Fukushima

[blackchisel97]

Radiation in No. 3 reactor too high for work

Radiation in No. 3 reactor too high for work, NHK, June 10, 2011:

- "The operator of the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant says radiation levels in one of the reactor buildings remain too high for workers to do their jobs. [...]

The workers withdrew after measuring radiation of 100 millisieverts per hour near the reactor�s containment vessel.

TEPCO says it intended to limit the workers� exposure to below 5 millisieverts per hour. But as all 9 received higher doses, it has suspended work while considering a course of action".


Fukushima I Nuke Plant: One Worker Fell Unconscious, 9 Workers Exceeded Allotted Radiation Level, EX-SKF, June 9, 2011:

Yomiuri Shinbun (12:35 PM JST 6/10/2011) reports that one worker at Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant was found unconscious early in the morning in the dormitory, and was airlifted to a hospital in Iwaki City. [...]

[blackchisel97]

Gov�t tells company to conceal info...

Gov�t tells company to conceal info on radioactive tea leaves because of �public anxiety�

Shizuoka tells tea retailer to conceal radiation info, Kyodo, June 10, 2011:

- "Shizuoka Prefecture told a Tokyo-based mail order company not to say anything on its website about excessive radioactive material being found in tea from the prefecture, the retailer said Friday.

After Radishbo-ya Co. made an inquiry to the Shizuoka Prefectural Government about the matter Monday, a prefectural official told the company not to disclose the finding due to fears the message would cause unwarranted harm to Shizuoka tea growers, adding that the prefecture would confirm the finding on its own, according to the retailer. [...]

�The official (who talked with Radishbo-ya) apparently feared that any warning issued through its website could fan public anxiety,� a prefectural official said" [...]

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[mbrownn]

Keep up the good work

I must thank you for your posts, I consider this thread a key source of information on the subject. Thanks once again

[blackchisel97]

I must thank you for your posts, I consider this thread a key source of information on the subject. Thanks once again

Former adviser says government worsened radiation exposure, DPA, June 11, 2011:

- A former adviser to Prime Minister Naoto Kan accused the government of aggravating the radiation exposure of local residents during the nuclear crisis, news reports said Saturday.

Toshiso Kosako, professor of radiation safety at the University of Tokyo�s graduate school [...] said the government had delayed the release of forecasts on the spread of radiation compiled by the Nuclear Safety Technology Center�s computer system, Kyodo said, citing the April 27 report.

He urged the government to conduct an epidemiological study in Fukushima and neighboring prefectures as thyroid cancer was expected to develop among children. [...]

Unthinkable nuclear woes may yet become normal in Japan, Irish Times, June 11, 2011:

-"Not much is worse than children having radiation meters strapped to their chests" [...]

- "8,000 schoolchildren in Date City, 60km from the ruined Fukushima nuclear power plant, are to be given dosimeters to measure radiation. Thousands more children in day-care centres, kindergartens and primary schools in towns and villages around the area are likely to follow suit.

Meanwhile, hundreds of kilometres southwest, officials in Shizuoka Prefecture, home to the nation�s tea-growing industry, have reportedly asked Tokyo retailers to refrain from informing consumers that above-normal levels of radiation have been detected on tea leaves. The prefecture felt that issuing the warning could �fan public anxiety�, said Kyodo News.

It�s hard to imagine something much more frightening than five-year-olds marching off to irradiated school playgrounds in the morning with Geiger counters strapped to their chests." [...]

Young parents moving away from areas near damaged Fukushima plant, Mainichi Japan, June 11, 2011:

- "Young parents are moving away from towns near the Fukushima No. 1 Nuclear Power Plant as areas of high radiation continue to be discovered, raising fears over the effects on young children. [...]

Around 50 kilometers northwest of the power plant is Soma city�s Tamano district [...]

�I can�t stop thinking about the power plant. I can�t smile or laugh with all my heart,� says Aki Ohashi, 30, tearfully as she cares for her children in her home here. She says that at a health checkup she was strongly recommended to have medical and psychiatric therapy. [...]

A high-ranking Soma government official explained the slowness of the city�s response to evacuating citizens from the Ishida district, saying, �Since the national and prefectural governments had not designated the district for evacuation, we couldn�t actively encourage the residents to leave".

