Tuesday, November 22, 2011

TEPCO to Recalculate the Amount of Radioactive Materials Leaked into the Ocean

Not only foreign researchers but also Japanese researchers have raised issues with TEPCO's estimate on the amount of radioactive materials that leaked (on its own, or intentionally) into the Pacific Ocean, TEPCO has said it will recalculate the number. The company hopes to announce the result of the recalculation by the end of this month.

So far, TEPCO's number is 4,700 terabequerels (iodine, cesium).

From Chunichi Shinbun (11/23/2011; don't expect the link to last long on this paper):

福島第1原発の事故で、4月に判明した高濃度汚染水の海洋流出をめぐり、東京電力が公表した放射性物質の流出量は少なすぎるとして、国内外の研究者から異論が続出している。東電の値には3月の流出分が含まれていないためだが、この値を加えると、過去最悪の海洋汚染になる可能性がある。突き上げを受けた形で、東電は月内の公表を目指し、再計算に乗り出した。

Researchers in Japan and abroad have been disputing the number that TEPCO had announced regarding the amount of radioactive materials in the highly contaminated water at Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant that leaked into the ocean. The leak was discovered in April. TEPCO's number does not include the amount that leaked in March. If the March number were to be added, it could be the worst marine contamination ever. In response to the criticism, TEPCO has started the recalculation, and hopes to announce the result by the end of this month.

 東電は5月、2号機の取水口近くなどから流出した放射性物質の量は、ヨウ素やセシウムなど3種類で計4700兆ベクレルだったと公表した。1975年に英国セラフィールド核燃料再処理施設から流出したセシウム137の総量5200兆ベクレルより少ないとされた。

In May, TEPCO announced that the amount of radioactive materials that leaked from the water intake of Reactor 2 was 4,700 terabecquerels, total of 3 nuclides including iodine and cesium. It was claimed at that time that the amount was less than 5,200 terabequerels of cesium-137 that leaked from UK's Sellafield nuclear fuel reprocessing plant in 1975.

 だが、9月に日本原子力研究開発機構と、東電の“身内”でもある電力中央研究所の研究者が、実際の流出量は東電発表の約3倍だったとの試算値を相次いで学会発表し、波紋を広げた。

However, in September, researchers at the Japan Atomic Energy Agency and the Central Research Institute of Electric Power Industry (a TEPCO insider, in a way) published the results of their calculations in academic society meetings, showing the actual amount of the leak could be 3 times as much as what TEPCO had announced, creating a stir.

 さらに10月、フランスの放射線防護原子力安全研究所(IRSN)が、セシウム137だけで2・7京ベクレル(京は兆の1万倍)と見込まれるとする試算値を発表。東電発表の実に28倍に当たる。

Then in October, IRSN of France announced their result of calculation which was 27,000 terabecquerels for cesium-137 alone, 28 times as much as what TEPCO had announced.

 日本の研究者の間では、IRSNの試算値は海中でセシウムなどが拡散する状況を適切に見ていない、といった疑問の声も多い。

There are researchers in Japan who cast doubt over the IRSN number as not taking into consideration the dispersion of radioactive cesium in the ocean water.

TEPCO's calculation only counts radioactive materials from April 1 to April 6. The French IRSN thinks the leak started around March 21, when an elevated level of radioactive materials was first observed near the water drain, and lasted till the end of July, though they say the bulk of the leak happened before April 8 (see my post on October 27, 2011).

From my post on April 21, 2011, here are TEPCO's numbers for 6 days of leak:

  • Iodine-131: 2.8 x 10^15 becquerels (2,800 terabecquerels)

  • Cesium-134: 9.4 x 10^14 becquerels (940 terabecquerels)

  • Cesium-137: 9.4 x 10^14 becquerels (940 terabecquerels)

  • Total: 4.7 x 10^15 becquerels (4,700 terabecquerels)

JAEA said the amount of cesium-137 was 4 times as much as what TEPCO had announced. (See JAEA's paper, here.)

Whatever criticism that the Japanese researchers may have, the IRSN was the first in the world (as far as I know) to quickly publish the marine contamination simulation. They published the paper that included this simulation in early April, even before the leak of highly contaminated water was taken into account:


I guess the French researchers weren't thinking much about peer-reviewed science magazines, unlike the Japanese counterparts.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

"I guess the French researchers weren't thinking much about peer-reviewed science magazines, unlike the Japanese counterparts."

The lazy French?

They have already let AREVA poison their land so want to sell that "knowhow" all around. This IRSN theater is just second head of the global nukeagle -beast picking the first.

(Check out AREVA youtube document [banned from TV] how 209 french uranium mine leftovers have been thrown all over France, how it keeps poisoning drinking water, how roads, satdieums are built on this depop waste.
Oh an not to mention the world's biggest plutonium fiascos they insist on building...)

arevamirpal::laprimavera said...

In this case, I applaud the French researchers. The Japanese researchers didn't bother to release anything they knew at that point, either because their findings were in the peer-review, or they were told by their superiors to not say anything.

Anonymous said...

I guess the Japanese researchers were as heroic - honest results were ordered muted, any TEPCO anomaly kicked out. However, some of the researchers do have the real results data saved at home...

Whatabout NILU researchers? They had built the brilliant FLEXPART flow simulation system last 25 yrs (using tax money). Do you think the group just decided to jump off the bridge? No sir, they want to safeguard their hi paying job = obey order = silence. However, the researchers do have the real horrific simulation results data saved at home, longinly wait for the sunrise...

While these ants compete, all the published 'science' is dictated from top. Kept in leash with - money. Just like Chernobyl research. Or the CO2 -fabrication: 99% researchers are muted: UN head counterfeiter railroad engineer Pachauri's banal fabrications are kept on top. No change in 500 years - since the order of je§uital pancake hoax...

Simulations aside: the real measurement data is immense. Total blkout by the order.

Darth3/11 said...

Very disturbing.

Anonymous said...

What's the point of adding activity of all released isotopes?

I-131 in seawater would nearly completely decay before getting into the human foodchain, so it is not a problem regardless of the amount leaked.

Cs-134 and Cs-137 are a much bigger problem due to a longer half-life. So it appears to me that the number for cesium is much more important than the sum.

Anonymous said...

Gotta believe the French #s are still the LowBar estimate

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