Gov't revises standard for decontamination work

upward to downward revision...will it make any difference to peoples health NOW?

while local governments will be responsible for other areas.

Why not train personnel in the Defense Force in decontamination to assist local governments.

Saw this on the news yesterday. Scrub brushes and hoses do not cut it. What a joke to watch that happening.

Does anyone actualy know what they are doing?

The average background radiation is 1 to 2.5, so this makes no sense at all. Terrible reportiing too, to not catch this glaring error and clarify it before printing.

The average background radiation is 1 to 2.5, so this makes no sense at all. Terrible reportiing too, to not catch this glaring error and clarify it before printing.

What's being decontaminated is Neutron Radiation and it's so low a reading the geiger counter can't pick it up but together with protons it make up 99% of an atoms composition be it isotopes or gamma radiation etc.

Excerpt: Neutrons and protons coexist in an atom's nucleus in roughly equal numbers. Together, they account for over 99 percent of the atom's mass. Since neutrons are slightly heavier than protons, they have most of an atom's mass.

Neutrons can be ejected from the nucleus for a number of reasons, including radioactive decay, nuclear fusion, or as a by-product of other radiation on light elements such as beryllium. The speed of the ejected neutron can span a wide range, depending on what caused it to leave the nucleus. The faster the neutron, the more energy it delivers when it collides with something.

The effects of neutron radiation on living tissues depends on the neutron's energy. High-energy neutrons kill cells by indirectly ionizing molecules or from gamma rays that can result when a neutron hits a nucleus. A nucleus can capture low-energy neutrons and become radioactive. The most immediate effect of higher-energy neutrons is cell death; having too many damaged molecules will kill it. Though DNA can repair some forms of damage, too much will lead to mutation or cancer.

The ministry said its new policy calls for areas where radiation levels are 1 milliseivert or more per year to be decontaminated

The decontamination process is going to be really tricky I think. Because the neutron radiation is deep penetrating and in some cases it can reactivate itself.

Excerpt: In health physics neutron radiation is considered a fourth radiation hazard alongside the other types of radiation. Another, sometimes more severe hazard of neutron radiation, is neutron activation, the ability of neutron radiation to induce radioactivity in most substances it encounters, including the body tissues of the workers themselves. This occurs through the capture of neutrons by atomic nuclei, which are transformed to another nuclide, frequently a radionuclide. This process accounts for much of the radioactive material released by the detonation of a nuclear weapon. It is also a problem in nuclear fission and nuclear fusion installations, as it gradually renders the equipment radioactive; eventually the hardware must be replaced and disposed of as low-level radioactive waste.

Does Japan have any expertise in this? Seems like a whole bunch of people doing stuff for the sake of a show.

To seriously make an attempt to decontaminate radioactive areas especially for the local government they may have to purchase some highly sensitive equipment for identifying this type of radiation and since neutron radiation can penetrate lead and even cement some structures have to be dismantled and stored with the other radioactive substances.

This link is for the Nuclear tourist radiation safety page, the diagram show the FOUR radiation hazards and how far each can penetrate. Alpha, Beta, Gamma and lastly Neutron.

http://www.nucleartourist.com/systems/rad.htm

Is this latest move lowering or upping the bar ? Damn confusing...................

What a mess, Government seem to have no Idea as to what to do, Hot spots are downplayed and the message is all is well! Things are not so good after all this is the worst N-Disaster in the most crowded country in the OECD. Constant revision of "Standards" do not inspire confidence. An apathetic and compliant population have helped the lack of outcry, and the natural switch off caused buy fear and uselessness. 7 or 8 months and the truth is far from being reviled. This Disaster gets more coverage in off shore media, what can we do? Suck it up and die quietly seems to be the way to go. Decontamination, collect and burn, ie recontaminate new areas with ash and smoke. Pity the children for they will suffer.

cricky, maybe you should read/watch more Japanese news than foreign news. the ratio will work itself out fine then.

About 1,000 people in every million will develop some form of radiation cancer. In Fukushima, one of the hardest hit, there will be at least 2,000 cases.

Zichi, I hope the numbers will be that low. remember this headline:

45% of children tested near Fukushima plant have radioactive elements in thyroid glands: National Aug. 20, 2011

Look at the big picture. There is nothing that can be done. Japan is contaminated and we are all breathing in this invisible, silent doom. Good luck.