On the Rise: Highest level of Cesium-137 in Bay Area topsoil since April

UCB Food Chain Sampling Results, University of California, Berkeley Department of Nuclear Engineering, June 10, 2011:

Collected June 3 in Alameda, CA

* .58 Bq/kg of Cesium-134 [15.68 pCi/kg]
* 1.17 Bq/kg of Cesium-137 [31.62 pCi/kg]

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[blackchisel97]

A 35% Spike in Infant Mortality in Northwest Cities Since Meltdown

Is the Dramatic Increase in Baby Deaths in the US a Result of Fukushima Fallout?

Janette Sherman / Joseph Mangano: Is the Increase in Baby Deaths in the US a Result of Fukushima Fallout?


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[blackchisel97]

Many challenges at Fukushima Daiichi nuke plant, NHK, June 11, 2011:

- "Three months after the breakdown at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, there is still a huge number of obstacles to getting the plant under control. [...]

[H]ighly radioactive water continues to accumulate [...] Decontaminating the water is vital for stabilizing the reactors and preventing more radioactive leakage from the plant.

On Friday, TEPCO postponed a test run of a water decontamination system because of a malfunction. [...]

TEPCO spokesman Junichi Matsumoto told a press conference on Friday that the company will do its utmost to make progress in the difficult work to get the plant under control".


Young parents moving away from areas near damaged Fukushima plant, Mainichi Japan, June 11, 2011:

[...] Almost two months later, on June 5, the government�s nuclear disaster response headquarters held a conference for residents. They stressed that by international standards, in times of nuclear disaster 20 millisieverts per year is at the bottom of a range (20 to 100 millisieverts per year) of radiation exposure it is recommended to try to limit residents to. However, residents were not satisfied with this explanation. [...]


Fukushima workers� exposure tops 650mSV, NHK, June 10, 2011:

[...] The National Institute of Radiological Sciences conducted 2 more rounds of detailed tests to measure the amount of radioactive iodine and cesium the 2 men could have inhaled.

After analyzing the men�s work shifts since the March 11th disaster, the Institute concluded that the man in his 30s was exposed to 678 millisieverts, and the man in his 40s, 643 millisieverts. Internal exposure accounted for more than 80 percent of the figures.

The 2 men were on duty in the central control rooms of reactors No.3 and No.4. [...]

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[dougyt]

All of this news reported by BlackChisel97, and the newspaper here today had a 10 line article on how quickly the Japanese are cleaning up around the Tsunami hit areas. No mention of the Fukushima plant that I have seen in a long while.
Keep us informed BlackChisel, and thanks for all the hard work you put in.

[blackchisel97]

Trouble at SFP No. 4

Trouble at SFP No. 4: Water injections not enough to cool pool � Workers find large hole in wall....

TEPCO forced to review reactor 4 cooling plan, NHK, June 12, 2011:

- "The operator of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant has been forced to reconsider its plan to cool the spent fuel storage pool of the No.4 reactor.

Water injection from a special vehicle has not been intense enough to cool the water in the pool [...]

On Friday, workers entered the 4th floor of the No.4 reactor building where the pool is located for the first time since the nuclear disaster took place.

They found a large hole in a wall created by the March 15th explosion. They also discovered that a nearby pipe necessary for the cooling system had been mangled. [...] Fixing the damaged pipe is expected to be extremely difficult." [...]

Head of Fukushima health study: 100 mSv/yr OK for pregnant moms � �Effects of radiation do not come to people that are happy� They come to people that are weak-spirited�

Japan Admits 3 Nuclear Meltdowns, More Radiation Leaked into Sea; U.S. Nuclear Waste Poses Deadly Risks, Democracy Now, June 10, 2011:
Japan Admits 3 Nuclear Meltdowns, More Radiation Leaked into Sea; U.S. Nuclear Waste Poses Deadly Risks

[...] AILEEN MIOKO SMITH: Well, there�s incredible concern, especially among parents in Fukushima prefecture. But now spreading is concern among parents in Tokyo, which is quite a far way from Fukushima. Mainly, what�s been happening is that citizens have been monitoring. And after they find high levels, they demand that the local authorities and the government look at those contaminated areas, and then the government looks, and it is contaminated. [...]

AMY GOODMAN: And a new study is being done by the prefecture, Aileen?

