Thursday, October 27, 2011

France's IRSN New Estimate on Amount of Cesium-137 into the Pacific Ocean: 27,100 Terabequerels, or 20 Times TEPCO's Estimate

From Jiji Tsushin (10/28/2011):

フランス政府系の放射線防護原子力安全研究所(IRSN)は27日、東京電力福島第1原発事故後の3月21日から7月半ばまでに海に流出した放射性セシウ ム137の総量は2.71京ベクレル(1京は1兆の1万倍)で、東京電力が6月に発表した推計値の20倍に達すると推定した調査報告書を公表した。

On October 27, the Institute for Radiological Protection and Nuclear Safety (IRSN, Institut de Radioprotection et de Surete Nucleaire) of France announced its research report in which the researchers estimated the total amount of radioactive cesium-137 leaked from Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant into the ocean was 27,100 terrabecquerels from March 21 to mid July. The IRSN estimate is 20 times as much as the estimate announced in June by TEPCO.

 単独の事故によるものとしては過去最大規模という。このうち82%は、事故が起きた原子炉を冷やすための放水によって4月8日までに流れ出たとされる。

According to IRSN, it is the largest amount of radiation leak in a single accident. 82% of the leak took place by April 8, because of the spraying of water to cool the reactors.

The research paper (in French) is here.

(I don't have energy to look for TEPCO's estimate. But here's the paper (English) by Japan Atomic Energy Agency that put its estimate as 4 times as much as TEPCO's for cesium-137.)

Early April was when someone finally noticed the highly contaminated water from Reactor 2 had been leaking through the "crack" near the water intake canal. Remember the "tracer" (bath salt) to identify the location of the leak? Ah the good old days...

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

RAD & World debt: in trillions, upper bound low single digit quadrillion keep the world in debt for generations to come.

Mauibrad said...

We'll be watching for it here in Hawaii

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