Nuclear Reactor Meltdown has Occured

[Icu4dzs]

Speaking of environmental impacts, has anyone seen any explanation of where the seawater they're continually adding to the reactor is GOING?

I am totally not understanding whether a) it is a one-way flow and after getting heated up by the reactor fuel it is swooshing out to sea; or b) it is just being used to replenish what's getting boiled away (thus, it is what's ending up as steam releases), or c) both of the above, or d) something else?

I would be happier -- speaking as an aquatic (*intended* to be marine, but got distracted <g>) community ecologist, as well as generally being an inhabitant of the planet and rather fond of all the various bits of it -- if I knew for sure that it was neither (a) nor (c).

Anyone seen any clarification of this in the news?

Pat

The sea water is being pumped to cool the reaction but is terribly corrosive and that is the reason they ordinarily will NOT use it. It becomes steam immediately because of the temperature of a nuclear fire. It is NOT mixed with the reactor contents as such but destroys the reaction vessel.
As for the situation, it is NOT as bad as the MSM is making it seem in this country because our MSM loves to keep people terrified.

The people of Japan are right to be concerned by this but that level of concern should be tempered by the true severity. This was not a thermonuclear weapon discharge. The two are COMPLETELY different. You also might benefit from being more educated to nuclear power than "just concerned" because it would temper your approach.

The environment is EVERYONE's Concern. However, the situation was the result of an otherwise "natural" phenomenon...not an intentional attempt to destroy life on earth. The two have vastly different outcomes and severities. Radiation decays with time. This will be true here as well. Until that happens however, the MSM will continue to hype this up and attempt to use it to keep every one terrified. There is no need for terror. Careful management will result in a safe and satisfactory outcome not only for the Japanese people but for the world in general. It is interesting to note that the Japanese people are the ONLY people in the world who have experienced nuclear disaster. They have experience no one else even comprehends...no thanks to a number of reasons.

They endured and came out of the last one and they will do fine after this one. What is important is to stop being reactionary and take some positive steps to assist them in their time of need.

Fighting among ourselves will do nothing to help anyone.
YMMV

 

[FarmerDenise]

Speaking of environmental impacts, has anyone seen any explanation of where the seawater they're continually adding to the reactor is GOING?

I am totally not understanding whether a) it is a one-way flow and after getting heated up by the reactor fuel it is swooshing out to sea; or b) it is just being used to replenish what's getting boiled away (thus, it is what's ending up as steam releases), or c) both of the above, or d) something else?

I would be happier -- speaking as an aquatic (*intended* to be marine, but got distracted <g>) community ecologist, as well as generally being an inhabitant of the planet and rather fond of all the various bits of it -- if I knew for sure that it was neither (a) nor (c).

Anyone seen any clarification of this in the news?

Pat

We were wondering the same thing.

I also am concerned about the petrolium plant(s) that are burning. That is some nasty pollution. You know we would hear much more about that, if it wasn't for the reactors.

At this point I am not overly concerned for myself as to what has happened with the reactors. I am concerned about the people in Japan and the extended damage to the environment.

On the other hand I don't trust our government, reporters or any other government to be truthful with us. I think reporters must be getting training in how to sound panicked, so as to make the whole thing more exciting, so we all watch and get caught up in it. This is why I prefer to search the internet and get my news that way. At least I don't have to hear the reporters' excited panic inflicting voices.
Governments will always try to keep the people calm and not let us know what is going on until it is too late to really do something. JMO

Living on the left coast, I decided I would rather be safe than sorry and went out yesterday and got the last bottle of kelp at our store. Local stores are sold out of potassium iodine. I also am going to the farm store and get kelp for our animals, especially the goats. If there is fallout, our ground would be contaminated anyway. This happened in Europe, after Chernobyl.

We are going to take the recommended dose of kelp, in order to load our thyroid with good iodine. Just in case those reactors do end up in total meltdown, I would rather have some protection, than do nothing. The thing is, that you thyroid needs to be filled to capacity with good iodine, so it won't take up the radioactive iodine.
For the sake of spending $15, I bought myself and my close family a bit of peace of mind. Back in the days when I had a good job, I used to take kelp supplements anyway. So did SO.
I just want to be prepared. Not panicked!

We are also going to take this as a reminder to refresh our emergency preparedness kit. Which we do periodically anyway.

 

[Icu4dzs]

Speaking of environmental impacts, has anyone seen any explanation of where the seawater they're continually adding to the reactor is GOING?

I am totally not understanding whether a) it is a one-way flow and after getting heated up by the reactor fuel it is swooshing out to sea; or b) it is just being used to replenish what's getting boiled away (thus, it is what's ending up as steam releases), or c) both of the above, or d) something else?

I would be happier -- speaking as an aquatic (*intended* to be marine, but got distracted <g>) community ecologist, as well as generally being an inhabitant of the planet and rather fond of all the various bits of it -- if I knew for sure that it was neither (a) nor (c).

Anyone seen any clarification of this in the news?

Pat

We were wondering the same thing.

I also am concerned about the petrolium plant(s) that are burning. That is some nasty pollution. You know we would hear much more about that, if it wasn't for the reactors.

At this point I am not overly concerned for myself as to what has happened with the reactors. I am concerned about the people in Japan and the extended damage to the environment.

