[ RadSafe ] Japanese Reactors

[WesVanPelt at verizon.net]

They are pumping sea water and boric acid into the Unit 1 reactor!  My guess
is the hydrogen explosion disabled all of the electrical and pneumatic
controls for the reactor core in the containment. This is a real ad hoc
last-ditch procedure to prevent decay heat from melting more of the fuel
rods.

Best regards,  Wes
Wesley R. Van Pelt, PhD, CIH, CHP 
Wesley R. Van Pelt Associates, Inc.  
 




-----Original Message-----
From: radsafe-bounces at health.phys.iit.edu
[mailto:radsafe-bounces at health.phys.iit.edu] On Behalf Of neilkeeney at aol.com
Sent: Friday, March 11, 2011 10:58 PM
To: radsafe at health.phys.iit.edu
Subject: Re: [ RadSafe ] Japanese Reactors


Hey Jeff and Radsafers:

I would hesitate to assign any level of validity to third party data
delivered via CNN unless it is the person translating for the Utility
spokesman, the Incident Commander or a facsimile of the radiological data
from the HpGe analysis documenting the time, place, form and event of the
sample specimen.

Any hyperbole we originate here is likely to be established as indicative of
the opinions of the "Scientific Community".  

For example, if any of you have participated in a refueling shutdown for a
US Light Water Reactor that had experienced a pin-hole leak over the course
of the previous operating cycle, you understand that the halogen series will
likely be present upon breach of any primary system.

While this may be loosely considered to be 'fuel damage', you and and I
understand this to be a nuisance level problem relating to fuel warranties,
problems with TEDE ALARA for the workforce and so forth.  It's an
occupational problem that you simply have to work through as a practical
matter.  The Public doesn't get beyond the phrase 'fuel failure' in their
considerations and, of course, the media are free (it's actually a part of
their license) to hype these things into full blown reality-show
dramatizations...

In this instance, it's possible a RV lifted or a safety lifted somewhere
that yielded this as part of the isotopic mix. 

Prof. Lester may indeed be literally correct in asserting the presence of
I-131 and, actually, I just don't watch the news that much, however, I would
need the specific data on activity level and the origin of the sample
specimen as well as confirmatory indicators prior to adjudicating the
potential of core damage.

Besides... I'm currently in an old RV and don't have a bomb shelter... 

I feel great empathy for them for my fellow nuclear workers in Japan and I'm
rooting for them as I'm sure you all are; let's help them as we can. 

Best Regards,

Neil Keeney
RRPT

-----Original Message-----
From: Jeff Terry <terryj at iit.edu>
To: The International Radiation Protection (Health Physics) Mailing List
<radsafe at health.phys.iit.edu>
Sent: Fri, Mar 11, 2011 9:05 pm
Subject: Re: [ RadSafe ] Japanese Reactors


Hi All, 
I climbed out of the bomb shelter to check out CNN.
Prof. Richard Lester of MIT just reported on CNN that I-131 has been
detected at 
ne of the Fukushima sites. 
 cannot find another report confirming this.  Has anyone else seen this 
eported?
This would indicate fuel failure. 

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