AILEEN MIOKO SMITH: Yes, we�re very concerned that a health study is starting at the end of this month. This is concerning the effects of the Fukushima residents, on the prefectural citizens. It�s headed by a Dr. Shunichi Yama****a, who�s at the Atomic Bomb Research Institute. He�s the radiological health safety risk management adviser for the prefecture. He�s widely shown on national TV. He speaks widely in the prefecture, always saying there�s absolutely no concern with the levels of radiation in Fukushima. He says that mothers, even mothers exposed to 100 millisieverts, pregnant mothers, will not have any effect, health effect. Remember the number 100. Compared to that, the Soviet Union required a mandatory evacuation during Chernobyl at five millisieverts. This doctor is quoted as saying, �The effects of radiation do not come to people that are happy and laughing. They come to people that are weak-spirited, that brood and fret.� This is a direct quote. And he�s heading the study. And so, the citizens in Fukushima are very concerned. [...]

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[blackchisel97]

I hope it won't be needed and this is not intended to cause any panic. However, there are good hints in this guide and some can be applied in areas even away from Fukushima as precautions - WHAT TO DO IF A NUCLEAR DISASTER IS IMMINENT!

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[blackchisel97]

20,000 attend Tokyo anti nuclear protest..

Just How Many People Showed Up at 6.11 No-Nuke Demonstrations on June 11?, EX-SKF, June 11, 2011:

[...] The best (for MSM) coverage goes to Asahi Shinbun,
who treated the news of the nationwide events as one of the top news.
The article at Asahi has pictures and videos of the protests in various
parts of the country, and pins the number of participants as follows:

* 20,000 in one demonstration in Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, quoting the number by the event organizer;
* 200 in Koriyama-City, Fukushima Prefecture.

[...] There were at least 14 events in Tokyo that were carried live on the net. Including the events that weren�t net-casted, there were over 20 events in Tokyo alone. Throughout Japan, the 6.11 No-Nukes site lists 174 events worldwide.

[...] Unofficial numbers for some events in Tokyo and Kanagawa, from the tweets:

20,000 in Shinjuku, Tokyo
6,000 in Shiba Park, Tokyo
1,500 in Yoyogi Park, Tokyo
700 in Kunitachi City, Tokyo
4,000 Yokohama, Kanagawa

Not too bad for a rainy day and for a country not used to go against any official, government policy. [...]

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[blackchisel97]

Somehow related..

Radioactive mushrooms contaminated in Chernobyl disaster seized at British port, Daily Mail, June 11, 2011:

- "A ton of mushrooms containing ten times the safe level of a radioactive metal has been seized and destroyed by health chiefs.

The Bulgarian consignment of dried wild mushrooms is thought to have been irradiated by caesium 137 from the Chernobyl disaster [...]

The EU sets a maximum limit for caesium 137 in food of 600 becquerels per kilogram [...]

[T]he amount of radioactivity found in the mushrooms destined for British families was more than 6,000 becquerels.

UK Raises EU Alert over Radioactive Bulgarian Mushrooms, Sofia News Agency, June 11, 2011:

[...] Initially, it was thought the mushrooms have been irradiated d by the Fukushima NPP disaster [...]

The UK Food Standards Agency has reported it has issued an EU-wide food safety alert relating to the case. [...]

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[blackchisel97]

Radiation inside Reactor No. 1 drywell on the rise..

Radiation inside Reactor No. 1 drywell hits new high of 251 Sieverts per hour

UPDATED: it reads 261 now.

福島原発 1号機 / 福島原発原子炉の状態 原子炉の放射線量

Strontium found in groundwater for first time � 240 times above max limit

Strontium found in groundwater near stricken Fukushima plant, DPA, June 12, 2011:

- " Radioactive contamination from the stricken nuclear power facility Fukushima has worsened, the operators Tepco warned Sunday, with probes of groundwater turning up traces of strontium that were 240 times above the allowable maximum limit. [...]

The Kyodo news agency said it was the first discovery of strontium in the groundwater [...]

Tepco said that due to technical problems it could not yet start testing a new facility to decontaminate the tainted water".

Radioactive strontium detected at Fukushima plantTokyo Electric Power Company has detected high levels of radioactive strontium in soil inside the compound of the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. Strontium can cause cancer and like calcium it tends to collect in bones once humans inhale it.

