Japan Today Get your ticket to GaijinPot Expo 2024
national

Water temperature rising in No. 2 reactor at Fukushima nuclear plant

155 Comments

Tokyo Electric Power Co (TEPCO) said Monday that the water temperature in the No. 2 reactor at the stricken Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant has risen from 45 degrees on Jan 27 to 69.2 degrees on Monday.

One of three thermometers in the reactor has shown that the temperature has risen by 20 degrees in the last four days, NTV reported. TEPCO said it is continuing to pump more water into the troubled reactor to cool it down, but so far, the utility has not been able to pinpoint the exact cause of the rising temperature.

A TEPCO official told a news conference that the replacement of a water pipe might have caused a change in the water circulation and that the temperature might be rising in areas where the water flow isn't smooth, NTV reported. Melted fuel may also have spilled over from the containment vessel into the water, the TEPCO official said.

TEPCO said it was injecting 9.5 tons of water into the reactor, compared to the usual one ton per hour.

The latest development calls into question Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda's announcement last December that the Fukushima Daiichi plant had achieved a stable state of cold shutdown -- which was intended to reassure the nation that significant progress had been made in the nine months since the March 11 tsunami sent three reactors into meltdowns.

© Japan Today

©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.

155 Comments
Login to comment

I thought the Fukushima Daiichi plant had achieved a stable state of cold shutdown. This goes to show everyone that the Japanese government is filled with a whole bunch of lies that it will even make an elephant barf all over the place. When will the Japanese government wake up and start to tell the truth to everyone!!! When will they come to the conclusion that the Fukushima Daiichi is no longer safe no matter what they do it! They need to just shut it down for good once and for all. Infact, the Japanese government needs to shut down all nuclear reactors in Japan and stop putting everyones lives at state.

15 ( +16 / -3 )

Is that is celcius or farenheit?

-14 ( +3 / -16 )

Is that is celcius or farenheit?

or Is it a new scale?

6 ( +8 / -2 )

Meanwhile tv tourist ads encouraging Japanese to visit tohoku run night and day. The govt was never serious about getting it right from day 1. They are doing nothing but trying to wish away the whole sorry mess.

24 ( +22 / -0 )

Tepco is going to inject boric acid, On the press conference of 2/6/2012 PM, Tepco announced they are going to add 960 Kg of boric acid tonight in JST. They increased the amount of water to inject to reactor 2, but it’s still 70.6℃ at 5:00AM on 2/6/2012. Tepco has started analyzing the gas to publish the data on 2/7/2012. For the brief report, the amount of Xe135 is ND, (≦ 1Bq/cm3) which denies the possibility of recriticality.However, they are going to inject 960 kg of boric acid and increase the amount of water by 3 tons. Now it 9.5 tons, well here is a link to the video of TEPCO making their announcement, but it is in Japanese.

http://fukushima-diary.com/2012/02/tepco-is-going-to-inject-boric-acid/

7 ( +7 / -0 )

Wonders why they can not remove the fuel? That would stop any reaction.

-4 ( +3 / -7 )

Kind of hard to remove the fuel when there is no place to store it or transport it safely in it's current damaged condition.

6 ( +7 / -1 )

World's nuclear experts, all of them, are helpless against this one plant.

10 ( +9 / -0 )

the utility has not been able to pinpoint the exact cause of the rising temperature.

let me guess it's those damn fuel rods they wished away?

6 ( +6 / -0 )

World's nuclear experts, all of them, are helpless against this one plant.

Money baby!!. The Japanese Gov. have use more of they money in bride to keep this not reported!

they buying everyone around the world. i wonder how much the UN and the US Gov. get on this one.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

Wonders why they can not remove the fuel? That would stop any reaction.

LOL it's so simple, isn't it ?.. Wonder how the engineers working there haven't thought of this before ;)?

Nobody can get even within 100 meters from the fuel for more than a few minutes without being zapped. There are many tons of it, possibly embedded in the steel walls of a huge pot (the reactor), possible even burning it's way through the foundations of the same pot. It is under many meters of hot water, and removing the water will cause it's whole mass to reach around 500 degrees Celsius within one day. It will take around 10-15 years for the fuel to drop to less than 100 degrees Celsius without active cooling (but it will still be able to kill a man at 20-30 meters distance)... The reactors will have to be opened (without letting out harmful radiation) and provided that the fuel is still there, it will have to be insulated and transported out chunk by chunk... As of now, there is no tool, remote controlled robot, etc, that can do this job...

14 ( +14 / -0 )

Steam from Fukushima plants, video footage

http://fukushima-diary.com/2012/02/steam-from-fukushima-plants/

SFP of reactor 3 and reactor 5 are heated as well, According to the plant parameter data of Tepco, the temperature of reactor 3 has been increasing since 1/30/2012. Also, the temperature of reactor 5 has been going up since 2/4/2012.

http://fukushima-diary.com/2012/02/sfp-of-reactor-3-and-reactor-5-are-heated-as-well/

0 ( +0 / -0 )

The cold shutdown is not as cold as previously announced then.....

5 ( +6 / -1 )

So much for the plant being stable. Not that us foreigners actually bought that like many of the locals.

Can they not call it a day already and get people in who know what they are doing? It seems the day laborers just aren't cutting it. Get in the dreaded foreigners!!

0 ( +5 / -5 )

Steam from Fukushima plants, Better video footage Not just picture

http://enenews.com/puffs-steamvapor-rising-fukushima-reactors-video

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Along with the country's blood pressure.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Sometimes like now my link button does not work. But Thank you for doing it.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Here we go again.... How can anyone or any committee class Dai Ichi as 'stable'? I really am just stunned beyond belief. Angry too. Angry for all the people who are being affected by this and those, who in the future might be affected by this situation. There's a problem...a bloody huge problem, for God's sake Japanese Government just stand up like men and tell it as it is.

