Friday, August 5, 2011

#Fukushima I Nuke Plant: 700 Liters of Highly Contaminated Water Leaked

The water leaked (for nth time) somewhere in the contaminated water treatment system at Fukushima I Nuke Plant. This time, what's notable is not that the system leaked but the density of radioactive materials in that leaked water. I'm surprised TEPCO actually announced the numbers:

  • Cesium-134: 5.5 million becquerels/cubic centimeter

  • Cesium-137: 6.27 million becquerels/cubic centimeter

They are much, much higher than the numbers below that TEPCO last announced (July 15) as the densities of radioactive materials in the water before the treatment:

  • Cesium-134: 1,500,000 becquerels/cubic centimeter (1.5 x 10^6)

  • Cesium-137: 1,700,000 becquerels/cubic centimeter (1.7 x 10^6)

So, in the 700 liters of water that leaked, there are:
  • Cesium-134: 5.5 million x 1000 x 700 = 3,850,000,000,000 or 3.85 terabecquerels

  • Cesium-137: 6.27 million x 1000 x 700 = 4,389,000,000,000 or 4.389 terabequerels

From Yomiuri Shinbun (1:04AM JST 8/6/2011):

東京電力は5日、福島第一原子力発電所の集中廃棄物処理施設の建屋内で、高濃度の汚染水約700リットルがホースから漏れているのが見つかったと発表した。

TEPCO announced on August 5 that 700 liters of highly contaminated water was found leaking from the hose inside the Central Waste Processing Facility at Fukushima I Nuclear power Plant.

 建屋外への影響はないが、水漏れが見つかるまで東電はこの汚染水の濃度を把握していなかった。安全管理のずさんさが改めて浮き彫りになった。

There was no effect on the environment outside the building. TEPCO hadn't tested the density of the contaminated water [at that location?] until the leak was found. It again raises the question of the effectiveness of TEPCO's safety measures.

 東電によると、漏れが見つかったのは、汚染水処理システムで使われる吸着剤入り容器を洗浄した後、水を処理システムに戻すホース。この汚染水に含まれる放射性セシウム134の濃度は1立方センチ・メートルあたり550万ベクレル、セシウム137が627万ベクレルで、3、4号機タービン建屋の地下にたまった高濃度汚染水とほぼ同等だった。

According to TEPCO, the leak was found at the hose that routes the water used to flush the vessels [Kurion's system] back into the treatment system. Cesium-134 was detected at 5,500,000 becquerels/cubic centimeter, and cesium-137 was found at 6,270,000 becquerels/cubic centimeter. The level of cesium is about the same as that of the contaminated water in the basements of the turbine buildings at Reactors 3 and 4.

What? That's the level of contamination in the water in Reactors 3 and 4? That's news to me also. Water in the basements of Reactors 1 and 2 is considered even more radioactive.

15 comments:

Stock said...

I see...so the treatment is not effective and more Cesium continues to be generated (assuming that the treatment is even minimally effective)

No use beating this dead horse anymore.

Apolline said...

http://blog.alexanderhiggins.com/2011/08/04/canada-government-covered-massive-amounts-radiation-canadian-air-49771/

Anonymous said...

From the JAIF website. there is 3.5m of water depth in the turbine building basements.
Not sure what the width and breadth are of the basement, but they must be on one of the plans they've released.

Then we can calculate how much radiation there is left in just the water in the turbine buildings.

Anonymous said...

I should have said 3.5m in the turbine basements of 3 and 4 reactors.
1 and 2 are at 4.9m and 3.7m respectively.

Anonymous said...

Did anyone notice that today TEPCO announces in the daily report of the plant that the gas sampling of RCV #2 has been canceled due to water in the pipes.

Anonymous said...

5.5 million disintegrations per second in a cubic centimeter

6.27 million disintegrations per second in a cubic centimeter

Insanely radioactive.


"Water in the basements of Reactors 1 and 2 is considered even more radioactive."

By this point in time the salt encrusting the corium is probably back in solution with all the fresh water they've added since May 30 – ".. in the basement of the No. 1 reactor building .. 2.5 million becquerels of cesium-134 and 2.9 million becquerels of cesium-137."

