[ RadSafe ] Fukushima released 13, 000, 000, 000 times more neutrons than initially estimated -- "Obvious implication for human health"

[Mattias Lantz]

5.2*10^21 slow neutrons per square metre and second is the same as 
5.2*10^17 slow neutrons per square centimetre.
A light water reactor running at full power has a maximum neutron flux 
up to 10^13 slow neutrons per square centimetre, maybe up to 10^ 14.
Quite fascinating to have a reactor where the neutron flux increases by 
a factor 5000-50 000 when being shut down. To postulate that there may 
be a critical configuration in the molted core is ok, but it would not 
lead to a neutron flux even near the flux at full power, and certainly 
not anything above it.

I wonder what they were smoking when they did the calculations, it'd 
better be good.
Here is their article, by the way, enjoy!
http://www.terrapub.co.jp/journals/GJ/pdf/4604/46040335.pdf

Best wishes,
Mattias Lantz



On 01/14/2015 02:56 PM, Roger Helbig wrote:
> Is there really any obvious implication for human health?  Thanks.
>
> Roger Helbig
> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> Fukushima released 13,000,000,000 times more neutrons than initially
> estimated -- "Obvious implication for human health"
>
> by dunrenard
>
> We estimated a lower limit of 5.2 × 1021 slow neutrons m-2 sec-1 [m-2
> sec-1 = per sq. meter per second] were emitted from the nuclear fuel
> rods to the sea water injected in the reactors
> Priyadarshi et al. (2011) have estimated a release amount of 4 × 1011
> slow neutrons m-2. The large difference with our estimation
> [13,000,000,000 times higher] comes from the intrinsic limit of the
> box model study by Priyadarshi et al.
> Our model directly estimates the amount of material released from the
> reactor core
> The estimated... number of neutron represent a lower limit of the amount
> of radiation emitted from the nuclear reactors... These values can be
> used as a proxy to the total amount of radiation emitted since the
> melt down
> [The authors] express their gratitude to... the Japanese Ministry of
> Environment...Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, and Technology
> (MEXT)... [and] the Cabinet Office
>
> Source:  Scientists from Tokyo Institute of Technology, U. of
> California San Diego & Kyushu U., made available Oct 16, 2014
>
> http://www.researchgate.net/publication/253330134_An_estimation_of_the_radioactive_S-35_emitted_into_the_atmospheric_from_the_Fukushima_Daiichi_Nuclear_Power_Plant_by_using
>
> _a_numerical_simulation_global_transport
>
> Evidence of neutron leakage at the Fukushima nuclear plant... Despite
> the obvious implication for human health and the surrounding ecology,
> there are no quantitative estimates of the neutron flux leakage... Heat
> must be removed by cooling the system to prevent... meltdown, which
> results in injection of neutrons and other fission products into the
> atmosphere... [T]ons of seawater were used as a coolant... A consequence
> is that salts and minerals present in seawater become radioactive by
> reaction with thermal neutrons... We calculated the total number of
> neutrons that leaked from the reactor core [and] estimate that a total
> of 4 × 1011 neutrons per m2 were released before March 20.
>
> Source:  Priyadarshi et al.:
>
> http://www.pnas.org/content/108/35/14422.full
>
> Slow Neutrons: "In water-cooled reactors like the ones at Fukushima,
> the right combination of slow neutrons and enriched fuel leads to a
> self-sustaining process... [Water] acts as a so-called moderator,
> slowing down the neutrons and keeping the reaction going."
>
> Health effects of neutron radiation:
>
> Wikipedia: [Neutron] radiation is considered to be the most severe and
> dangerous radiation to the whole body when it is exposed to external
> radiation sources [and] roughly ten times more effective at causing
> biological damage compared to gamma or beta
> Dr. Robert Gale, MD (In 2011 Gale was called to Japan to deal with
> medical consequences of the Fukushima disaster): All  three  types  of
>   particles... can  harm humans. Neutrons are the most dangerous because
> they are very energetic, can penetrate deeply, and deposit large
> amounts of energy into tissues.
> US Nuclear Regulatory Commission: Neutrons... have an exceptional
> ability to penetrate other material... neutrons are the only [type of
> ionizing radiation] that can make objects radioactive... neutrons can
> travel great distances in air.
> Dept. of Health & Human Services: Neutrons... are significantly more
> potent carcinogens [and] induces... chromosomal aberrations, mutations,
> and DNA damage... more efficiently
>
> Source: Enenews
>
> http://enenews.com/fukushima-released-13000000000-times-neutrons-initially-estimated
>
> dunrenard | January 14, 2015 at 2:28 am | Tags: Fukushima Daiichi |
> Categories: Japan | URL: http://wp.me/phgse-iFo
>
> http://nuclear-news.net/2015/01/14/fukushima-released-13000000000-times-more-neutrons-than-initially-estimated-obvious-implication-for-human-health/
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-- 
Mattias Lantz - Researcher
??? ?????
Department of Physics and Astronomy
Division of Applied Nuclear Physics
Uppsala University, Box 516
SE - 751 20, Uppsala, Sweden
phone:  +46-(0)18-471-3754
cell:   +46-(0)730-454-384
fax:    +46-(0)18-471-5999
email:  mattias.lantz at physics.uu.se