And as for folk calling for the ant to 'just be shut down'. It don't work like that. I'm a nuclear nerd but I do know that these plants don't have an on and off switch. One plant in England will take decades to completely shut down and that plant doesn't have any problems.....that we know of.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

The latest development calls into question Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda’s announcement last December that the Fukushima Daiichi plant had achieved a stable state of cold shutdown

Oh? Did somebody actually believe him? "Significant progress"? Where? The reactor pools are still under open sky!

Maybe the "cold shutdown" was meant for the public demands that the reactors be taken under control? And "significant progress" meaning people did shut up.

Mr. soon-to-be-gone Noda: Too little, too late. Result zero, as usual.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Maybe they're just installing some district heating systems?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Here we go again. Cue the TEPCO/J-Gov smokescreen.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

can someone answer one question really simply? Are they going to explode?

6 ( +6 / -0 )

Liar liar pants on fire!!!

4 ( +5 / -1 )

That steam coming out of the No 2. reactor does anyone know if those vapour particles are radioactive ? This is not cold shut down at all and in fact it means that the plant is not safe at all.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Suzukakid- please tell me you didnt actually make that last comment

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I guess if they have achieve water temperature lower than 100 degrees Celsius then you could say they have achieved cold shutdown. The issue here is if they can maintain it.

MaboDofuIsSpicy

They should be using Kelvin Degrees. More accurate.

First Kelvin is a temperature unit that does not use degrees. Second, how can a unit of measure be more accurate than another unit of measure?

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Did somebody actually believe him? "Significant progress"?

Actually, they do make significant progress. If you're drowning in a cesspit it is actually progress if you can keep your eyes and nose above it that you are still capable of orienting and breathing. They've accomplished a lot after the accident. However, the notion that this accident could be "over" in less than a few years has been considered as plain nonsense by the majority of experts right from the start.

Neither are the experts helpless. They are mostly doing the right things. Even the TEPCO workers are doing mostly the right thing by now. It's the people who say "safe" and "stable" who are the crazy, dangerous threat to the population.

I guess Ebisen is rather spot on here. The distribution of the hot materials in the reactor is unknown. If the water injecting pipe is changed, it will include a change in the water currents in the reactor. This might actually mean that the cold water flow doesn't reach the parts which need cooling most and the reactors temperature will stay different at different measuring points. TEPCO claims exactly that. The system should then stabilize somewhat at a higher temperature...

6 ( +6 / -0 )

Cold shutdown my disbelieving butt! Thumbs up if you saw this one coming!

9 ( +11 / -3 )

The Japanese government should drop a few huge truck loads of snow into the reactors by plane. Im sure they can find a way to from a whole lot of snow into the reactors by military cargo panes or helicopters. There must be a way to do that. I bet if they did that, the reactors would cool down very quickly. But is the Japanese government looking for a real solid solution to this mess!! If you ask me, I think no way!!! They are only interested in protecting their investments while everyone around them are getting sick and or in the process of killing over due to radiation contamination. Andy why dont we hear about this in the media? It`s because the media was probably paid off to keep everyone from knowing the real truth about what is really going on.

-7 ( +1 / -8 )

Liar liar plants on fire!!!

ftfy. It's pretty sad, the one year anniversary is coming around the corner and these things still aren't stable.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

The government should be dragged back onto TV and explain the 'cold shut down' claim they made not long ago. They are all liars and thus extremely dangerous to all of us.

We all need to arise and evict the government. They've had far too may chances, yet they continue to act like selfish, incompetent and ignorant morons. They need to be removed from office.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

Liar liar pants on fire!!!

suzukakid, shouldn't that be plants on fire?

7 ( +9 / -2 )

alladin, you can put snow in there but it will melt in about 5 minutes.

It's like putting snow on a festering boil. Without curing the cause of the generation of heat (yes, nuclear fuel is all about setting up the generation of a constant supply of heat, under controlled conditions. When the controls are all broken, and the hot and reacting fuel has melted down through the cracks and continues to burn away at the foundations, dropping snow on it would not help one iota.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

Now a constant supply of icy slush in pipes wrapped around the amoebic corium would be just dandy, but they do not know how to get down there...

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

How come people here cannot do the link button?

Because you keep posting links to the tin foil hat guy... I wouldn't trust the fukushima-diary site anymore than I trust the Japanese government - it is just unsubstantiated propoganda from the other side of the fence.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

Should add, was referring to his video blogs...

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Wait, what happened to cold shutdown as announced by Premier Noda last Xmas??? I can't understand why more foreigners who have the freedom to leave this doomed country haven't done so...what keeps you here???

-3 ( +2 / -5 )

Wait, what happened to cold shutdown as announced by Premier Noda last Xmas???

Still below 100degrees celcius so still in cold shutdown status - that much has not changed (yet)

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Can anyone give me links from credible sources. Any blogs or whatnot that you follow and believe is reporting it as it is!

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Wow, now the government might actually have to admit it was a bit 'hasty' in claiming it had achieved cold shutdown successfully and that the situation was stable. No surprise TEPCO has no idea what's going on or what to do.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

J Tobacco is buying the up radioactive Fukushima tobacco for the next crop of cancer sticks. One more result of this debacle of green and money, and not the safety of people (apparantly, these goons are not people).