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2011053000813


July 8, 2011
"Reactor 1's basement water .. doesn't even go to the water treatment system."
http://ex-skf.blogspot.com/2011/07/fukushima-i-nuke-plant-reactor-3-humans.html

I don't suppose TEPCO bothers to test the salinity level of the basement waters?

Anonymous said...

Robbie001 sez:

--FUJISHIMA Heavy Mineral Water--

"Made from the best stuff not usually found on Earth"

Yummy!!! ..... ARGHHH it burns it burns!

Brought to you by DETARAME purveyors of
NUCumbers , Radiation Rice, Sievert 'Shrooms and many other radiation fortified delicacies. Every DETARAME endorsed product give you an excess of the daily recommended healthful dose of radiation that (as far as you know) won't cause immediate harm to human health.

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Anonymous said...

Robbie001!!!!

NUCumbers?!
How about rice-IATION? Shroom-verts? Was it like the smile of an angel or like the kiss of an angel? I forgot.

Anonymous said...

Once again, they should be using a dual containment piping system that can detect and contain leaks before they escape to the environment. From a company with japanese business contacts: http://www.asahi-america.com/products-environmental-piping.htm Sizes from 1 x 2 in to 16 x 20 in and above.

I'm sure that there are other suppliers and I have no connection with them at all.

Anonymous said...

Here is more info on double-wall containment systems specifically for nuclear applications: http://www.arkema-inc.com/literature/cpi-spotlight-18-1.cfm

arevamirpal::laprimavera said...

Are these dual containment pipes rigid ones only? Do they have flexible ones?

Anonymous said...

Robbie001 sez:

@ Anon 11:09

TEPCO was under extreme time restraints and a dual piping system would have required more time to assemble. The plant was originally assembled with single pipe flange connections it would cause flow restrictions with D/W pipe. The connection flanges would need to be replaced to take full advantage of a D/W pipe system at the current flow rate. This plant wasn't designed for a nuclear catastrophe it was assembled in Italy to treat normal levels of contaminated water. This plant was quickly cut up in Italy then reassembled by teams of people in HAZMAT suits with full face masks on this means assembly and repair had to be as simple as possible. While there are flexible double walled pipes used in nuclear applications (GeoFlex-D, Kynarflex) acquiring them and implementing them in a timely manner is a different matter entirely.

EPA survey of various D/W flexipipe:

http://www.epa.gov/oust/pubs/flexpip4.pdf

The simple fact is they needed to build the treatment plant 6 months to a year before they needed it. They also needed to plan for never before seen cartoonish levels of contamination and months maybe years of aftershocks.

@Anon 10:59

You're Hired! DETARAME needs someone to help them with their becquerel beef campaign they can't decide between Beefquerel or Becqueef.

--FUJISHIMA Unnatural Spring Water--

"Now in double walled lead lined bottles for safe storage, pickup a 6-pack today" (if you're strong enough)

Anonymous said...

http://crisisjones.wordpress.com/2011/06/28/keeping-up-the-appearance-tepcos-water-circulation-system-to-cool-the-reactors/

Just take a look and pick out WHERE the leak could have occcurred. And one has to wonder if anyone was exposed...

Anonymous said...

There, answered my own question,

"I don't suppose TEPCO bothers to test the salinity level of the basement waters?"

They're using a Desalination Plant, so they know the salinity of the basement waters.

http://crisisjones.files.wordpress.com/2011/06/fukushimawatercirculation-3.jpg

A graph of the salinity over time might have some interesting characteristics.

Anonymous said...

- 6/24 Treatment started at desalination facilities
http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/nu/fukushima-np/images/handouts_110806_01-e.pdf


BEIJING, July 31 (Xinhua) -- "Waters in the Western Pacific region east and southeast of Japan's Fukushima are "clearly affected" by the radioactive materials leaked from the crippled nuclear power plant in Fukushima, according to a statement from China's State Oceanic Administration on Sunday.

Initial tests of samples collected from these areas show that radioactive cesium-137 and -134, as well as strontium-90 can be found in all water samples, the statement said.

The statement said that under normal conditions, cesium-134 cannot be detected in sea waters, and that the maximum amounts of cesium-137 and strontium-90 detected in the samples are 300 times and 10 times, respectively, of the amounts of natural background radiation in China's territorial waters, the statement said."
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/china/2011-07/31/c_131021046.htm

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