Thursday, May 24, 2012

TEPCO: 900,000 Terabecquerels (Iodine Equivalence) Released into the Air from #Fukushima I Nuke Plant in March 2011


TEPCO has come up with the latest estimate of the radioactive materials released from Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant, and it is higher than everyone else's, at 900,000 terabequerels (iodine-131 equivalence) for the month of March, 2011.

Iodine 131: 500,000 terabequerels
Cesium 134: 10,000 terabecquerels
Cesium 137: 10,000 terabequerels

To conform to the INES, TEPCO multiplied the amount of cesium 137 by 40 to get the iodine equivalence (10,000 x 40 = 400,000). However, TEPCO did not use cesium-134 so that the total number could be compared with the numbers from other institutions.

Iodine equivalence of cesium 134 can be obtained by multiplying by 3. In the big scheme of things, the amount is negligible, as it would increase the total 900,000 terabequerels by only 30,000 becquerels.

From TEPCO's English press release (5/24/2012):

The Estimated Amount of Radioactive Materials Released into the Air and the Ocean Caused by Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station Accident Due to the Tohoku-Chihou-Taiheiyou-Oki Earthquake (As of May 2012)

Due to the Tohoku-Chihou-Taiheiyou-Oki Earthquake which occurred on March 11, 2011, TEPCO's facilities including our nuclear power stations have been severely damaged. We deeply apologize for the anxiety and inconvenience caused.

With regard to the accident at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station, on April 17, 2011, we have compiled the roadmap towards restoration from the accident and on July 19 we accomplished the Step1 target "Radiation dose is in steady decline". Then on December 16 we confirmed the accomplishment of the Step 2 target "Release of radioactive materials is under control and radiation doses are being significantly held down". In addition, on December 21, 2011, we have compiled the "Mid-to-long-Term Roadmap toward the Decommissioning of Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Units 1-4, TEPCO", for which we're currently working towards.

Along with the roadmaps mentioned above, we have been evaluating the amount of radioactive materials released into the air and the ocean as a result of the accident. The evaluation result (as of May 2012) is provided below.

As for the amount of radioactive materials released into the air, the evaluation was done from March 12 to 31, 2011. The estimated release amounts are as follows.
Noble gas: Approx. 5x10^17 Bq
Iodine 131: Approx. 5x10^17 Bq
Cesium 134: Approx. 1x10^16 Bq
Cesium 137: Approx. 1x10^16 Bq

The amounts of radioactive materials released in April and later in 2011 are not taken into account in this evaluation result as the released amounts were less than 1% of that in March 2011, which are considered to be insignificant.

As for the amount of radioactive materials released into the ocean, the evaluation was done from March 26 to September 30, 2011. The estimated release amounts are as follows.
Iodine 131: Approx. 1.1x10^16 Bq
Cesium 134: Approx. 3.5x10^15 Bq
Cesium 137: Approx. 3.6x10^15 Bq

As the equipments to directly measure the density of radioactive materials (such as the exhaust stack monitor) were unavailable due to the accident, the amount of radioactive materials released into the air was estimated by entering the measurement data (air dose rate, wind direction and wind speed) acquired by the monitoring cars in the power station and the observed values provided by the Japan Meteorological Agency into a program which calculates the amount of radioactive materials diffused into the air, with an assumption that the release rate of radioactive nuclides remains consistent. The evaluation result was then compared with the contamination density measurement result of soil provided by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, and our evaluation result has been validated.

However, further data still needs to be collected to review the validity of our evaluation result, considering that the data was acquired only in a limited area (in the power station site) and that the evaluation was done under the assumption that the release rate of radioactive nuclides is consistent though it should actually vary for each nuclide and depending on the status of reactors (the release rate was estimated based solely on the small amount of data obtained during the evaluation period).

The amount of radioactive materials released into the ocean was estimated based on the monitoring data of radioactivity density of materials included in the seawater near the north/south water discharge channels at the power station. The evaluation was done at the Central Research Institute of Electric Power Industry by utilizing a program which calculates the diffusion of radioactive materials into the ocean.