5 ( +5 / -0 )

Hope things do not go critical again. Please stay safe all of you still living anywhere near the reactors. Just found out that two acquaintances of ours died this past week of heart attacks. One was an old friend of my wife (aged 36 and living in Izumizaki-mura) and the other a friend of a friend (aged 40 and living in Shirakawa-shi). Make whatever you want of this but just want all of you living there to limit your exposure as much as you possibly can. Heart attacks were one of the biggest killers after Chernobyl. Before you ask where I found such info, check the ECRR website.

6 ( +7 / -1 )

I agree with Onniyama please be careful and limit the food grown in alot of areas. J Govt has already admitted that the food maybe harmful if consumed for over a year.

http://fukushima-diary.com/2011/11/jp-gov-officially-admitted-that-japanese-food-is-harmful/

My link button is still not working. Ugh.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

Good sentiment Onniyama, thank you! I would add that in keeping safe, people shouldn't heed government calls to go back to the areas surrounding the plant, since clearly it is not safe at all.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

Can anyone give me links from credible sources. Any blogs or whatnot that you follow and believe is reporting it as it is!

I have been following Hiroaki Koide with a blog called たね蒔きジャーナル(tanemaki journal). He talks about the problems of Fukushima NPP once or twice a week in rather plain language so it is easy to understand what's really going on there. Unfortunately there is no English translation. There are some Youtube videos of Koide talks with English translation, but they are usually 2~3 months behind. At the latest tanemaki journal, he talked about "water temperature rising in No.2 reactor". Very informative.

(tanemaki journal)

http://hiroakikoide.wordpress.com/

Koide Hiroaki:[An assistant professor of "Kyoto University Research Reactor Institute", a famous scholar of nuclear engineering. Graduated from Tohoku University, school of engineering in 1972 ] Because of his anti nuclear activities, he has been ignored by government, scholars of nuclear, and industries. But after Fukushima, he became a symbol of Japanese conscience. This video is an official document of his testimony at the Diet, concerning nuclear policies of Japan. He criticized national policies from the viewpoint of scientist.

http://hiroakikoide.wordpress.com/

2 ( +2 / -0 )

I wonder how bad the nuclear explosion will be when a critical mass is achieved by the still-fissioning, molten cores when they pool together.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

@ Blair Herron. Huge thanks.?Will check them out!

2 ( +2 / -0 )

@Utrack

Interesting link, thank you.

Edano says, "What I meant by 'In short term, it is not harmful' is not generally speaking, but more specific products like milk, for example, blah, blah, blah... (So I was not exactly lying. I'm not guilty.) Besides I said it only 7 times."

Maybe Edano is a good lawyer, but certainly he is a dishonest public servant.

http://fukushima-diary.com/2011/11/jp-gov-officially-admitted-that-japanese-food-is-harmful/

3 ( +4 / -1 )

Your welcome Blair Herron.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

look there i sjust bound to be temperature spikes like this until all the fissile material is removed from the crippled reactor. civilian nuclear power has still killed, maimed, made ill less people then the coal, oil, gas industry has.

-7 ( +1 / -8 )

Ewww! No. 2 is going to spew! But i guess you already knew..

0 ( +1 / -1 )

If these things go critical again, it will finish Japan. No foreigners will want anything to do with the country. Tick,tick,tick

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Time for the IAEA to come into Fukushima, get real experts to do what has to be done, because these bozos from the J government and the idiot fools at Tokyo Electric, well, can anybody trust them??

-3 ( +2 / -5 )

It's coming on a year next month, TEPCO is going to have to keep those reactor cool for the next 40 or 50 years or more. that's 40 to 50 years of adding tons and tons or water and with radiation continually coming from those reactors. Japan is ground zero, the food, air water and land will be contaminated as long as the radiation comes from Daiichi and for many years after.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Time for the IAEA to come into Fukushima, get real experts to do what has to be done

@Elbuda,

This is what IAEA said.

"The IAEA welcomes the announcement by the Government of Japan that the reactors at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station have achieved a 'cold shutdown condition' and are in a stable state, and that the release of radioactive materials is under control."

http://www.iaea.org/newscenter/news/2011/coldshutdown.html

4 ( +4 / -0 )

It is impossible for any PWR or LWR nuclear reactor to explode like an atomic bomb. This is because in order for an uncontrolled chain reaction to occur that is similar to an atom bomb, the uranium fuel must be extremely enriched, much more than the 4% 235U that is present in regular, commercial nuclear reactor fuel.

Any blast would probably be steam pressure or hydrogen-based, like a from of "dirty bomb" but there is still a degree of containment around the reactor vessels in the form of 4~6m of concrete, some steel; but the spent fuel pool; of #4 is virtually exposed to the elements. As with any conventional explosion, bigger lumps of radioactive material would be scattered a short distance, and small particles further, and possibly dispersed in to the wind.

NPPs are not potential atomic bombs, they are just dirty bombs.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

What we learn from all this is that nuclear power is suicide.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

...and I was under the impression that a cold shutdown was already achieved. Maybe "cold shutdown" has a different meaning here?

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

@Farmboy

Thanks for clarifying.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Here's what we're going to hear if and when things continue to get worse:

Tanigaki: We demand that PM Noda dissolve the Lower House and call a general election to let the people decide if he has handled the issue to their satisfaction or not. If I don't win, I say we call another one after that!

Noda: I was given the impression by the Tokyo Electric Power Company that things were under control and that they had achieved cold shutdown status according to schedule. Hence, my announcement. I was not made aware things were still unstable.

TEPCO: We were given the impression by PM Noda that things were under control and that cold shutdown status had been achieved according to the schedule. Hence, our announcement with PM Noda. We were not aware that things were still unstable.

Edano: Yes, another reactor has blown up, but this will not cause any immediate health threats to the public.

Mayors of small towns around the plant: We have begun again decontaminating everything, so even though we are not forcing you to come home, please do so within the next couple of weeks.

