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© Copyright 2011 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.IAEA team arrives in Fukushima to observe decontamination effort
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YongYang
The task is a daunting one because the nuclear accident spread radiation unevenly over a broad swath of Fukushima, Ibaraki, Chiba, Tochigi... the list goes on and includes the ocean.
some14some
Any good hotel in Fukushima for these VIP guests?
warnerbro
If they complete decontamination by 2014 it will only mean that the government has redefined the word "complete" the same way it has repeatedly redefined the word "safe" to suit its convenience.
Nicky Washida
Is it really that simple? Give everything a bit of a washdown and skim off a bit of soil and boom - business as usual everybody?
If it was that simple, why hasnt it been done in Chernobyl? Or has it? I dont honestly know.
But what scares me greatly is that this is step 1 in the governments plan to "reassure" everyone that they can return and everything will be fine.....at least for the next 10 years or so, who can say after that. But they HAVE been honest with us, havent they? After all, they are always saying "no immediate health risk"
YongYang
@Nicky: No. It isn't.
http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/news/20111007p2a00m0na018000c.html
Jared Norman
The ocean is probably safe now even next to the reactor the amount of radiation that went into it is very small compared to the rest of the pacific it is probably too small to measure now.
Jared Norman
Mrs. Washida chernobyl was much different because the reactor compartment actually blew up.
wanderlust
Just observing?
Thanks for the help!
Christina O'Neill
I would love to be a fly on the wall when the IAEA return to their hotel and discuss their findings
Utrack
Yes, daunting to say the least, I myself in trying to understand what exactly has been released from the reactors at Daiichi have had to breakdown isotopes into neutron and proton, their evolution ( radioactive decay ) which I previously did not understand. I have read that over 3000 Isotopes NOT found in nature are created in Nuclear Reactors and Particle Accelerators. So normal background radiation can not be compared to this. Good Luck with the decontamination efforts.
warnerbro
Adults from abroad coming to have a look. I guess that's why the government just suddenly realised it had found some plutonium a few months ago. I'm sure they'll be staying in something reasonably plush in Shinjuku and commuting in. The IAEA team are nuclear power supporters, after all. They shan't be bothered risking exposure to the consequences of their support. I'd put their arses on the communal mats the nuclear workers are sleeping on if it were up to me.
pawatan
It is and it isn't. Some surfaces can easily be decontaminated in such a way but soil definitely cannot.
Once the radiation release is stopped or mostly stopped it will probably be best to store the soil that is removed somewhere near the reactor site. Over time try to decontaminate as much land as possible and gradually reduce the exclusion zones. VERY gradually.
Utrack
Radioactive Neutrons pass through Concrete. So Some buildings, homes may need to be dismantled and stored away in a storage facility.
http://www.nucleartourist.com/systems/rad.htm
Ranger_Miffy2
Put the contaminated soil over the npp once it is shut down. Any better ideas?
Jared Norman
If you mix the concrete with lead and water the radioactive gamma rays will be blocked. Nuetrons are not harmful to people, it is the gamma rays.
LuckyLangers
This might be worth reading: http://www.economist.com/node/21531522?fsrc=scn/tw/te/ar/hotspotsandblindspots
And how to protect yourself and your families: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jL1uzcDUFdc&feature=related
Good luck.
Moderator
Readers please stay on topic. Your posts should focus on the visit of the IAEA team.
Utrack
Apologies Moderator
@ Jared Norman
Let's hope the 12 member IAEA team understands the Isotopes composition of neutron and proton elements also the evolution of said compositions. Be it Strontium, Plutonium, Gamma Radiation etc. in their observations of the decontamination effort.
Nicky Washida
Thanks for the links and advice guys. I was aware that Chernobyl was a massive explosion that sent radiation up to be carried thousands of miles on the winds, as opposed to what happened in Fukushima. But I dont understand why, if it is that easy, that they havent cleaned up in Chernobyl the way they plan to here - unless they have and I just havent read about it?
The mainichi article is really interesting - as I thought, washing away radiation from one place just creates an issue elsewhere, and even though we didnt seem to take a direct hit here (although from the map a blue swathe came perilously close) there seems to be big blue clouds over large parts of Gunma and Tochigi - places where my food sometimes comes from when I cant avoid it.
Is anyone else exhausted and depressed, living like this? I have no idea if we have had any exposure, and what that may be, I feel selfish even considering it when there are people up in Fukushima who really have got issues, I have no idea if what we are eating is really safe, and I see years stretching out ahead of us living like this. I cant leave because my husband wont leave his job here, and I dont want to take the kids away from him.
Sorry - just had to verbally throw my guts up for a moment there!
Utrack - thanks for all the research you ahve done and for sharing it here. I would assume (hope!) the IAEA do know what they are doing, but meanwhile you are now up there with Johannes Weber, Zichi et al on my "posts that are compulsory reading" list!
Utrack
@ Nicky Washida
Stay Strong with both eyes open like you already are, I'll share what I learn and try to keep it on topic at the same
warnerbro
The wolves arrive to monitor the foxes.