However, further data still needs to be collected to review the validity of our evaluation result, considering that the evaluation was done based on a small amount of data acquired in a limited area (monitoring data of radioactivity density of materials included in the seawater near the north/south water discharge channels at the power station), and that individual evaluation was not done for each release factor (radioactive materials directly released from the power station, fallouts from the air, rainwater inflow, etc.).

We will continue our utmost efforts in maintaining the stable condition of our nuclear power stations and implementing the measures to decommission Units 1-4.

Attachments and reference information are available only in Japanese for now. TEPCO says they are being translated. However, the report itself is only available in Japanese. (It is likely to be "instruction" from the NISA, as before.)

I am reading the report, which has a specific mention of radiation contamination in the north-west corridor from the plant (Namie-machi, Iitate-mura) on March 15, 2011. (That will be a separate post later.)

17 comments:

Anonymous said...

don't they know all measure'D out in quadrillions debt, radiation except your life which is worthless

Anonymous said...

Leukemia increase in population is the only proof we have to prove there has been a leak.

"These findings led to the hypothesis that chronic reactor leakages had occurred. "

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9467072

Anonymous said...

Sad sad. Leukemia increase in population is the way to determine chronic reactor leakages, parents who have been trying to take legal action against nuclear plants should be able to take the operating companies to trial for manslaughter (at a minimum). If leaks were known, and an increase in cancer rates discovered in the fallout zone, its caused by the operator, isnt it?If the company can not be sued due to legal maneuvers, the persons/people working could and should be held liable.

Anonymous said...

All they need to really estimate the release is 10 to 20 accurate data points from around the area. The rest is modeling. Those familiar with air dispersion modeling, like CIRAD, could tell the deposition. The problem is that we cannot get accurate (honest) figures. It's purposely confusing and based on wide ranging estimates.

The fact that they are now admitting higher numbers just means it's worse. But it doesn't say how much. Frankly, I think it's so much that they don't want it to be modeled to any level of accuracy. Hence the confusion campaign continues.

Anonymous said...

Someone in the TEPCO organization decided to keep this information from the Public and they also lied about the true circumstances of the situation. They need to be arrested and sentenced for high crimes against humanity! No, instead they is no one to blame.

TEPCO is just an organization of faceless people. Decision makers never are held accountable for their decisions that are and will kill millions and maybe billions of people in the years to come.

Until the TEPCO corporation feels in danger of non-existence and totally bankruptcy of all the shareholders, nothing will change.

Innocent people die instead of those who are responsible should be dying.

Anonymous said...

Regarding Fukushima and concerns with radiation contamination, please watch the recent 4-part video on YouTube called:

"Protect Yourself From Radiation"
(by a medical doctor from Japan)

Simply taking Vitamin C and other anti-oxidants in high doses will help protect the body from damage. A must-see for everyone!

Anonymous said...

How about measurements for TODAY, and expected MAYBE tomorrow. This ongoing hard-to-wrap-your-head-around denial of what IS is, what?

arevamirpal::laprimavera said...

I don't think it is necessarily a denial or hiding. It does take time to run the calculation and assess and analyze the data.

As for TEPCO feeling the danger of bankruptcy, Chairman Katsumata told the politician who orchestrated the "bailout" from behind the scene that he would rather have TEPCO go bankrupt than being manipulated by the government politicians, according to Nikkei Shinbun.

Atomfritz said...

And these updated estimates don't even count the contaminants that are still in the groundwater on their way into the ocean.

Anonymous said...

This is very weird and confusing, of course, Tepco constantly lies about everything. In one estimate I read the JGOV or Tepco put releases at 40 quadrillion versus Chernobyl of 70 quadrillion. Foreign researchers have put the number as high as 63 quadrillion (including water). We know trillions of becquerals are being released every day, ongoing (still negligible by comparison). Gunderson has said he thinks cesium levels are equivalent to Chernobyl and a Russia Today report that was very sketchily written claims Tepco's own report shows that Fukushima released 4 times cesium 137 over Chernobyl. All very confusing. One thing is for certain; if Tepco are moving their lips they are lying.

