The Cleanup at Fukushima

Daiichi

The BasicsLets briefly clarify a few things

Radiation v. Radiation Contamination

Radiation – particles emitted by unstable (radioactive) atoms

Radiation Contamination – When radioactive isotopes are released into the environment.

Radioactive Contamination & Cleanup

Each atom which emits radiation is capable of damaging your somatic cells.

5 million hydrogen atoms fit on the head of a pin.

So the issue is radioactive particles which are released into the environment.• Dust• Debris• Gases • Dissolved in water• React with water

Or getting those radioactive particles on or in you.

Point is, it’s all about actual, physical, pieces of radioactive material.

“Japanese police, wearing suits to protect them from radiation…”

Nobody Seems to Care

An Example

I lose it, bring a kilo of Iodine-131 for show and tell, and place it in the center of the room.

I do the same thing except this time, it’s Iodine-131 dust.

In the Simplest Sense…

The problem is keeping what is inside the Fukushima Daiichi power plant where it is.

But what’s in there?

Bromine-82Calcium-45Carbon-14Cesium-137Chromium-51Cobalt-58Cobalt-60Copper-64Copper-67 Dysprosium-165Dysprosium-166Gadolinium-153Gold-198Gold-199Holmium-166Iodine-125Iodine-131Iridium-192Iron-59 

Lutetium-177Mercury-197Mercury-203Molybdenum-99Nickel-63Osmium-191Osmium-194Palladium-103Palladium-109Phosphorous-32Phosphorus-33Platinum-195mRhenium-186Rhenium-188 Samarium-153 Scandium-46 Scandium-47Silver-111 Sodium-24 Strontium-89Strontium-90 

Sulphur-35Tellurium-123mThallium-204Thulium-170Tin-113 Tin-117m Tungsten-188 Uranium-235Ytterbium-169 Yttrium-90 Xenon-133  

Bromine-82Calcium-45Carbon-14Cesium-137Chromium-51Cobalt-58Cobalt-60Copper-64Copper-67 Dysprosium-165Dysprosium-166Gadolinium-153Gold-198Gold-199Holmium-166Iodine-125Iodine-131Iridium-192Iron-59 

Lutetium-177Mercury-197Mercury-203Molybdenum-99Nickel-63Osmium-191Osmium-194Palladium-103Palladium-109Phosphorous-32Phosphorus-33Platinum-195mRhenium-186Rhenium-188 Samarium-153 Scandium-46 Scandium-47Silver-111 Sodium-24 Strontium-89Strontium-90 

Sulphur-35Tellurium-123mThallium-204Thulium-170Tin-113 Tin-117m Tungsten-188 Uranium-235Ytterbium-169 Yttrium-90 Xenon-133  

The Scary Ones

Cesium-137

Cesium-137Extremely reactive with water

Absorbed and concentrated in musculature

Reacts with water to form 2CsOH

2CsOH easily dissolves in water

Iodine-131

Readily absorbed by the human body

Stored in the Thyroid

Gamma Emitter

Iodine Pills

Strontium-90

Strontium-90Very similar to Calcium

So it’s deposited in the bones during growth

Nuclear testing increased environmental Sr90 many times over

Bad news for our parents

Radioactive Material at Fukushima

1760 tons of fuel total

Reactor 3 has 90 tons of fuel in it.

Storage pool above Reactor 4 has 135 tons of spent fuel.

Compared to 180 tons total at Chernobyl.

Back to the Problem

How are they going to keep all of that stuff in there?

And who’s “they?”

TEPCO (Tokyo Electric Power Company)

Owns the Fukushima Daiichi Plant.

In charge of the cleanup

Keep in mind, it’s a corporation.

Cleaning up radiation is not exactly a profitable endeavor.

TEPCO has already been bailed out by the Japanese government.

The Issue of Water400 tons of groundwater are pumped into the plant every day

• This water must be stored and decontaminated• Needless to say, stored water is piling up.

Rain water can carry away radioactive materials to the Pacific Ocean.

Recall that 2CsOH is easily dissolved in water.• Dissolved materials are harder to filter out of water.

Additionally, subterranean water flows from the nearby mountains pick up radioactive isotopes which have seeped into the soil and carry them to the ocean.

An Underground Ice Wall

Removing Nuclear Fuel

Operation underway to remove fuel rods from the site

As of yesterday, the first fuel rod was removed from the Reactor 4 cooling pool

If the rods break or strike one another, it could trigger another meltdown

Tons of material

Probably won’t blow up unless there’s a steam explosion

The Mess22 Rem (Assumed) – 22,000194 Excess Cancers

1.5 Rem Average – 40,00024 Excess Cancers

Living in Denver - .32 Rem

Living in America - .62 Rem

Denver + America = .94 Rem

Estimated deaths after 70 years = ~1,500

Tsunami = 19,000 deaths

Linear No-Threshold Radiation Model

25 Rem = 1% increased cancer risk

1 Rem = .1 Sievert

1 Sievert = Onset of Radiation Illness

3 Sievert = LD50

25 Sievert Across a population = 1 excess cancer

Doesn’t consider inhalation or ingestion

Model could also be wrong

International Obligations

None!

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)

International Nuclear Event Scale

Convention on Supplementary Compensation for Nuclear Damage

International Nuclear Event Scale

CSCND Liability Pact

Convention on Supplementary Compensation for Nuclear Damage

In the event of a nuclear accident, places sole liability on plant operator

Indemnifies everyone else

Contracting states then pay out to affected state

Not yet signed by Japan

Not clear if it applies retroactively

Would only distribute funds to the affected state

Domestic Hypothetical

Price-Anderson Act – Indemnifies American nuclear industry while providing insurance for Nuclear accidents.

• $12.6 billion • $151 million paid out thus far

State law claims for punitive damages – • Silkwood v. Kerr McGee, 464 US 238 (1984)