Sunday, December 4, 2011

#Fukushima I Nuke Plant: 45 Tonnes of Treated Water May Have Leaked to the Ocean

While that may not much (45 tonnes), the water may contain extremely high levels of beta-nuclides like strontium; according to TEPCO, the density of strontium could be as high as 100,000 becquerels per cubic centimeter. That's 100 million becquerels per liter.

The leak was found at the post-Kurion/SARRY treatment facility that condenses the treated water (TEPCO calls it "evaporative condensation apparatus).

Here's TEPCO's handout for the press on December 4, 2011.

Here's from Yomiuri Shinbun (12/4/2011; since I'm at the terminal in the public library I cannot quote the original Japanese as it won't allow copying. But Yomiuri Shinbun tends to retain the link for a long time):

TEPCO announced on December 4 that about 45 tonnes of contaminated water leaked at the water treatment facility at Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant and part of the water has leaked outside the facility.

The water may have gone into the drains and leaked into the ocean, according to TEPCO, but "It would be a small amount even if the water had leaked, and very little effect [on marine life]", says the company.

The leak was found at the evaporative condensation facility, which the water goes after being treated to remove radioactive cesium [Kurion and SARRY]. The leaked water is 5 centimeter deep inside the facility. On the surface of the water, the radiation level measuring gamma rays is 1.8 millisievert/hr, but it is 110 millisieverts/hr measuring beta rays. In order to mop up the water in the facility, the workers would have to do it without coming in contact with the water to avoid exposure to beta-ray radiation.

According to TEPCO, 100,000 becquerels/cubic centimeter of strontium, a beta nuclide, may be in the water. The level is 100,000 to 1 million times the safety limit for seawater.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Sad to say, this is not a surprise, as the residual from the filtering process has to be stored somewhere--and its very radioactive. Any material stored as hazardous --has a potential of leakage. There is NO WAY to un-radiate the concentrated water--except time. And thats up to many times human lifespans...

Anonymous said...

There's the ocean...right in front...hmm... how easy it would be to just "leak" some of the highly radioactive liquid into it...wait...that's so unethical...but it would save money and free up more expensive storage space...and save money...did I mention it would save money...well it would...save money...what's 45 tonnes diluted by the vastness of the ocean when one can save a shitload of money...we need to save money anywhere we can...and this is as good a way as any...money doesn't grow on trees, you know...certainly not radioactive trees...but getting back to saving money...

Mauibrad said...

CRIMINAL. BAD FOR THE PACIFIC.

Anonymous said...

What I can't understand is the long, long lines at sushi go-rounds!

Let's see, pretty high likely hood of contaminated rice and fish, what a great mix!! YUM!!

Anonymous said...

How is the water treatment system performing? Haven't seen any news since SARRY went online. Are there any new figures in Japanese media?

Thanks!

Atomfritz said...

mmh, 45 tonnes of water containing 100 billion becquerels each, this makes a whopping 4.5 trillion becquerels.

This is no little release, as we now are better off by measuring it in curies instead of becquerels.
It's 120 curies of Strontium and yet-unknown quantity of other nuclides.

And this is just a little bit of the "water" they store in this huge tank farm. Maybe hundreds, maybe even thousands of tanks that contain more than a hundred curies of strontium or cesium each.

I just pray that these tanks will not rupture and leak when the water freezes in the winter.
Millions of curies may be leaked in this case.

But, from Tepco's view this would be ideal, as the waste water then would have "been gone" and could literally been covered-up with thick concrete.

I am sure that this is one of the reasons why Tepco is so quiet about what they plan about winter-proofing the waste water processing and storage.

Anonymous said...

Not sure why Washington post is reporting the same story but it was 45 tons of Ce-137 instead strontium.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia-pacific/japan-stricken-nuke-plant-leaks-radioactive-water-some-may-have-reached-ocean/2011/12/05/gIQAplB7UO_story.html

"TOKYO — Japan’s crippled nuclear power plant leaked about 45 tons of highly radioactive water from a purification device over the weekend, its operator said, and some may have drained into the ocean."

"The pooled water around the purification device was measured Sunday at 16,000 bequerels per liter of cesium-134, and 29,000 bequerels per liter of cesium-137, TEPCO said. That’s 270 times and 322 times higher, respectively, than government safety limits, according to the Citizens’ Nuclear Information Center in Tokyo."

arevamirpal::laprimavera said...

If Washington Post only reported cesium, they are just as bad as the Japanese MSM. It seems they chose to not mention strontium, which could be up to 1 million Bq/cubic centimeter instead of liter.

Cesium numbers look about right after the treatment at Kurion and Sarry.

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