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Gov’t report reveals Fukushima radioactive release much larger than Chernobyl — Japan reactors could have emitted nearly four times as much cesium-137
ENE News
Oct. 20, 2014
Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, funded by the Korean government, July 2014:
- The Fukushima accident [led to a] release of huge radioactivity
- It is reported… 4 times more radioactivity was released to the sea than to the atmosphere
- Best-estimate source term of 137Cs… released into the atmosphere, is about 4%
- Best-estimate release fraction of the 137Cs inventory that flowed into the sea…about 16%
- Of the 4% inventory of 137Cs released into the atmosphere, only 0.8% was deposited in the Japanese land and the other 3.2% was transported to the sea or other areas
- The inventory… available for release in the units 1-3… the time of accident [was] 7.6 – 8.2 x 10^17 [760 - 820 quadrillion] Bq for 137Cs
- Because of the geographic location of the nuclear power plant — at the beach of the Pacific Ocean… more than 80% of the radioactivity released from the crippled reactors flowed into the sea
To determine the best estimate of the total 137Cs that was released into the environment from Fukushima, the 137Cs release fraction (4% atmosphere, 16% ocean) is multiplied by the 137Cs inventory for the 3 melted reactor cores (760 to 820 quadrillion Bq):
- Ocean Release of 137Cs from Fukushima: 121.6 to 131.2 quadrillion Bq (16% x 760 to 820 quadrillion Bq)
- Atmospheric Release of 137Cs from Fukushima: 30.4 to 32.8 quadrillion Bq (4% x 760 to 820 quadrillion Bq)
- Total Release of 137Cs into the Environment from Fukushima: 152 to 164 quadrillion Bq
- Total Release of 137Cs into the Environment from Chernobyl: 70 to 85 quadrillion Bq
However, the 137Cs inventory of 760 to 820 quadrillion Bq used by the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute is significantly lower than the U.S. Department of Energy calculated:
- DOE’s Total 137Cs Inventory in Reactors 1-3: 1.3E+18 Bq (1,300 quadrillion Bq)
- Ocean 137Cs Release from Fukushima: 208 quadrillion Bq (16% x 1,300 quadrillion)
- Atmospheric 137Cs Release from Fukushima: 52 quadrillion Bq (4% x 1,300 quadrillion)
- Total 137Cs Release into the Environment from Fukushima: 260 quadrillion Bq
- Total 137Cs Release into the Environment from Chernobyl: 70 to 85 quadrillion Bq
Published: October 20th, 2014 at 9:16 pm ETBy ENENews |