#Fukushima II's Contaminated Water: Cobalt-60, Cesium-134, Cesium-137

More on the earlier post on 3,000 tons of contaminated water at Fukushima II Nuke Plant.

From Yomiuri Shinbun (1:28PM JST 6/8/2011):

東京電力は８日、福島第二原子力発電所の原子炉建屋などの地下階にたまった低濃度汚染水約３０００トンについて、浄化処理をした後、海へ放出する方針で、関係省庁や地元自治体と相談を始めたことを明らかにした。

TEPCO disclosed on June 8 that it has entered into negotiations with the government agencies and local municipalities to treat the contaminated water in the basements of the buildings at Fukushima II Nuclear Power Plant and release it into the ocean.　

同原発では、津波で流れ込んだ海水に、配管類のさびなどから出たとみられる放射性物質のコバルト６０や、約１０キロ北 の福島第一原発から飛来したと考えられるセシウム１３７、１３４などが混ざった汚染水がたまっている。汚染濃度は、海への放出が認められている濃度限界の １０～３０倍程度。

The water is from the tsunami [on March 11], and it contains radioactive cobalt-60 which probably came from the rusty pipes, and cesium-137 and cesium-134 which are considered to have flown from Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant 10 kilometers north. The level of contamination is 10 to 30 times the limit allowed for the discharge into the ocean.

Mainichi Shinbun Japanese reports the level of radioactive materials is "normal" for a nuclear plant during the normal operation.

Hmmm. So, in a normal operation, radioactive cesium will fly from a nearby nuke plant and somehow land on the basement of the enclosed reactor building. Right.

TEPCO's press release on the subject is not up yet.

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#Fukushima II (Not I) Nuke Plant Wants to Dump 3,000 Tons of Water into the Ocean

Did you even know that there was water in the basement of Fukushima II ("Daini")? And that water needs to be treated to remove the radioactive materials?

TEPCO fears that the power supply equipments in the basements may degrade from the salt water from tsunami, but if they have been sitting in the salt water for nearly 3 months, they are practically worthless, I would assume.

Again, a brilliant design by GE, having the power supply in the basement in a nuclear power plant right by the ocean in an earthquake/tsunami-prone country.

From Japan's TBS News (10:58PM JST 6/7/2011; the link will probably be changed or disappear soon, as is often the case with the TV broadcasters):

東京電力が、福島第二原発の原子炉建屋などに溜まっているおよそ３０００トンの水について、海に放出する計画を立てていることが分かりました。ただ、海産物への影響を懸念する農林水産省が猛反発していて、調整は難航しています。

It has been revealed that TEPCO wants to release about 3,000 tons of water in the reactor buildings [and turbine buildings, according to the news clip at the site] of Fukushima II Nuclear Power Plant. However, fearing the negative effect on marine products, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries is strongly against the plan, making the negotiations between TEPCO and the Ministry difficult.

　福島第二原発の原子炉は現在、冷温停止中ですが、震災で津波を被り大量の海水が原子炉建屋やタービン建屋などに溜まったままとなっています。このため東京電力は、大量の水を海に放出する計画を立て、政府関係者とすでに協議していることが分かりました。

The reactors at Fukushima II Nuke Plant are in "cold shutdown". But the tsunami after the March 11 earthquake inundated the reactor buildings and the turbine buildings. TEPCO planned the release of this large amount of water into the ocean, and has been negotiating with the government officials.

　塩分を含んだ水の量はおよそ３０００トンに達すると見られ、溜まっている期間も長引いているため、このままでは建屋の地下にある電源装置が劣化する恐れもあります。

This salt water is estimated to be about 3,000 tons. Since it has been sitting in the basements for long time now, the power supply equipments in the basements may degrade

　この水について東京電力は、法律で認められているより低いレベルにまで放射能の除染を済ませた上で海に放出すると説明していますが、海産物への影響を懸念する農林水産省が猛反発し、調整が難航しています。（07日22:58）

TEPCO says it will remove the radioactive materials in the water to the level lower than allowed by law before releasing it into the ocean. But the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries is strongly against the plan, fearing the effect on the marine products.

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720,000 Terabecquerels of Radioactive Materials in 100,000 Tonnes of Contaminated Water

When I posted the news about 100,000 tonnes of highly contaminated water at Fukushima I Nuke Plant, I forgot to mention this. (You can read about it in the Businessweek article here.)

That water is estimated to contain 720,000 terabecquerels of radioactive iodine and cesium.

That's another "Level 7" right there.

That's more than what has been released into the atmosphere, which the Nuclear Safety Commission estimates to be about 630,000 terabecquerels and Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency estimates to be about 370,000 terabecquerels.

I personally think this air radiation numbers underestimate the true numbers, particularly the number from NISA. At that time (mid April), NISA said they calculated the number based on the amount of radioactive materials they estimated to be still inside the RPV. At that time, NISA assured everyone that the fuel rods were only partially damaged and they were all inside the Reactor Pressure Vessels. Now we know (and they should have known) that the RPVs were breached very early in the accident, and the melted core had at least partially escaped out of the RPV by the time they made the estimate.

Now, Fukushima is slowly approaching Chernobyl.

More about → 720,000 Terabecquerels of Radioactive Materials in 100,000 Tonnes of Contaminated Water

#Fukushima I Nuke Plant: Water Levels Rising in Trenches from Reactors 2, 3

If the typhoon No.2 dumps a whole lot of rain, they will overflow. Even if it doesn't, it looks just the matter of time.

From the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industries (METI)'s press release (in Japanese) on May 28 on the Fukushima I plant conditions, "Water levels at trenches":

Reactor 2 trench water level:

5/7: 880 millimeters (34.65 inches) from the top of grating of the trench
5/14: 760 millimeters (29.92 inches)
5/21: 760 millimeters (29.92 inches)
5/28: 576 millimeters (22.68 inches)

Reactor 3 trench water level:

5/7: 820 millimeters (32.28 inches) from the top of grating of the trench
5/14: 720 millimeters (28.35 inches)
5/21: 640 millimeters (25.20 inches)
5/28: 431 millimeters (16.97 inches)

The top edge of the trenches is at the Onahama Peil (O.P., average sea level used for the plant) plus 4,000 millimeters. In other words, 4 meters (13.12 feet) above sea level.

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