Japan: Seawater contaminated near Fukushima; removal of radioactive water inside plant hits new problems

PHOTO, CLICK FOR LARGE: An aerial view from a height of some 1,500 meters (4,920 feet) and distance of more than 30 kilometers (18 miles) from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station, March 29, 2011. From right are the No. 1, No. 2, No. 3 and No. 4 reactors. (REUTERS/Kyodo)

The government of Japan today announced that levels of radioactive iodine-131 in a seawater sample near the Fukushima plant were measured at a concentration of 3,355 times the maximum level permitted under law.

The leak is believed to be ongoing, and to have originated from the cores of nuclear reactors (probably in buildings 1 or 2, if I'm reading this right) where fuel rods have partially melted.

From the English edition of the Mainichi Daily News:

Hidehiko Nishiyama, a spokesman for the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency, said the exact cause of the high iodine concentration remains unknown but that data collected by the plant operator Tokyo Electric Power Co. indicate radiation that has leaked at the site during the ongoing crisis "somehow" flowed into the sea. He reiterated that the polluted seawater does not pose an immediate risk to health because fishing is not being conducted in the evacuation zone within 20 kilometers of the plant and radiation-emitting substances would be "significantly diluted" by the time they are consumed by marine species and then by people.

In related news, workers inside the Fukushima plant are today struggling to drain thousands of metric tons of water highly contaminated with radioactivity from the basements of turbine buildings.

Plutonium in low quantities has also been detected in the earth near the plant, and is presumed to come from "at least one" of the reactors there, according to news reports out of Japan:

"Considering the ratio of radioisotopes, it undoubtedly came from nuclear fuel," said Kazuya Idemitsu, professor of nuclear fuel engineering at Kyushu University.

Boing Boing editor/partner and tech culture journalist Xeni Jardin hosts and produces Boing Boing's in-flight TV channel on Virgin America airlines (#10 on the dial), and writes about living with breast cancer. Diagnosed in 2011. @xeni on Twitter. email: xeni@boingboing.net.

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travtastic

Hey guys! Coal is really dirty! Pick one!
- xian
  
  I pick geothermal!
  - travtastic
    
    Geothermal is still experimental! We have to wait 5,000 years before any technology is capable of powering the grid! Except for coal. And nuclear.
    - entheo
      
      *shhh* don’t tell the Philippines or Iceland where Geothermal power makes up a large part of their electricity generation, or even in New Zealand where its only 10% of their power generation
el_gallo

But Wait!
You’re exaggerating the danger of all of this!
There’s no risk of widespread radioactive contamination!
Stop spreading panic!
The Japanese government and TEPCO have no motivation to lie!
It’s all fearmongering!

/trolls from a couple of weeks ago
Anonymous

“fishing is not being conducted in the evacuation zone within 20 kilometers of the plant”

Have they told the fish they can’t enter or leave the evacuation zone?
- Jack
  
  You know, I was thinking about something similar: Stray pets.
  
  There has to be at least one cat or dog or bird that escaped the disaster and is now a little bit radioactive and wandering around to more populated areas, right?
Xeni Jardin

My favorite comment, repeated several times: “this is trivial.”
- emmdeeaych
  
  In the sense of the 2010′s Edition of Trivial Pursuit that our children will probably beat us at?
- el_gallo
  
  Loss of life and property due to greed, mendacity, short-sightedness and corruption is always dismissed as trivial. I’m waiting for the apologists to pull a Barbara Bush and tell us that “…so this is working very well for [the people forced from their homes by radioactive waste].”
  - Xeni Jardin
    
    good one!
emmdeeaych

“too cheap to meter”, except with a Geiger Counter.
Stefan Jones

Don’t forget “Unlike Chernobyl these reactors have containment vessels, so there’s nothing to worry about.”

Or “This link I found to an article about hormesis proves that radiation is good for you, so shame on you for making people panic.”
- el_gallo
  
  Hormesis indeed! The clouds of iodine, cesium and plutonium will only increase the property values around the plant as people flock to the worlds newest cancer free zone! Huzzah for capitalism! Even nuclear meltdowns spread the magical money making powers of the marketplace.
  
  And now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to fill the hole that formerly contained my faith in humanity with alcohol — before it clogs with bile.
Kaden

Why do you coalburning fanbois hate the environment so much?