World Community: WTF??

11 ( +12 / -1 )

Smithinjapan,

Spot on that is hilarious, unfortunately it is also sadly true of the state of things when it comes to the circus we know as tepcos mess

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Does anyone think the China Syndrome will occur in Fukushima? If that has happened/will happen, then it's truly all over. What a nightmare.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

According to nuclear experts, there is no technical word "cold shutdown condition". That is the word PM Noda created.

What "cold shutdown condition" could mean:

The water temperature remains below its boiling point because there may be nothing inside but water.

It's possible that the pool of molten fuel rods at the bottom of the reactor's containment vessel had burned a hole.

The molten fuel rods melted through the vessel, dropped on the concrete floor, and possible melted out the concrete floor and reached the grand water that would flow into the ocean.

That is "cold shutdown condition"?!?!?!

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Now I now why the water was so warm in the lake outside Rancho Seco Nuclear power plant in Sacramento, Ca. We used to joke that we would later glow in the dark. I have never had any problems though.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Does anyone think the China Syndrome will occur in Fukushima?

No. It would be more like Brazil Syndrome.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Edano, 'There is no radiation release. There will be no radiation release'.

The lies continue as a torrent of misinformation, deceit and failure. Very sad.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

When the controls are all broken, and the hot and reacting fuel has melted down through the cracks and continues to burn away at the foundations, dropping snow on it would not help one iota.

Not to mention the fact that dropping snow from above would do nothing for the conditions INSIDE the containment vessel. The only thing the snow could possibly cool would be the spent fuel pool, and as far as I know that's not a current concern. The temperatures are rising INSIDE the containment vessel.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

@Fad: The spent fuel pool is without doubt potentially the end of it, if, as it could well do, collapses and spills its poison. Do not dispel the horror of what lies within that badly damaged structure.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

What we learn from all this is that nuclear power is suicide.

Really? How many have died? I must of missed the numerous news posts from around the world of all the people who've died on an annual basis because of nuclear power. The ones who HAVE died are almost to a person from the now-defunct Soviet Union - either due to the Chernobyl fire or the runaway reactor on the Soviet sub. This implies a problem more with Soviet design standards than anything inherent in nuclear power. Yes, the concept of nuclear energy is dangerous, but most countries using it have been able to avoid fatalities so "suicide" is not applicable.

-4 ( +2 / -6 )

Fadamor the SFP ( spent fuel pool ) of 3, 4, 5, 6 are in the news as heating up or leaking. last week TEPCO was looking to remove the Fuel Rods from SFP in reactor 4 and put them in a common use pool. Reports are on http://ex-skf.blogspot.com/ and http://fukushima-diary.com/ and http://enenews.com/

0 ( +0 / -0 )

The ones who HAVE died are almost to a person from the now-defunct Soviet Union - either due to the Chernobyl fire or the runaway reactor on the Soviet sub

The Windscale accident in 1957 is estimated to have caused some 200 cancers in Britain, half of them fatal.

4 ( +6 / -2 )

avigator: Now I now why the water was so warm in the lake outside Rancho Seco Nuclear power plant in Sacramento, Ca. We used to joke that we would later glow in the dark. I have never had any problems though.

Avigator, all electric generating plants need cooling water, regardless of the fuel source (coal, oil, nuclear) except for some forms of renewable energy. If you were swimming near a coal plant the water would have been warm also.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Guess its more of a "luke-warm" shutdown than a cold one afterall.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

@avigator - depending on the design of reactor, there are one or two closed circulating loops for heat transfer and cooling, and unless there are leaks, like at the Hamaoka and Tsuruga plants, and now at San Onofre, the two loops do not mix, so radiation does enter the environment, just heat.

Of course, you rely on the NPP operator and the regulatory authorities to inspect and check the plant and plumbing properly, and monitor the pipes!

1 ( +1 / -0 )

@ Zichi

exactly, you said it all.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

The Windscale accident in 1957 is estimated to have caused some 200 cancers in Britain, half of them fatal.

That may be true, but Windscale was a reactor designed to create weapons-grade plutonium (not electric power) and I was talking about nuclear power, not nuclear weapons. We already know the horrific death toll due to the production and use of nuclear weapons. The statement I responded to was that "nuclear power is suicide."

1 ( +1 / -0 )

European Committee on Radiation Risk http://www.euradcom.org/

Fukushima and Health: What to Expect

The Committee announces the publication of the Proceedings of its 2009 Lesvos conference. For those who wish to know the health consequences of the Fukushima catastrophe, the answers are to be found within this volume and in the radiation risk model of the ECRR.

The data presented to the 2009 conference show the real world effects of living in areas contaminated with the dispersed contents of an exploded nuclear reactor. Twenty five years of studies of people living on the Chernobyl contaminated territories has been enough to quantify in detail the cancers, the heart disease, the loss of lifespan, the congenital illnesses, even the changes in sex ratio, in childhood intelligence and in mental health that follow exposure to radioactive contamination.

More at http://www.euradcom.org/2011/2009confproc.htm

0 ( +2 / -2 )

If anyone is wondering, most people don't use F for tempt, it is most likely C even thou that is a big temp increase its also nuclear related so that stuff well i aint ever cooking turkey's with that degree :0

1 ( +1 / -0 )

That video of "steam" with the bright light ashows the bright light at the corner of R4; you can figure this out from the towers

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Reactor 2 may be over 90℃, A Japanese independent journalist tweeted : What ? I heard that reactor 2 is 95℃. Are they still saying it’s 70℃ ? People inside of Tepco is pressed to say it’s already 95. The heat gauge is not enough, and it has error of 20℃, so they assume the temperature from the amount of smoke as well. but the gauge is actually showing over 85℃, and lot of smoke is coming up. They therefore seem to judge it’s over 95℃. The problem is, the data is not published to the people. However, because a lot of people are wanting to know that, they shouldn’t publish the data maybe. but we have the right to know. It’s difficult.

http://fukushima-diary.com/2012/02/reactor-2-may-be-over-90%e2%84%83/

Yay. link button working

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Livefeed to the reactors at Daiichi http://mfile.akamai.com/127380/live/reflector:51361.asx

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Yubaru, so how much radiation do they produce now? Why can they not make special containers to store and move them to a reprocessing plant? What do they normally do with the rods?

