Thursday, March 17, 2011

Radiation soars in Japan 16 times more than allowed

After the explosion in reactor number two at the Fukushima nuclear plant, Tokyo Electric Power (TEPCO), operator of the complex, acknowledged that fears a radiation leak from a possible meltdown. The blast caused radiation levels reached 217 mark eight thousand microsievert (measuring unit of absorbed radiation dose) per hour, ie 16 times the amount recommended for health, which is 500.

Before yesterday's explosion and there were two more blasts in the same plant, though on different days and reactors, but the radiation levels had not been fired much. Also in the province (state) of Ibaraki, southern Fukushima, also detected an increase in air ionization. Despite this, Japan's ambassador in Mexico, Masaaki Ono, said the government has everything under control.

Still, it was ordered the evacuation of residents at least 30 kilometers away from the plant. The Japanese government asked for U.S. help to cool the nuclear reactor damaged by the earthquake of nine degrees that rocked the country last Friday. Kyodo news agency reported that the security holder that protects the heart may have been damaged by the pressure drop inside a result of burning hydrogen.

The same source said the blast occurred at 06:10 hours. The night before the plant's employees were injecting sea water into the container to cool the reactor core and radioactive avoid a merger. Meanwhile, the president of the Nuclear Safety Authority (ASN) from France, André-Claude Lacoste, said the accident in Fukushima level could be five or six on a scale of seven, ie above the level 4 has admitted the government of Prime Minister Naoto Kan.

"I have a feeling we're at least at level five and maybe six, which has exceeded the level of the central U.S. Three Mile Island without going to the Chernobyl , which was seven. " Yesterday, 17 U.S. troops involved in rescue missions for victims of the earthquake in Japan had to undergo a decontamination process after being affected by leakage of radiation from the nuclear plant in Fukushima.

The military flew in three helicopters, about 100 miles from the plant, where radioactive detectors collected aboard nuclear activity. To date no Mexican is among the victims of the earthquake and tsunami Japan, reported the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (SRE), which added that they are trying to locate seven compatriots from whom nothing is known.

"No Mexicans among the victims A team from the embassy try to track down the seven Mexicans who still has not been reported in hostels and shelters. " In a statement, the ministry said that through the Embassy of Mexico in Japan is attentive to the situation of Mexicans living in the affected areas.

The text adds that Mexican rescue squad is already in Sendai, one of the most affected provinces. There are eight search and rescue experts, five dogs and two assessors structures. The Foreign Ministry says he is mindful of the situation in the Fukushima nuclear plant, as well as the evaluation made by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the Japanese authorities.

On the other hand, the Embassy of Mexico in China suggested that the fellow countrymen not to be indispensable presence in the center of the country, to move south, where there is less risk. NTXPrincipalmente iodine and cesium gas. Because the Japanese authorities have evacuated more than two thousand people up to 20 kilometers away from the three nuclear power problems, the risk is primarily for experts and firefighters working in the danger zone.

Isolation, which is very effective while preparing an evacuation, preferably, people must be installed in basements, with doors and windows sealed with tape and turning off any air conditioning and heating. People could get sick in the weeks or months following, or may even experience vomiting within 24 hours, depending on the dose of radiation received.

Bone marrow is the body part that is more damaged after radiation, so it is necessary to hospitalize patients for transfusions. "If the dose is too strong could die," said Patrick Gourmelon, director of radiation protection section of the man in the French Institute for Radioprotection and Nuclear Safety (IRSN).

Gourmelon added that exposure to radioactive elements could cause cancer (in the blood, lung, colon ...) of a gravity "proportional to the absorbed dose." The expert said that just bathing, but recommends not to rub so that the particles do not penetrate the skin. You must also avoid nail biting, smoking and putting hands in their mouths.

The authorities distributed iodine tablets to prevent thyroid cancer, particularly among young people, children, babies and pregnant women. "This product, which is very volatile, adheres literally to the thyroid. If you saturate the thyroid with iodine clean, prevents the radioactive iodine stick, "says Gourmelon.

"If the iodine is applied for 24 hours also works, but only protects about 25 right." Radioactive elements absorbed by the body are also eliminated through the urine. The problem is that it must act in time, preferably one hour before the issue of contaminated particles. At least three nuclear plants face problems in their cooling systems and 11 of the 55 in operation paralyzed their activity to assess damage.

Japan is the third country with the largest number of nuclear plants to have 55 in operation, after the United States with 104 and France with 59, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Since 1973, nuclear energy has become a strategic priority in Japan since the country relies heavily on imported fuels, which represent 61 percent of energy production.

Japanese nuclear plants in turn provide 34.5% of Japan's electricity. 1 .- Fukushima Daiichi (one of the 25 largest in the world in Fukushima Prefecture). 2 .- Fukushima Daini (Fukushima Prefecture). 3 .- Genkai (Saga Prefecture). 4 .- Hamaoka (Shizuoka Prefecture, east coast of Japan).

5 .- Kashiwazaki Kariwa (Niigata Prefecture). 6 .- Mihama (Fukui Prefecture, west of Tokyo). 7 .- Onagawa (Miyagi Prefecture). 8 .- Sendai (Kagoshima prefecture). 9 .- Shika (Ishikawa Prefecture) .10 .- Shimane (Shimane Prefecture) .11 .- Takahama (Fukui Prefecture) .12 .- Tokai (Ibaraki Prefecture) .13 .- Tokai Daini (Ibaraki Prefecture) .14 \u200b\u200b.- Tomari (Hokkaido Prefecture) .15 .- Tsuruga (Fukui Prefecture).

No comments:

Post a Comment