Japan hit by 8.9 earthquake w/tsunami

FYI,
Following is a portal site, provided by JP government (MEXT:Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology), showing the latest radiation levels of each administrative divisions of Japan.
Disaster Information

edit:
English portal site
http://eq.wide.ad.jp/index_en.html

There is only one report in Japanese (data until 09:00 JST = 00:00 UTC) is placed as of now.
There is no report shown from the disaster area, such as Fukushima, Miyagi and Ibaraki), but the data in other area, including Tokyo metropolis are shown.

The radiation levels are very low and stable, and it dos not affect our health at all now.

Ken@Japan

 

Wikipedia, and both sources to which it points, indicate that Unit 3 has MOX fuel. The wording suggests, though does not actually state, that it is all-MOX, with no LEU.

Other sources indicate that MOX is much more hazardous to the surrounding population following a complete reactor breach.

But a different source indicates that Unit 3 has only a small fraction (6%) of MOX, suggesting that it contains mostly LEU, so the increased risk is small.

Have you seen any local Japanese sources that clarify this confusion?

 

Here's the latest from BBC that says radiation has reached harmful levels. The article seems to indicate that the suppression chamber of reactor 2 has been compromised.

My friend in Fukushima survived the initial disaster, but we've not yet heard if he was able to evacuate.

 

Hi all,
Please be aware that the nuclear fission energy and the [ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decay_heat"]decay heat[/ame] are very different.

The Three Mile Island accident was occurred at 97% of full power, nuclear fission period.
The Fukushima plant was safely shut down, then the cooling of decay heat problem occurred a few hours later from the shutdown.

The decay heat is big just after the shutdown, but it becomes down as time elapsed.
Please refer to attached chart.

Ken@Japan

 

JP wiki says it has 5 to 9%.of plutonium.
プルサーマル - Wikipedia

Ken@Japan

 

no offense to anybody here, but i don't trust any government to give us the whole picture.

 

FYI,
Now, people are ordered to be evacuated within 20km radius area and to stay in home within 20 to 30km radius area from the Fukushima Plant shown the chart below.

Nuclear authorities said the radiation volume will be limited (because of the decay heat period), then our health impact will also be limited even on a worst case.
On a worst case, people will get health impact within 100km radius area from the Fukushima plant, nuclear authorities said.

I'm in Yokohama city, approx 300km from the plant, and I'll stay home unless I hear an order to be evacuated.

Ken@Japan

 

The designer of the containment vessel gave 2 press conferences yesterday.
One at the Foreign Correspondents Club of Japan.
Yet there is no MSM news coverage of his warnings.
His story definitely being suppressed.

Radiation Threat for Tokyo? | Tokyo Notes

"The fuel used in the Japanese nuclear reactor where an explosion occurred today is more volatile and toxic than the fuel used in the other reactors there, a Japanese nuclear expert warned.
At a press conference in Tokyo, Masashi Goto, who worked for Toshiba as a reactor researcher and designer, said the mixed oxide ( [ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MOX_fuel"]MOX[/ame]
[ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MOX_fuel"] MOX_fuel[/ame]
) fuel used in unit 3 of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant contains plutonium, which is much more toxic than the fuel used in the other reactors.
MOX fuel is a mixture of uranium and plutonium reprocessed from spent uranium, and is sometimes involved in the disposal of weapons-grade plutonium.
Goto added that the MOX also has a lower melting point than the other fuels. The Fukushima facility began using MOX fuel last September, becoming the third plant in Japan to do so."
http://www.pakcolours.com/plutonium-...-expert-warns/

 

The unit 3 is stable now.
The most critical situation unit is 2.

Ken@Japan

 

Ken,
The fuel rods in 4 are exposed. What's the status there ?

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/16/world/asia/16fuel.html
The pools are a worry at the stricken reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi plant because at least two of the reactors have lost their roofs in explosions, exposing the spent fuel pools to the atmosphere. By contrast, reactors have strong containment vessels that stand a better chance of bottling up radiation from a meltdown of the fuel in the reactor core.

 

Real heroes indeed!

Not just a movie.

 

AP reports the reactors have been abandoned (temporarily, I assume) due to high radiation levels.
Reactor 3 (1?) spewing white smoke.

Updated: Workers have returned after the allowed radiation limits have been raised. By the book.

 

Ya mean one that has a containment building around it or one of em that doesn't...

 

Reactor 3.

quote: Both units 1 and 3 have no roof after earlier blasts, making it easy to dump water onto them, he said. Unit 4 has holes in the building, allowing fire trucks to spray water inside, he said.
Japanese Officials Scramble to Contain Nuclear Power Plant Crisis - FoxNews.com

Update: Sounds like they are still pumping in water into 3, so that's good.
Reactor 1 seems quiet , so that's good.

quote:"We are actually supplying water from the ground, but supplying water from above involves pumping lots of water and that involves risk. We also have to consider the safety of the helicopters above," he said.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42084187/ns/world_news-asiapacific/

 

Apparently the 'skeleton crew' of 40 to 50 people were withdrawn, but now have returned to the water pumping.

It would really truly suck to be them. A really brave bunch.

 

Today's summary ... Reactor 3 is spewing smoke and the containment is likely breached; reactor 4's spent fuel requires water injection.

 

Interesting juxtapositions

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...g-echoes-Hiroshimas-destruction.html?ITO=1490

 

Last line of defense

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/16/world/asia/16workers.html

 

FYI,
Following is a Q&A blog related to the Fukushima incident provided by a Tokyo University professor.
Q&A on the Nuclear Power Stations 2 [Updated 3/15-23:14] |
He wrote no rumor and it is a stable information.

Ken@Japan