Big earthquake in Japan

[BobbyCooper]

I've just read this little update here..

'Nowhere near' Chernobyl

A level 7 incident means a major release of radiation with a widespread health and environmental impact, while a 5 level is a limited release of radioactive material, with several deaths, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

Several experts said the new rating exaggerated the severity of the crisis, and that the Chernobyl disaster was far worse.

"It's nowhere near that level. Chernobyl was terrible — it blew and they had no containment, and they were stuck," said nuclear industry specialist Murray Jennex, an associate professor at San Diego State University in California.
Story: Chernobyl tours offered 25 years after blast

"Their (Japan's) containment has been holding, the only thing that hasn't is the fuel pool that caught fire."

The blast at Chernobyl blew the roof off a reactor and sent large amounts of radiation wafting across Europe. The accident contaminated vast areas, particularly in Ukraine and neighboring Belarus, led to the evacuation of well over 100,000 and affected livestock as far away as Scandinavia and Britain.

Nevertheless, the increase in the severity level heightens the risk of diplomatic tension with Japan's neighbors over radioactive fallout. China and South Korea have already been critical of the operator's decision to pump radioactive water into the sea, a process it has now stopped.

"Raising the level to a 7 has serious diplomatic implications. It is telling people that the accident has the potential to cause trouble to our neighbors," said Kenji Sumita, a nuclear expert at Osaka University.

NISA and the NSC have been measuring emissions of radioactive iodine-131 and cesium-137, a heavier element with a much longer half-life. Based on an average of their estimates and a formula that converts elements into a common radioactive measure, the equivalent of about 500,000 terabecquerels of radiation from iodine-131 has been released into the atmosphere since the crisis began.

That well exceeds the Level 7 threshold of the International Nuclear and Radiological Event Scale of "several tens of thousands of terabecquerels" of iodine-131. A terabecquerel equals a trillion becquerels, a measure for radiation emissions.

The government says the Chernobyl incident released 5.2 million terabecquerels into the air — about 10 times that of the Fukushima plant.

[dogsbody70]

Originally Posted by eezy1

no we havent. its been claimed its 10% of what chernobyl was

well in the uk we have been told it is as bad as chernobyl.

[termogard]

Originally Posted by dogsbody70

well in the uk we have been told it is as bad as chernobyl.

Here is an opinion of TEPCO official :

However, Junichiro Matsumoto, a senior official of the utility's nuclear power section, said the total radiation from the Japanese plant could eventually be more than that from Chernobyl if leaks continue.

==Kyodo

[godwine]

Are they increase/expanding the evacuation zone? This is really concerning.

Where is the closest city where they can accommodate the evacuees? I heard some are already moved to Saitama??? Saitama is rather far isn't it?

[GoNative]

Originally Posted by dogsbody70

we have been told that the spead of radiation is now on scale with the chernobyl disaster.

What you have been told is completely and totally incorrect.

Most importantly there has not been a massive explosion like that at Chernobyl. This is important because it means radioactive material will not travel anywhere near as far. Seriously harmful levels of radiation are still only being observed within the exclusion zone.

Also importantly, unlike Chernobyl, the prevailing winds will mean most of the radioactive fallout will fall in the ocean instead of on Japan or other countries. The radioactive materials have not been ejected high enough into the atmosphere for harmful levels to reach across the Pacific.

Whilst it may be possible that eventually the total amount of radiation released from the stricken reactors may reach similar levels of that released in Chernobyl it is not possible that the radiation will reach anywhere the dangerous levels that Chernobyl released in a very short period and which travelled over vast areas of Europe.

A Japanese friend told me tonight that they believe the call for people to evacuate the 20-30km zone is mostly because many of these people have been almost totally housebound since the accident. It's not that radiation levels have increased it's just that these people are not exactly able to get out and live their lives if they stay within that zone.

[JohnBraden]

Originally Posted by godwine

Are they increase/expanding the evacuation zone? This is really concerning.

Where is the closest city where they can accommodate the evacuees? I heard some are already moved to Saitama??? Saitama is rather far isn't it?

Saitama is NW of Tokyo and it may appear as far, but I think there are only small towns and cities between the affected area and Tokyo. I don't imagine small towns can readily accommodate too many people. Larger cities may be more prepared to accept a large influx of population, though I don't believe many have relocated. I think the majority are still at evac centers and are waiting for temporary housing closer to home.

[godwine]

Originally Posted by JohnBraden

Saitama is NW of Tokyo and it may appear as far, but I think there are only small towns and cities between the affected area and Tokyo. I don't imagine small towns can readily accommodate too many people. Larger cities may be more prepared to accept a large influx of population, though I don't believe many have relocated. I think the majority are still at evac centers and are waiting for temporary housing closer to home.

Thats what I thought... my uncle live in Saitama (Omiya) and from what I remember, its actually quite close to Tokyo, so i was wondering why they chose Saitama, there should be other cities around the area (Not within the evacuation limit) thats not as dense as saitama

[TalnSG]

Originally Posted by dogsbody70

well in the uk we have been told it is as bad as chernobyl.

Dogsbody, you need to read the articles inthe Guardian closely. The CURRENT radiation level is not what was raised. It was the analysis of the initial leak that was changed.

"Officials from the nuclear and industrial safety agency (Nisa) confirmed that the crisis level had been raised from five to seven on the international nuclear and radiological event scale.

But they said the new rating reflects the initial impact of the nuclear crisis, adding that radiation levels have since dropped dramatically." (my emphasis)

[Shaelyn]

Originally Posted by godwine

Are they increase/expanding the evacuation zone? This is really concerning.

Where is the closest city where they can accommodate the evacuees? I heard some are already moved to Saitama??? Saitama is rather far isn't it?

The winds are carrying the radiation northwest...so there are pockets of higher levels of radation found in places beyond the evactuation zone caused by the winds, terrain, and precipitation. they've told towns like Iitate beyond the evacuation zone to pack up and prepare to evacuate within a month.

Japanese Officials Expand Evacuation Zone - Graphic - NYTimes.com

Japan expands Fukushima evacuation zone. Will residents ever return home? - CSMonitor.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/13/wo...ewanted=3&_r=1 (page 3)

I don't know where they're evactuating to.

[JBaymore]

NY Times:

"The international agency, which is based in Vienna, said Sunday that its team measured radiation on Saturday of 0.4 to 3.7 microsieverts per hour at distances of 20 to 40 miles from the damaged plant — well outside the initial evacuation zone. At that rate of accumulation, it would take 225 days to 5.7 years to reach the Japanese government’s threshold level for evacuations: radiation accumulating at a rate of at least 20 millisieverts per year."

The above assumes that the radiation dosage level remains the same. Most of the radiation is coming from Iodine... which has a very short half-life. And the radiation escaping the reactor area is decreasing. For comparison, nuclear plant workers are routinely allowed to be exposed to 50 millisieverts a year.

best,

..................john