0 ( +1 / -1 )

But.....cold shutdown, right? Can we all agree that they were lying to begin with now?

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

YuriOtani from what I remember reading the spent fuel rod assemblies are put into the spent fuel pool for a number of years or just a year normaly and then they are taken out an bundled then placed into a drycask which is pumped with inert gas and then they a stored into a airtight concrete building to prevent radiation leakage.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I guess it is good. ... out side is freezing...

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

The affects of the Great Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami, and the damage to the Fukushima nuclear power plants, have reached Okinawa, where radiation has now been discovered in food being served here.

King oysters harvested in Nagano Prefecture and served at an elementary school in southern Okinawa have been found to contain 1.12 becquerel of cesium per 1kg. “It is not a numerical value that appears to affect a human body at once,” says Akira Tanahara, an associate professor at the University of the Ryukyus Equipment Analysis Center. However, it’s the first time any radioactive material has been detected in foods in Okinawa, and that’s a concern. Mushrooms were tracked at 500 becquerel per 1kg.

The Saving Children from Radioactivity Committee Okinawa, and a radiation measurement company, Midori-no-Seasar, were offered king oysters served in late November and they requested a inspection. Iodine was not detected during December investigations, but 0.46 cesium 134 was detected, as was 0.66 cesium 137.

Officials say the problem is that mushrooms and edible wild plants absorb cesium easily, and inspections were not conducted until well after the children ate the meals.

1 ( +3 / -1 )

Oh my mistake, I should have just said the Drycasks are then stored in a concrete structure cause it prevents radiation leakage. Thanks Zichi

0 ( +0 / -0 )

This is bad,bad!! The world needs to come down hard on this situation in Fukushima, Japan ASAP!!!

-2 ( +2 / -4 )

But.....cold shutdown, right? Can we all agree that they were lying to begin with now?

No. We can't agree they were lying. They achieved cold shutdown when the got the reactors below 95 degrees C. At this temperature water won't turn to steam so the cooling systems are stable.

What seems to be happening now is that piping changes have allowed the temperature to rise, but if they can keep it below 95 degrees then they are in cold shutdown.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

An Japanese Independent Journalist: Reactor No. 2 temperature actually showing over 85°C, and a lot of smoke is coming up. The heat gauge is not enough, and it has error of 20℃, so they assume the temperature from the amount of smoke as well. but the gauge is actually showing over 85℃, and lot of smoke is coming up. They therefore seem to judge it’s over 95℃.

http://enenews.com/japanese-independent-journalist-reactor-no-2-temperature-actually-showing-over-85%c2%b0c-and-a-lot-of-smoke-is-coming-up

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Utrack,

Who is this independent journalist?? It seems anyone who blogs and tweets are "journalists" nowadays.

-3 ( +2 / -5 )

the independent journalist tweet account is sayakaiurani

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

I know the handle name. I wanted the name as well as his/her qualifications since he/she was able to assess inside the reactor based on visual footage. Thanks.

-2 ( +2 / -4 )

Mr. Koide “There might be somewhere hotter than 100℃”, On the press conference of 2/7 AM, Tepco announced they ended up injecting 1094 Kg of boric acid to reactor 2 though they were planning to inject 960Kg. At this moment, Nuclear Safety Commission stated they need to distribute potassium iodide tablet to the citizens in 30km area or even 50km area for possible nuclear accident. There is a Video of the TEPCO annoucement.

http://fukushima-diary.com/2012/02/mr-koide-there-might-be-somewhere-hotter-than-100%e2%84%83/

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

QomolangmaFeb. 08, 2012 - 12:45AM JST

European Committee on Radiation Risk http://www.euradcom.org/

Despite it's official-sounding title, the ECRR is associated with the European Green Party, not an official body of the EU.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

cleo Feb. 07, 2012 - 10:29PM JST

The Windscale accident in 1957 is estimated to have caused some 200 cancers in Britain, half of them fatal.

Was the estimate just for Britain? The radioisotope release spread over Europe too. If you have access to the scientific paper could you check?

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

Chris Busby Feb. 08, 2012 - 01:48AM JST

That video of "steam" with the bright light ashows the bright light at the corner of R4; you can figure this out from the towers

Of course, the question is: is there anything hazardous in the steam/smoke? Lots of things in industrial complexes release steam or smoke, boilers, generators, heat exchangers...

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

it has error of 20℃

The following is Mr. Koide's assumption.

Probably the fuel is as melted as mud. It's attached to everywhere in the vessel. If they increase the water amount, the mud may move and the new place may get heated again.There are 3 heat gauges in the vessel. When the mud comes near the heat gauge, temperature rises. When other part of mud is away from another gauge, that gauge shows lower temperature. Even robot can't get into the vessel. We can not see inside of the vessel for longer than several decades.

http://fukushima-diary.com/2012/02/mr-koide-there-might-be-somewhere-hotter-than-100%E2%84%83/

Maybe I'm brainwashed by Mr. Koide since I've been following him for quite a while. Any objections/different opinions are all welcome. Thank you.