Also: No one’s dead yet, what about missing earthquake survivors, and …er… Look! Over there! Something shiny!
JayByrd

Geothermal sounds good for any country on the Ring of Fire. Iceland is working to go energy independent with it. Heck, Japan has 113 active volcanoes — maybe they could cool some down.
Anonymous

But… but… Fukushima will never become a mess like the Chernobyl accident and cleanup, because that was executed by Soviet Russian Robots! This is Japan we are talking about here people! Safer reactors, well prepared, reasoned people, rich country, much more reliable than even our reactors!
- emmdeeaych
  
  That is on of our reactors. GE design. Not to detract from your point.
jphilby

“My favorite comment, repeated several times: ‘this is trivial.’”

My favorite is always “No people have been killed…” or the IAEA’s Chernobyl: “47 workers, 9 children”

1. The industry calculates how many people are expected to die near each plant. Independent investigations are ‘discouraged’. 2. There’s a lot more than people involved: dogs, cats, horses, worms, birds, plants, trees, beneficial bacteria…
awjtawjt

Hey, at least there’s serious talk of robots now. We didn’t have that last week.
- Cazart
  
  There should definitely be more Serious Talk of Robots. But I can’t believe I’m the only one worried about Godzilla.
starbreiz

Someone tell me exactly how scared I should be.
- emmdeeaych
  
  At the moment your fear should be proportional to your distance to the reactor, plus any vague unease caused by similar yet closer reactors currently operating.
  - Cowicide
    
    At the moment your fear should be proportional to your distance to the reactor, plus any vague unease caused by similar yet closer reactors currently operating.
    
    Is that you, Watson?
    
    You’re almost beginning to sound human… almost.
danma

I agree it’s getting uglier, and I’m not happy with what’s happening… but I also don’t think this will end up in a nuclear disaster. That makes me a troll?
- travtastic
  
  What’s your definition of disaster? Michael Bay explosions and mutants?
  - Anonymous
    
    A definition of a disaster is 28,000 people dead or missing. Tens of thousands of homes destroyed resulting in hundreds of billions in damages. That is a disaster.
    
    I am in Tokyo right now. The difference in the level of panic I see on the interwebs versus what I see in the street is a sight to behold to be quite honest.
    
    I always thought those cultural commentaries on the differing Japanese and Western mindsets were overblown. Now I am not so sure.
    - Cowicide
      
      I am in Tokyo right now. The difference in the level of panic I see on the interwebs versus what I see in the street is a sight to behold to be quite honest.
      
      There are some panicky aspects to be found on the “interwebs” on this issue, but then again you can find panic on the interwebs over clowns, anal-probing UFOs and anything else you’d like to seek out.
      
      The truth is, overwhelmingly there’s a very rational search for the truth. And, the truth shall see you free.
      
      Here’s quite a few other people in Japan that might feel quite differently than you, by the way….
      
      Public Anger Against Nuclear Power Mounts In Japan
    - Antinous / Moderator
      
      And large numbers of people dying years early due to an increased cancer rate would also be a disaster. Just because you can’t see something lying in front of you doesn’t mean that it isn’t there.
      - emmdeeaych
        
        But what if you can see someone lying in front of you? What then? Excellent moderation, this thread.
      - travtastic
        
        No multitasking tragedies!
  - danma
    
    No, but something like 28,000 people dead and hundreds of thousands homeless from a giant tsunami… that’s what I’d consider a serious disaster!
Stefan Jones

It’s already a disaster, of the “God-Awful mess that will take years and lots of money to clean up” variety.

This is far better than the “Dozens killed and hundred-year exclusion zone set up” variety, but it isn’t something that can be shrugged off.
awjtawjt

I’m all for MORE Serious Talk of Robots. My friend always calls ‘em “roebits.”
JayByrd

Depending on which way the wind blows, it could give a whole new meaning to PuPu Platter.
Anonymous

Close to 40,000 MW of wind turbines have been installed in about 10 years with tepid support from Bush Jr. and Obama. That is about 40 nuke plants worth. The $36 billion in nuke loans by Obama and Chu if put towards wind would add another 36,000 MW or about 36 more nuke plants worth of power.

How many old dangerous nukes have been taken off line in the last 10 years?

I will tell you how many old nukes would be taken off line if new nukes were built. None, zip, nada. Unless they have an “accident”.

So blame the Greens for not allowing new nukes because that will save us?