It’ll reach the US, but it will be so diluted, it won’t matter. Think about the fact that they have detonated nuclear bombs in the atmosphere. The fall out from those is many times what these plants are leaking.
Dittos!
I am following this fairly closely, but it is hard to figure out what is really happening. So far the actual facts appear to be far better than the media hype is making things out to be. I hope this trend continues.
American Nucler Power
1951-2011
I
American Nucler Power
1951-2011
The anti-nuclear groups are stomping their feet and screaming “NOOOOOO!” at this. They were eagerly hoping for deaths from radiation, and it was stolen from them.
>>> http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/opinions/benson/That's good, because we'll be dealing with the fallout of Obama's Presidency for years to come.
A: It would appear that some of the nuclear fuel in FD1 has melted and released gaseous fission products to the interior of the reactor. These would include xenon, krypton, and iodine. There are about seven isotopes of xenon that are radioactive and would be released in such an incident, with atomic masses of 133, 135, 137, and 138, along with three isomers, 131m, 133m, and 135m. With the exception of the isomers, each of these xenon atoms will decay into cesium and some into other elements past cesium. There is also krypton but its radioactivity and decay products are of less concern.
Xenon itself is not particularly dangerous. It is a noble gas and is not concentrated in the body. Cesium is more of a concern. Here are the seven decay sequences:
Xenon-131m will decay to stable xenon-131.
Xenon-133m will decay to radioactive xenon-133.
Xenon-133 will decay to stable cesium-133.
Xenon-135m will decay to radioactive xenon-135.
Xenon-135 will decay to very mildly radioactive cesium-135.
Xenon-137 will decay to radioactive cesium-137.
Xenon-138 will decay to radioactive cesium-138 and then quickly to stable barium-138.
Of all of these, the decay of xenon-137 to cesium-137 is probably responsible for the most risk, but xenon-137 decays so quickly that the mobility of cesium-137 is limited. I do not think this poses much risk because it can’t get far. The xenon-135 has a longer half-life (9 hours) but decays to a nearly harmless form of cesium (135). I think this poses almost no risk due to the very long half life of cesium-135.
They’re just covering it up. The truth is California’s going to fry. Nancy Pelosi will become a mutant.
I’m not so worried about the radiation. It should dissipate. What bothers me more is that gut feeling that reminds me of the same feeling we all had after 9/11. The feeling that this is a game changer for us all. That the world is about to change even more in terms of life as we knew it.