Anonymous said...

@anonymous 3:11

"a Russia Today report that was very sketchily written claims Tepco's own report shows that Fukushima released 4 times cesium 137 over Chernobyl"

That's because they didn't realize that the number released by Tepco was in iodine equivalence.

Amateurs.

Anonymous said...

Gundersen early on announced that he believed Fukushima was "Chernobyl on steriods", and so he has a vested interested in making the disaster as sensational as possible. I listened intently to what he said in the early days since his voice seemed to carry so much weight, but since about June of last year, after it was clear that the SPF of #3 (or was it #4) hadn't been obliterated, that there was no spent fuel spread out over the countryside, and that his proclamations of "prompt criticality" were looking more and more unlikely, I've started to view everything he says with suspicion. Is he really saying that Fukushima is equal with Chernobyl now? He would be the only one in the world with that view (well, not accounting for the hysterical people who gobble up tabloid crap from the internet...).

Anonymous said...

Gundersen declares without any proof or analysis that other people can look at, and gullible folks in Japan and the rest of the world believe him. It's a religion at this point, nothing more.

Anonymous said...

Great info, again! Thank You for not spreading the confusing Russia Today piece, which kept me busy for way too long after I innitially fell for it reading about it on ENE-NEws. From there it seems like it took off for a life of its own.

Question: Do you have more info on their new "Noble Gas" data, 500 PBq seems ridiculously most previous estimates, at least if theyre referring to Xe-133. I touch upon it in my (rather packed) May 25 2012 blogpost here:

Fukushima’s Cs-137 is NOT “Four Chernobyls” ! (Russia Today spreading misinformation) @ http://allegedlyapparent.wordpress.com/2012/05/25/fukushimas-cs-137-is-not-four-chernobyls-russia-today-spreading-misinformation/

Thanks again for your incredible service! - MVB

arevamirpal::laprimavera said...

Michael VB, noble gas that TEPCO considered are krypton and xenon, according to TEPCO's report:

Kr-79.80.81.81m.82.83.83m.84.85.85m.86.87.88.89.90.91.92.93.94.95.96.97.98
Xe-126.127.128.129.129m.130.131.131m.132.133.133m.134.134m.135.135m.136.137.138.139.140.141.142.143.144.145.146.147

I didn't know about RT's report. Incredible.

arevamirpal::laprimavera said...

Looks like RT got it from ENENEWS who got it from Yomiuri English.

Another telephone game. Yomiuri writer didn't say anything about iodine equivalence.

Anonymous said...

@ arevamirpal::laprimavera said...

Tx for that. All of 'm, eh? ;-) Well... Regarding the Noble Gasses

Reason I ask is Xe-133 was estimated by TEPCO in their report to the IAEA, at 11,100 PBq (1.1 ×10^19 Bq) (see Attachment IV-2 pg 7. here: http://www.kantei.go.jp/foreign/kan/topics/201106/pdf/attach_04_2.pdf

which is part of http://www.kantei.go.jp/foreign/kan/topics/201106/iaea_houkokusho_e.html

The IRSN (Institute for Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety) of France reportedly put their estimate at 2,000 PBq. And in this study of Dr Rosen (http://www.ippnw.de/commonFiles/pdfs/Atomenergie/Effects_Fukushima_rosen.pdf) a whopping 16,700 PBq is said to be estimated by NILU, and 22,300 PBQ by TEPCO (although that may be a typo, as TEPCO's estimate appears to have been 11,100 PBq, see above).

As only a quarter of the lowest estimate before, their new 500 PBq for all Noble Gasses combined seems odd. I don't know what data to believe anymore. The range "500 to 22,300" is a bit too wide, imo. Anyone to shed light on that mystery?

Tx,

Michael VB
http://allegedlyapparent.wordpress.com/

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