Up to 570 becquerels of strontium 90 per kilogram of dry soil were detected in samples from 3 locations. They were taken on April 18, about 500 meters from the Number 1 and 2 reactors at soil depths of up to 5 centimeters. The amount detected is about 130 times higher than a previous high, level that was measured in Fukushima Prefecture before the accident at the nuclear plant.

TEPCO also said it found 4,400 becquerels of radioactive strontium 89 per kilogram of dry soil taken from the same location.

Read more: NHK WORLD English

LIVE FEEDS

TEPCO Cam - http://mfile.akamai.com/127380/live/reflector:51361.asx

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[blackchisel97]

TBS/JNN live feed - Radioactive.eu.com - Live camera from the hills above Fukushima

TEPCO live feed - TEPCO : Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Stations |

* Expect a 30 second time lag in the system delivery of the picture due to its communication path.
* Images may be unclear under conditions of strong backlight, bad weather and nighttime darkness.
* The service will be suspended during maintenance of equipment or other trouble.

Is that means we won't see anything except a thick "fog" when there is a trouble brewing

From Wikipedia:

Together with cesium isotopes 134Cs, 137Cs, and iodine isotope 131I it was among the most important isotopes regarding health impacts after the Chernobyl disaster.

�Strontium-90 is a �bone seeker� that exhibits biochemical behavior similar to calcium, the next lighter Group 2 element. After entering the organism, most often by ingestion with contaminated food or water, about 70�80% of the dose gets excreted. Virtually all remaining strontium-90 is deposited in bones and bone marrow, with the remaining 1% remaining in blood and soft tissues. Its presence in bones can cause bone cancer, cancer of nearby tissues, and leukemia. Exposure to 90Sr can be tested by a bio assay, most commonly by urinalysis.�

Basically, Your body mistakes it for calcium and takes it up and puts it in your bones, causing blood cancer and bone cancer. Same way as radioactive iodine is mistaken for beneficial iodine and destroys thyroid gland.

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[blackchisel97]

Strontium in water samples

Excessive levels of strontium detected in seawater, NHK, June 13, 2011:

[...] TEPCO announced that strontium-90 was also detected for the first time in ground water near the reactors� buildings.

A ground water sample taken on May 18, around reactor number 2, measured 6,300 becquerels per liter. And for reactor number one, the sample showed 22 becquerels.

TEPCO explained it usually takes about 3 weeks to analyze the samples.

It doesn't. Spectrometer can yield the results much faster than that however, good will may take a month or so..... depending on agency.

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[blackchisel97]

Massive entry of radiation into groundwater will spread throughout water table in Nor

Massive entry of radiation into groundwater will spread throughout water table in Northern Japan

�Fukushima media cover-up -- PR success, public health disaster�, RussiaToday, June 11, 2011: - YouTube - ‪'Fukushima media cover-up - PR success, public health disaster'‬‏

At 1:15 in

Dr. Robert Jacobs, Professor of nuclear history, at the Hiroshima Peace Institute

* Massive entry of radiation into groundwater in Fukushima
* Will spread throughout water table in the area of Northern Japan
* Effect could be quite wide and large

60 million curies of radiation released from Fukushima � 50 million curies at Chernobyl

Japan Admits 3 Nuclear Meltdowns, More Radiation Leaked into Sea; U.S. Nuclear Waste Poses Deadly Risks, Democracy Now, June 10, 2011:

ROBERT ALVAREZ [former senior policy adviser to the U.S. Secretary of Energy]: Yes. As you know, the Japanese government, in its report to the IAEA, said it had underestimated the amount of radioactivity released to the atmosphere during the first week and that it amounts to roughly 40 million curies of radioactivity. What they failed to mention is that they discharged an equally large amount into the ocean, about 20 million curies, and that the�what they�re counting here is the radioactive iodine and radioactive cesium. [...]

[T]he Soviet Union and Russia basically have claimed that about 50 million curies of radioactivity were released to the environment [...]


Radiation 1000 times over normal outside no-go zone, Russia Today, June 13, 2011:

At :45 in

* Rain and winds bringing radiation into Fukushima City [60 km from plant]
* We were at a spot with 1,000 times safe dosage� Very, very dangerous levels
* Area considered safe by authorities
* Hot spots where radiation is off the charts


Radiation 1,000 times safe levels far outside no-go zone � �Very, very dangerous levels� - YouTube - ‪RT in Fukushima: Radiation 1000 times over normal outside no-go zone‬‏


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