Saturday, March 19, 2011

Japan raised the alert level at Fukushima nuclear

The Government of Japan has raised a point level nuclear alert in the central 4 to 5, one point less than the IAEA has placed it at level 6. In grade 5, in any case, Fukushima equates to Three Mile Island (1979), the second worst nuclear incident in history after the Ukraine's Chernobyl plant in 1986, which is the only case so far in the world top-level major accident.

Seven fire trucks have begun to shoot 50 tonnes of water onto the pool which houses the fuel rods from the reactor 3, after Thursday Air Force helicopters poured up to 64 tons of water to try to control the reactor temperature most concern to the authorities. This is an unprecedented mission, according to the spokesman of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Yukiya Amano, to cool the reactor, while trying to revive the power to external cables to help the cooling system.

According to the last appearance government spokesman, the situation in the reactor is stable. Is still pouring water on the 3 and also raises it to 1, which try to bring energy. Moreover, the radiation levels are still high, but not harmful to health, although the prime minister has already warned that the situation remains very serious.

" [Read the last part of the plant] Since last Friday, Japan was shaken by an earthquake and tsunami, we lost all power inside and outside in the reactors of the plant. The cooling systems fail, the reactor began to overheat and Fukushima's nightmare began. The trucks come in shifts to the reactor at intervals of five to ten minutes and spray it with water for several seconds, before leaving again to make way for the next round.

Furthermore, the Tokyo Fire Department is prepared to participate in the mission in Fukushima plant with 30 trucks able to download large amounts of water to high ground and some 140 elite firefighters, rescue specialists are also ready to act. On Friday, Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa reported that army helicopters will not be used again as part of operating performance because the air would be too dangerous.

Given the high levels of radiation are not allowed to stay a long time the helicopters flying over the place. This had to be forced to drain the water very quickly and it became very difficult to find the target, NHK said. However, the levels of radiation from the nuclear plant had fallen on Friday after operations yesterday, according to the Japan Nuclear Security Agency.

Although the situation is complicated in reactors 5 and 6 who have experienced a slight increase in temperature in its pools of nuclear waste. Andrew Graham, scientific advisor to the UN nuclear agency, told reporters in Vienna that the units 1, 2 and 3 of the Fukushima Daiichi central "seem to be fairly stable." However, the expert acknowledged that there is "great concern" about the situation in spent fuel pools of units 3 and 4 of the plant, without giving further details.

Although operations on Thursday succeeded in introducing liquid into the pool, officials believe the central level is still too low and there is the possibility that the temperature rises. Nuclear fuel must be covered with coolant to keep warm. If not, the bars that contain nuclear material (uranium or, in the case of 3, also plutonium) begin to 'melt' until there is a meltdown, with major releases of radioactivity.

It is feared that in some reactors and may have initiated partial melting of the core.

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