Posted on 03/12/2011 3:42:55 PM PST by Secret Agent Man
It's matter of scale. The typical fission weapon probably has about 20 pounds of plutonium-239 plus some amount of uranium-238 as a tamper/booster....maybe a few hundred pounds.
The reactor core will contain dozens to a hundred or more TONS of fissile and breeding material.
Better hope the geometry of the core doesn't lend to criticality issues. The fact that they're adding boron to the water they're pumping says they're trying to keep the neutron count down.
Thank you, but we don’t have basements in Florida. There are designated shelters in the area, though I don’t know how safe they really are. I bought iodine tablets after 9/11, but don’t know if they are still viable. Read somewhere they don’t expire.
So now we have, maybe, a melt down in Japan. There are no mushroom clouds rising into the air thousands of feet. The radiation will stay close to the ground and most of it, what there is, will go into the sea. We have nothing to worry about here except for liberals trying to use it as another scare tactic.
The only people in danger are the Japanese, but the hysteria on this site is almost unbelievable.
K1 pills? where would I find these?
If they are kept in relatively cool and dry areas in tight containers they can last a very long time. Not much to them.
KI (potassium iodine) pills, you can probably try your pharmacist, they should have some on hand. If not places like “Cheaper than dirt” or perhaps even sportsmans guide carry some for order.
Your local health food/supply store may stock KI tablets too.
Thanks for that informed info.
Good things to consider.
I am just wondering if this may produce something more severe as the actual amount of fuel that can emit radiation is so much bigger than the fuel consumed in the bomb blast.
It’s all hypothetical at this point anyway as far as I know because I haven’t heard of anything going out of control.
That is good to hear. My wife has a cousin working in the Tokyo area. We hope the wind does not blow towards Tokyo from the nuclear reactors. If the wind changes and heads south, please let us know.
http://www.epa.gov/radiation/radionuclides/cesium.html#wheredoes
“How does cesium-137 get into the environment?
Cesium-137 in the environment came from a variety of sources. The largest single source was fallout from atmospheric nuclear weapons tests in the 1950s and 1960s, which dispersed and deposited cesium-137 world-wide. However much of the cesium-137 from testing has now decayed.
Nuclear reactor waste and accidental releases such as the Chernobyl accident in the Ukraine release some cesium-137 to the environment. Spent nuclear fuel reprocessing plant wastes may introduce small amounts to the environment. However, the U.S. does not currently reprocess spent nuclear fuel.
“Although hospitals and research laboratories generate wastes containing cesium-137, they usually do not enter the environment. Occasionally, industrial instruments containing cesium-137 are lost or stolen. Anyone who unwittingly handles them may be exposed. These devices are typically metal, and may be considered scrap metal and sold for recycling. If they find their way into a steel mill and are melted, they can cause significant environmental contamination. They may also be discarded and sent to a municipal landfill, or sold for other reasons. These devices should be considered dangerous. “
My point was that there are numerous sources of Cesium-137 in the environment beside a meltdown.
http://www.nucleartourist.com/basics/hlwaste.htm
“A 1000 MWe reactor has about 100 metric tons of uranium dioxide fuel, of which 3 to 5 tons consist of the fissile U-235.”
Apparently the fuel rods have to crack or open up for the Cesium to be released. The question is what caused the fuel rods to fail. The best answer - They partially melted down. Not a full reactor core meltdown. Just a few exposed rod areas.
Japanese officials have now confirmed partial meltdowns in two reactors. That is where the Cesium came from.
We cannot share your suffering, but we are with you in sorrow, and in spirit pray for your strength and calm.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.