to this situation how, exactly?

can you read?

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I believe he was just following up on the posts that were suggesting the Japanese government does not know what is going on or is maybe withholding information.

I understand that. I fail to see how there can be any relevant comparison made between the two, though. There is essentially zero similarity between the two governments, or for that matter between the two incidents.

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