On the other hand I don't trust our government, reporters or any other government to be truthful with us. I think reporters must be getting training in how to sound panicked, so as to make the whole thing more exciting, so we all watch and get caught up in it. This is why I prefer to search the internet and get my news that way. At least I don't have to hear the reporters' excited panic inflicting voices.
Governments will always try to keep the people calm and not let us know what is going on until it is too late to really do something. JMO

Living on the left coast, I decided I would rather be safe than sorry and went out yesterday and got the last bottle of kelp at our store. Local stores are sold out of potassium iodine. I also am going to the farm store and get kelp for our animals, especially the goats. If there is fallout, our ground would be contaminated anyway. This happened in Europe, after Chernobyl.

We are going to take the recommended dose of kelp, in order to load our thyroid with good iodine. Just in case those reactors do end up in total meltdown, I would rather have some protection, than do nothing. The thing is, that you thyroid needs to be filled to capacity with good iodine, so it won't take up the radioactive iodine.
For the sake of spending $15, I bought myself and my close family a bit of peace of mind. Back in the days when I had a good job, I used to take kelp supplements anyway. So did SO.
I just want to be prepared. Not panicked!

We are also going to take this as a reminder to refresh our emergency preparedness kit. Which we do periodically anyway.

PREPARED PREVENTS PANIC

 

[TanksHill]

None of this helps me.

 

[patandchickens]

It is NOT mixed with the reactor contents as such but destroys the reaction vessel.

Are you certain about that? (e.g, references?). What I have read is that this type of reactor normally uses light water as both a coolant *and* moderator, and that water *is* swishin' right around the fuel and gettin' radioactive, with a heat exchange system elsewhere on the plant being used to dump the heat and then recirculate the same water to continue cooling the reactor.

Obviously the reactor is not being operated normally right now; what is unclear to me is whether the seawater is being substituted for the heat-exchange water or (as it sounds kind of like to me, given that they've talked about having added boron to it as a moderator) swishin' the seawater right in amongst the fuel rods the way the light water was previously being used.

As for the situation, it is NOT as bad as the MSM is making it seem in this country because our MSM loves to keep people terrified.

I actually have no idea what "the MSM" is and am not getting my information very much from US media.

And not even remotely "terrified", that is an odd word to use.

I am intelligently concerned, most of all because despite the ever-changing stream of happy proclamations that there is really nothing wrong and it won't get worse, it is pretty well agreed by the international atomic-energy community (and, apparently, the Japanese PM as well) that we do NOT have full info on what has happened, and furthermore stuff is continuing TO happen and change.

You also might benefit from being more educated to nuclear power than "just concerned" because it would temper your approach.

You might benefit from not making assumptions about peoples' "education" level on the subject.

My question was legitimate and 'informed', and has still not been answered to a degree that satisfies me.

However, the situation was the result of an otherwise "natural" phenomenon...not an intentional attempt to destroy life on earth. The two have vastly different outcomes and severities.

Yeah, no kidding, nobody has said otherwise, why would you even bring this up?

It was also not the result of a) contagious disease, b) a misspelling, c) a mass suicide attempt on the part of the Japanese people, or presumably d) evil space aliens.

What does that have to do with it?

Radiation decays with time. This will be true here as well.

Uh, yes well. WHAT time depends on what sort of radioactivity problem one has -- if the fuel itself should be exposed to the environment, that is a rather different kettle o' fish.

The people still unable to live near Chernobyl are probably not especially comforted that *eventually* it will all be ok again.

It is interesting to note that the Japanese people are the ONLY people in the world who have experienced nuclear disaster.

I guess it depends what you call disaster.

By my way of thinking, Chernobyl counts (and although the only people who actually died of radiation poisoning were Russians, primarily plant workers and those who went in to try to stop the thing up, the long-term affects are spread over a number of European and Scandinavian countries, not to mention short term effects like "ok, nobody eat any of your own vegetables or drink milk from animals in this country for the next year")

They endured and came out of the last one and they will do fine after this one. What is important is to stop being reactionary and take some positive steps to assist them in their time of need.
Fighting among ourselves will do nothing to help anyone.

Look, there is probably something in the world that you think is dangerous to the point of not oughta be being done, yes? I don't know what things are in that realm for you -- legalizing addictive drugs? getting rid of any speed limits on highways? pumping untreated industrial effluent into rivers? -- but there must be some things.

If you speak up advocating that those things not be done, is that "fighting among ourselves" or "being reactionary"?

No.

It isn't when other people do it either, even if they happen to have different opinions than you.

FOr what it's worth, my opinions on this subject really have nothing to do with the situation in Japan, they were formed long since (because I *have* "educated myself" on the subject), it is merely that the subject has come up in CONVERSATION at present, for obvious reasons.

Pat

 

[Wannabefree]

It is obvious everyone has differing opinions here so I will just say this. Take precautions, and don't worry yourselves into a heart attack over this. What's done is done, and we pretty much aren't going to get the FULL truth until this is all over and history...kinda like everything else we really on governments to inform us about :/ I got my family some iodine today...the last bottle actually and we're prepared. Is everyone else? I think that's what this thread started about

 

[FarmerChick]

GO PAT!!

 

[FarmerChick]

None of this helps me.

Don't worry Gina
all will be fine.......don't panic over anything just yet because the extent of all this is unknown right now.

I will throw you some good luck to you --OK?? lol

 

[TanksHill]

yeah it good for all you to say, "Hey let's just sit back and wait!". But it's gonna hit us first.

 

[FarmerDenise]

TanksHill, that is why I went out and got the kelp. It contains iodine. It is a good supplement any time and it makes me feel better knowing we can do something to protect my family's health. I cannot do anything for our soil, if things get really bad, but at least I am doing something. In any case the stuff has a looong way to travel before it reaches us on the west coast of the US. It is much more likely to end up in the ocean.
I just feel a little better by taking the kelp containing the iodine. There is really not much more anyone can do.