Fukushima news

“A bequerel means the decay of on atomic nucleus per second. Can anyone translate that into a dosage chart for what starts causing illness and death? On a brief look it's beyond me to say without help.”

--- Mike Ruppert

"A cable trench running under the turbine building of the No. 2 reactor [...] contained 2.35 billion becquerels [per liter] of cesium and 750 million becquerels of other, unnamed radioactive substances, including strontium, that emit beta rays."

Over 15 quadrillion becquerels of radioactive substances suspected in trench that Tepco now admits is leaking into groundwater at Fukushima

Tepco handout showing trench near Unit 2 turbine building

ENEnews,

12 August, 2013

Follow-up to: Tepco: Trench connected to Unit No. 2 is what's contaminating groundwater at Fukushima -- Has extremely high levels of over 3 billion Bq/liter of radioactive substances -- Water is flowing in from reactor building (VIDEO)

Japan Times, August 11, 2013: The utility suspects that groundwater has been contaminated at an underground trench by the sea that is connected to the No. 2 reactor building.

Link TV, August 9, 2013 (Emphasis Added):Tepco advisor Dale Klein: This current leak that they’re dealing with has to do with water that’s located in a trench.

Asahi, July 29, 2013: It is believed that more than 5,000 tons of radioactive water still remain in the pit [trench] after flowing from the No. 2 reactor building to the turbine building and, then, into the pit.

Japan Times, July 28, 2013: A cable trench running under the turbine building of the No. 2 reactor [...] contained 2.35 billion becquerels [per liter] of cesium and 750 million becquerels of other, unnamed radioactive substances, including strontium, that emit beta rays.

Calculation: At least 5,000 metric tons in No. 2 trench = 5,000,000+ liters * 3,100,000,000 becquerels/liter = 15,500,000,000,000,000+ becquerels of radioactive substances

See also: 27 quadrillion becquerels of cesium-137 flowed into sea -- Doesn't include first week of crisis -- 30 times what Tepco claimed

For those like me who have little idea of nuclear science or its terminology:

Explained: rad, rem, sieverts, becquerels

A guide to terminology about radiation exposure

.....

This really ought to be read in conjunction with Fukushima plant spilling contaminated water into the sea 'for years'

Fukushima Workers Exposed to Radiation From Spray, Tepco Says

Businessweek,

26 January, 2013

Ten workers at the wrecked Fukushima nuclear plant were exposed to radiation from contaminated mist used to cool temperatures near a quake-proof building, plant operator Tokyo Electric Power Co. (9501) said.

The workers were waiting for a bus when they were sprayed, according to Tepco, as the Fukushima Dai-Ichi plant’s operator is known. It was unknown how the mist became contaminated, Tepco said in an e-mailed statement.

The workers’ exposure above the neck was found to be as much as 10 becquerels per square centimeter. They were ordered to receive full body scans, which can detect exposure to their inner organs.

The contamination is the latest complication to arise as part of the cleanup of the Dai-Ichi plant, which suffered meltdowns as a result of the March 11, 2011 earthquake and subsequent tsunami. Government officials said last week that at least 300 tons of radiated water was flowing from the plant into the ocean each day.

The workers’ exposure was detected by a radiation monitor, according to Tepco. The mist was turned off and workers at the building were prohibited from using tap water, which comes from the same source as the mist.

Earlier today, Tepco reported that an alarm sounded at a dust monitor near the building, indicating high concentrations of radioactivity. No significant changes to other plant readings were found, Tepco said.