1 ( +1 / -1 )

If it has an error margin of +-20 degrees, perhaps it's 50 degrees which is in line with the other two gauges.

0 ( +4 / -4 )

Hey the Nuclear Safety Commission stated they need to distribute potassium iodide tablet to the citizens in 30km area or even 50km area for possible nuclear accident. So, Mr Koide is on point. radioactive steam is literally spewing so tough you can barely see reactors 3 and 4 etc.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

If it has an error margin of +-20 degrees, perhaps it's 50 degrees which is in line with the other two gauges.

Yes. As Utrack posted above, Mr. Koide said there might be somewhere hotter than 100℃.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

This is crazy they need to evacuate the area Immediately at least to 50km of Daiichi Now right Now.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Utrack,

Please chill.

Did you bother to read the "source" where Fukushima- diary linked? It's an article from TokyonShinbun stating that the commission is urging to distribute potassium tablet to nearby citizens for possible nuclear accidents in the future.

◆ヨウ素剤、家庭に事前配布を 原子力安全委が提言

1 ( +5 / -4 )

Despite it's official-sounding title, the ECRR is associated with the European Green Party, not an official body of the EU.

It is also on the very same site trying to flog copies of its report from 2009 (380 pages including over 300 colour illustrations! 75 GBP) by claiming that what happened in Chernobyl can be applied to Fukushima to say what will happen in the future. Please - I want information as much as anyone, but let it at least be correct and relevant. Chernobyl and Fukushima were two completely different situations.

-3 ( +3 / -6 )

Honestly Nigelboy don't you think that it is a little late to distribute potassium iodide tablets to the citizens. It's like 11 months after the time they should have been distributed. It's time I think to think about extending the No Go Zone to 50km and evacuating those citizens who are in harms way. But that's just my opinion, I'm not thinking about the economy, I'm just thinking about the people who might be in harms way.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

The temperature is dropping again. Quite a good clicky here: http://dailynews.yahoo.co.jp/fc/domestic/311eq_fukushima_1np/?1328671938

(The red spot is the sensor showing the high temps. Blues show low. You can see a cooling ring and a shower ring.)

0 ( +1 / -1 )

I was surprised by an NHK report yesterday where the news reader said that anything under 80 degrees is considered to be cold shutdown. Everthing I have read so far has quoted boiling, ie 100 degrees as the cut-off point.

Not sure if it was a slip or the introduction of a new redefinition. (?)

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

Probably the fuel is as melted as mud. It's attached to everywhere in the vessel. If they increase the water amount, the mud may move and the new place may get heated again.

Pure speculation. It won't be 'mud' now. It will be completely solid. It has to be over 1000 degrees Celsius to be mud.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

The Mainichi Daily news has an article stating the Temp of reactor 2 is lowering also. I don't know how long it will last but that's what I found after reading nandakandamanda's post.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Pure speculation.

Yes. No one can see what is going on inside. TEPCO and other experts are all guessing with their background knowledge and some data what is probably happening inside.

It won't be 'mud' now. It will be completely solid. It has to be over 1000 degrees Celsius to be mud.

Correct me if I was wrong, but mud is solid, just like baby food in early stage is called solid food, no longer milk (liquid) Meltdown means things melted, but not necessarily becomes liquid. According to Mr. Koide and JNESO simulation, fuel rods could start melting 30 minutes after the accident with the temperature of 2800℃. On May 12, TEPCO admitted the nuclear fuel rods in the reactor are completely exposed and triggered the meltdown.

http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/connectasia/stories/201105/s3216189.htm

The following video shows Meltdown simulation (made by Japan Nuclear Energy Safety Organization)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wwYk62WpV_s&feature=related

Again, Mr. Koide has been repeatedly saying, no one can see what’s happening inside. People including TEPCO and Mr. Koide are just guessing with their background knowledge and available data.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Correct me if I was wrong, but mud is solid, just like baby food in early stage is called solid food, no longer milk (liquid) Meltdown means things melted, but not necessarily becomes liquid.

Yes, but at less than 100 degrees the fuel will be rock hard solid. Not baby food consistency.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Yes, but at less than 100 degrees the fuel will be rock hard solid. Not baby food consistency.

You may be right. Thanks. I think I will ask him if the mud could be rock hard solid. When I get the answer, I will get back to you. Or you could email him, too.

http://www.rri.kyoto-u.ac.jp/index/toiawase.html

0 ( +0 / -0 )

It's the storage pool that is the real scare, always has been since it released the most radiation when it near boiled dry:

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/nn20120208f1.html

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Hey, reactor 1 is heating up also, I just read this in an article posted 5 hours ago on ajw asahi I thought only reactors 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 were heating up.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Honestly Nigelboy don't you think that it is a little late to distribute potassium iodide tablets to the citizens. It's like 11 months after the time they should have been distributed. It's time I think to think about extending the No Go Zone to 50km and evacuating those citizens who are in harms way. But that's just my opinion, I'm not thinking about the economy, I'm just thinking about the people who might be in harms way.

I think you are confused. The commission indicated in the said article was discussing about distributing potassium iodide tablets for future nuclear accidents. For some reason, you assume they are discussing the current status of Fukushima Daiichi and its nearby citizens.

http://www.tokyo-np.co.jp/s/article/2012020701002208.html

2 ( +4 / -2 )

The commission indicated in the said article was discussing about distributing potassium iodide tablets for future nuclear accidents. For some reason, you assume they are discussing the current status of Fukushima Daiichi and its nearby citizens.

