MidnightWatcher's Blogspot

By Tsuyoshi Inajima – “As much as 45,000 liters (11,870 gallons) of highly radioactive water leaked from Japan’s crippled Fukushima nuclear station at the weekend and some may have reached the sea, Tokyo Electric Power Co. (9501) said.

The leakage shows the company known as Tepco is still struggling to control the disaster nine months after an earthquake and tsunami wrecked the plant. The water contained 1.8 millisieverts per hour of gamma radiation and 110 millisieverts of beta radiation, Tepco said in an e-mailed statement yesterday.

‘The source of the beta radiation in the water is likely to include strontium 90, which if absorbed in the body through eating tainted seaweed or fish, accumulates in bone and can cause cancer,’ said Tetsuo Ito, the head of Kinki University’s Atomic Energy Research Institute.” Read more.

Study Shows Worse Picture of Meltdown in Japan – “Molten nuclear fuel may have bored into the floor of at least one of the reactors at the stricken Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, the complex’s operator said Wednesday, citing a new simulation of the accident that crippled the plant in March. The simulation suggested that the meltdown may have been more severe than had previously been thought.” Read more.

Panic: Melted Fuel Near Point of Reaching Bottom Container, Barrier Needed – “The operator of the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant revealed Wednesday that melted nuclear fuel has nearly reached the bottom steel wall under the concrete… On Wednesday, Tokyo Electric Power Company, said the melted fuel has eroded the concrete base of the reactor container by up to 65 centimeters. If the erosion expands another 37 centimeters, it would be hitting the steel wall… If the fuel melts through the remaining concrete embedment, which is only some 30 centimeters, it is bound to seep into the soil. Therefore, experts say TEPCO must find a measure to prevent fuel leakage. ‘I think they must install a 5 to 10 meter barrier in the basement to prevent the worst case scenario.'” Read more.