Containing the radiation
A Japanese government spokesman has pledged all-out efforts to contain high-level radiation at the damaged nuclear power plant in Fukushima.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano spoke to reporters on Monday as efforts continued to remove highly radioactive water from buildings at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.
High levels of radioactive substances were detected in a puddle of water at an underground level of a building housing a turbine of the No.2 reactor.
Edano said the Nuclear Safety Commission is assuming that some nuclear fuel may have temporarily melted and come into contact with water in the vessel containing the reactor before leaking out through an unknown route.
Edano pledged all-out efforts to prevent the highly radioactive water from leaking into the ground water or the ocean.
The radiation poses a risk to workers trying to restore the reactor’s cooling functions.
High levels of radioactive substances were also detected in water puddles in the turbine buildings at the No. 1 and No.3 reactors. On Thursday, 3 workers were exposed to high radiation while working in the puddle at the No.3 reactor’s turbine building.
Edano said he has received a report that the radioactive substances are assumed to be either condensed steam from the reactor containment vessel or radioactive substances diluted by the water released into those facilities as part of cooling efforts.
Monday, March 28, 2011 14:12 +0900 (JST)
(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)