Umm, Nigelboy The one paragraph article from your posted link mentions Fukushima 1 like 3 times and there are only 4 sentences in the article. Umm, I don't know what else to say.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Umm, Nigelboy The one paragraph article from your posted link mentions Fukushima 1 like 3 times and there are only 4 sentences in the article. Umm, I don't know what else to say.

Because you're not comprehending the article.

東電福島第1原発事故を受け、被ばく対策の見直しを進める原子力安全委員会の分科会は7日、甲状腺がんを避けるための安定ヨウ素剤を原発周辺の家庭に事前に配布するべきだとする提言をまとめた。深刻な被害の恐れがある原発から半径5キロ圏内を中心に、30キロまでの地域も事前配布の対象とし、やや離れた50キロまでの地域も検討の余地があるとした。

原子力規制庁などが策定する新たな防災指針に反映させる狙いで、安全委が3月までにまとめる見直し案に盛り込む。

福島第1原発事故では、福島県などが準備したヨウ素剤が国の服用指示の遅れでほとんど活用されなかったのを反省。

To sum it up, this particular commission was set up to "review" the safety measures taken after the Fukushima Daiichi accident and to suggest ideas on how to improve and formulate a new strategy on nuclear plant disaster. The operative words here are "見直し”(review) and 事前 (prior), 新たな防災指針 (new disaster prevention guidelines), 反省 (self reflection, in this case, reexamination)

2 ( +4 / -2 )

Nigelboy, this is the translation I received from my translator: Nuclear Safety Commission proposed advance distribution of potassium iodide: East-Fukushima 1 summarization of the recommendations and of the nuclear safety Commission reports received of the accident, further review of the radiation protection Committee should distribute iodine stabilizer to prevent thyroid cancer 7, for the damaged nuclear power plant. The question of that region up to 50 km for areas up to 30 km within walking distance prior distribution for around 5 km radius from a nuclear power plant is inadequate.

 Include the review of the proposals aim to reflect the nuclear regulatory agency, such as developing new prevention guidelines, safety Committee put together by March 2012.

 Fukushima 1 in reflection of potassium iodide for Fukushima, was not prepared for the nuclear power plant accident and was not hardly used because of the delay of the country taking instructions

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

Thanks Utrack.

Now lets get back to your statement.

This is crazy they need to evacuate the area Immediately at least to 50km of Daiichi Now right Now.

It's clearly apparent that Fukushima-Diary that you rely on heavily is a scaremongering anti-nuke blog whose intention is to place fear to those who doesn't have the command for the Japanese language. In this case, their intention was to place immediate fear on the situation at Reactor #2 by misrepresenting the article to look like the commission decided to distribute "potassium iodide tablets" to the current nearby residents of Fukushima.

3 ( +5 / -2 )

But Nigelboy, The translation I have from your link well, maybe with reading fukushima diary to but I wont be lulled until I see further steps from future articles as to what will transpire. But I think Iori Mochizuki from fukushima diary was ill the for like 8 months or so before he left for Austria and he is from Yokohama. I think he just wants the truth to be told and that's why there is a Fukushima diary. He is not a bad person Nigelboy.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

As some other posters have pointed out;there is no solution to the problem at present.

We all know the nuclear industry in Japan never saw this coming or just ignored the warning signs. Thus,there aren't any technologies existing at present to remedy the problems in Fukushima.

When the melted radioactive material can be removed is not known as there are not any systems in place to allow this to happen. Humans,nor any current machinery cannot withstand the high radioactive environments that exist around the plant.There are many robots in Japan but none that can handle the transport ,excavation and collection of reacting radioactive material.

They are yet to be developed......

2 ( +3 / -1 )

I think he just wants the truth to be told and that's why there is a Fukushima diary. He is not a bad person Nigelboy.

I don't think Iori Mochizuki is a bad person, but I'm not sure if he just wants the truth to be told. Some Ustream videos that he brings up are informative, but I wouldn't rely on his comment. He said, "You will die if you are in Japan."

http://fukushima-diary.com/2012/02/dont-try-to-fight-radiation/

He says these things without any further explanation, but "You will die if you are in Japan." simply because Fukushima NPP are in trouble. My question is if "Japan" means from Hokkaido to Okinawa, including further south to Iwo-jima? If so, what about Korea, China, West coast of USA? He doesn't explain that. I always believe it's wrong to draw a border line between countries/prefectures.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

<>Onniyama

One was an old friend of my wife (aged 36 and living in Izumizaki-mura)

I don't know you, but in future it may pay not to post these types of comments unless you know all the facts or post all the facts you know. The man who passed away lost his father about 2 years ago to the same cause, very good chance it is hereditary. I knew these two men very well. I am not syaing the cause is not from Fuku Dai 1 but.... I to have returned to my country and am worried about my wifes family and many friends I have made in the area but lets not make it worse than what it is. In no way am I trying to make this a lecture and I am sorry if I upset you but this post. take car

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Yes, but at less than 100 degrees the fuel will be rock hard solid. Not baby food consistency.

I have received e-mail from Mr. Koide.

This is what he said.

Imagine mud water.Mud can exist at lower than 100℃.This accident occurred with blast blow out of steam and hydrogen, and with water flew with furious speed. Molten uranium fuel did not fall slowly in one place, but more like spreaded out in small piece, and probably still they are flowing around in the water.

泥水を想像してください。 100℃以下ですが、泥は存在できます。 今回の事故はきれいな水が静かに満たされている中で、炉心がゆっくり溶けたり、固まったりしたわけではなく、猛烈な蒸気や水素が噴出したり、水が猛烈な勢いで流れたりしている中で進行しました。 溶けたウラン燃料も一ヶ所にそっと落ちてそこで固まるなどということはありえず、粉々になりながら、あちこちをぐるぐると流れ回ったはずですし、今もそうなっているはずです。                   2012/2/9    小出 裕章

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Reading some of the comments quoting from Japanese sources, it seems too many people relying on machine translation around here. The English is almost incomprehensible.

