#Fukushima I Nuke Plant: 2 Sieverts/Hr Beta Radiation from Leaked Concentrated Water After Desalination

Gamma radiation was 20 millisieverts/hour. The leak stopped when they tighten the bolt of the tank.

(Ummm... So they are not welded?)

From Nikkei Shinbun (2/3/2012):

東京電力は３日、福島第１原子力発電所の汚染水貯蔵タンクから水漏れし、毎時２千ミリシーベルトの高いベータ線を検出したと発表した。微量で水たまりはできておらず、海への流出もないという。ボルトを増し締めし、漏水は止まった。アクリル板などで遮蔽し、ベータ線は毎時15ミリシーベルトまで下がった。

TEPCO announced on February 3 that the water leaked from one of the contaminated water storage tanks at Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant. 2,000 millisieverts/hour beta radiation was detected. The amount of the leak was small, and there was no leak into the ocean. The leak stopped when the bolt was further tightened. The radiation was then shielded with acrylic plates, and the beta radiation dropped to 15 millisieverts/hour.

　淡水化装置で濃縮した汚染水の貯蔵タンクの継ぎ手部分の締め付けが緩み、漏水したとみている。水にはストロンチウムが多く含まれるという。直下のコンクリート周辺で、ベータ線のほかにガンマ線も毎時22ミリシーベルトを検出した。遮蔽によって１ミリシーベルトに低下した。

The bolt may have gotten loose at the joint of a storage tank that stores the contaminated water that was condensed by the desalination apparatus (Reverse Osmosis), letting the water leak. TEPCO said a large amount of radioactive strontium might be in the water. On the concrete where the leaked water was, 22 millisieverts/hour gamma ray was also detected in addition to the beta radiation. It dropped to 1 millisievert/hour after shielding.

　経済産業省原子力安全・保安院は３日、水漏れが相次ぎ見つかっていることを重視し、原因究明と再発防止策を報告するよう東電に指示した。

The Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency instructed TEPCO on February 3 to submit a report on the causes of the leaks at the plant and on the measures to be taken to prevent the leaks from occurring again.

Here's the tank that leaked, and there are 100 more such tanks, from TEPCO (2/3/2012):

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