The original Japanese makes good sense (except for Irori Mochizuki, whose Japanese is pretty disjointed sometimes). If we use computer translation, let's use it responsibly, please.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

After March 2012 if J Govt issues the passing out potassium iodide tablets in a 30 to 50km radius of Daiichi. Then my translation will have been correct.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

zichiFeb. 08, 2012 - 01:35PM JST

Star-Viking,

"Of course, the question is: is there anything hazardous in the steam/smoke? Lots of things in industrial complexes release steam or smoke, boilers, generators, heat exchangers..."

Except this NPP is no longer a normal industrial complex, its a disaster site. Most of the previous plant like you stated, boilers, generators, heat exchangers....... no longer function nor operate.

These things might be operating as part of the cooling/decontamination systems.

0 ( +4 / -4 )

zichiFeb. 08, 2012 - 01:41PM JST

If the temperature was above 100 deg. C, then the level of water would drop rapidly, which would show up on the instrumentation?

Would show up on pressure gauges, might be audible, could disturb the flow rate of water into the reactor. Any breaches would gush steam.

0 ( +4 / -4 )

zichiFeb. 09, 2012 - 12:11AM JST

I don't think it would be a good idea to hand out potassium iodide pills to all those living within, say, 20 km of a NPP. People will be tempted to take them on the basis of some headline or TV news. They are less affective when taken if not needed.

Yes.

It would be good for NPP prefectures to hold sufficient stock.

Apparently this the law, but it does not account for the fact that airborne radioisotopes do not respect prefectural boundaries.

0 ( +4 / -4 )

Dear MaboDofuIsSpicy, Explain to me the difference between the accuracy of Kelvin over Celsius, over Fahrenheit, please, is the one less accurate than the other? Please explain this. None is more accurate, and really, look at the context...look at the data, look at what you are saying...

3 ( +3 / -0 )

nigelboy: "It's clearly apparent that Fukushima-Diary that you rely on heavily is a scaremongering anti-nuke blog whose intention is to place fear to those who doesn't have the command for the Japanese language"

As opposed to what?.... the constant lies, downplaying, and manipulation by TEPCO and the government that has been proven time and again? Instead of having Edano make any press appearances why not just a cardboard cut-out of him -- like the card-board cut out of the police officer they often have at post-offices -- with a little slit where the mouth is and a pre-recorded message saying, "There will be no further release of radtion. There is no harm to human health" on a continuous loop? It seems that's all he says nowadays, and is constantly proven wrong when the next day TEPCO announces further leaks and problems.

-4 ( +0 / -4 )

I think if we survive , we will continue to have problems like this as long as there are politicians doing the bidding of billionaires who are never rich enough. This is what is wrong with a world controlled by the greedy 1% who need the 99% to create their wealth. In America it is reported that there are 14,000 deaths due to radiation from Japan.

-7 ( +0 / -7 )

As opposed to what?.... the constant lies, downplaying, and manipulation by TEPCO and the government that has been proven time and again? Instead of having Edano make any press appearances why not just a cardboard cut-out of him -- like the card-board cut out of the police officer they often have at post-offices -- with a little slit where the mouth is and a pre-recorded message saying, "There will be no further release of radtion. There is no harm to human health" on a continuous loop? It seems that's all he says nowadays, and is constantly proven wrong when the next day TEPCO announces further leaks and problems.

If the doomsayers' predictions who posted here since March came to fruition half of Japan would of died of radiation by now. Hence, these people have been proven wrong "time and again". End of story.

0 ( +3 / -3 )

@almxx: Reported where exactly??? This is not an 'occupy' debate here please, so provide some proper info or bugger off please.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

...and nigelboy. Good work here on this topic, somebody really has to tell people to stop overeacting.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Tha article needs updating. The temperatures stopped rising and have since come down.

Incidentally cameras inside the pool of No.4 indicate less damage than previously thought.

Small consolation, sure, but there is good news among the bad!

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Yes, great work nigelboy!

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

Whoever mentioned about the China Syndrome needs to remove this misperception once and for all like I now have. First it is impossible for the nuclear material to rise back up through the other side of the earth which would be against a very strong gravity! No one knows what is at the core but all my intuition and even science says its fire. If anything would happen at this point then the radiation if not decomposed depending on the temperature at the core would surface as a gas or smaller radioactive particles and that would seep throughout the whole earth just like a sponge that gets wet. The China Syndrome really had to do with the release of radiation into the environment after it passed through the concrete housing. China was not and is not even the antipode of the USA but just the other side of the world for stupid Americans that like me did not learn geography.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Further update. Attempts at cooling are still not working according to the J news. The article above has become true again!

Temps up to 78 or 79 now, and as zichi says above, when it tops 80 degrees (margin of error 20 degrees +/-) it also steps out of 'cold shutdown', since it may in fact be boiling (there at sea level).

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Fukushima local gov requested Tepco to update every 1 hour

90℃ in reactor2. Emergency press conference of NISA [Live] video on Fukushima Diary.

The SFP are no laughing matter, I just read that there is 500 kg of uranium per fuel rod assembly for nulear reactors. Each fuel rod contains 500 grams of uranium and that 600 grams of Plutonium is enough to overdose 6 billion people and that's the earth's population.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Login to leave a comment

Facebook users

Use your Facebook account to login or register with JapanToday. By doing so, you will also receive an email inviting you to receive our news alerts.

Facebook Connect

Login with your JapanToday account

User registration

Articles, Offers & Useful Resources

A mix of what's trending on our other sites