In case you've forgotten Fukushima

SUBHEAD: Large areas of oceans contaminated by plutonium. Build-up in biosphere a considerable hazard to humans. 

By Admin on 26 March 2015 for ENE News -
(http://enenews.com/govt-expert-fukushima-emitted-67000-times-plutonium-241-japan-atomic-bomb-fallout-nuclear-lab-events-fukushima-resulted-plutonium-contamination-large-areas-oceans-officials-molten-fuel-particle)


Image above: Tsunami wave generated by the Tohoku Earthquake on 3/11/11 overwhelms and crumbles defensive seawall at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in Japan. From (http://www.theguardian.com/world/gallery/2011/may/20/japan-earthquake-and-tsunami-japan).

Taeko Shinonaga, head of Radioanalytical Laboratory at Helmholtz Zentrum Munchen (research institution founded jointly by Germany’s Federal Ministry of Education & Research and Bavaria’s Finance Ministry), scientists from Technische Universitat Munchen (Germany), Verhandlungen der Deutschen Physikalischen Gesellschaft 2013 meeting (emphasis added): Detection of long-lived plutonium isotopes in environmental samples by Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS) —  

Plutonium isotopes 239Pu, 240Pu and 242Pu are anthropogenic radionuclides emitted into the environment by nuclear activities. Plutonium is accumulated in the human body and hence, poses a considerable hazard to human health. Due to the long half-lives, these isotopes are present in the biosphere on large time scales and a build-up can be expected.

Therefore it is important to study the contamination pathway of Plutonium into the drinking water… a method to detect long-lived Plutonium isotopes by Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS) is being developed. AMS requires only few milligrams of sample material…

Consequently, more samples from different locations can be taken which is essential when searching for locally increased Plutonium concentrations as in the Pacific Ocean after the Fukushima accident… Samples from different locations in the Pacific Ocean and from the snow-hydrosphere are planned…

Presentation by Taeko Shinonaga, head of Helmholtz radioanalytical lab (pdf), Nov 2014:  Comparison of activity between [nuclear bomb testing] fallout Plutonium particle and Fukushima origin Plutonium particle:

Global Nuclear Bomb Testing Fallout of Plutonium in Japan [GF]
> Plutonium 240: 1,360 Bq
> Plutonium 241: 645 Bq
> Total: 208,005 Bq

Total Fukushima Daiichi Released Plutonium in our study
>  Plutonium 240: 197,000 Bq [145 times GF]
> Plutonium 241: 43,700,000 Bq [67,752 times GF]
> Total: 44,061,000 Bq [212 times GF]

Scientists from Lawrence Berkeley National Lab and Univ. of Notre Dame, 2014:  Interstitial incorporation of plutonium into a low-dimensional potassium borate… [E]vents such as the catastrophe at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant in Japan [have] resulted in the contamination of large areas of oceans, ground-water, soils, and sediments by actinides, such as uranium and plutonium… migration of actinides [is] an important environmental concern…

 Knowledge of the incorporation mechanisms of actinides into… natural materials is therefore required… for predicting the migration of radionuclides…

European Commission Joint Research Centre (pdf), 2014: [The Joint Research Centre] is studying emerging safety issues…examining mixed oxide (MOX) properties [and] preparing further severe accident studies on specific aspects of the Fukushima accident [such as] off-vessel fuel-concrete interactions…

Japanese Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) selected a JRC-developed method as one of the most suitable approaches to characterise [Fukushima's] molten fuel…

This characterisation is an international obligation during the decommissioning phase, according to IAEA safeguards.

Japanese researchers are now developing and optimizing the methodology to quantify special nuclear materials in particle-like debris of the molten reactor fuel.

See also:
Ea O Ka Aina: Fukushima - the end of nuclear power 3/13/15
The continuing nightmare of th core melt-thoughs at Fukushima Daiichi will go on past your lifetime.

Ea O Ka Aina: Where is the Fukushima Data? 2/21/15
Looking into a bit of background about the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant disaster. 

Ea O Ka Aina: Fukushima MOX fuel crossed Pacific 2/4/15
West Coast and Hawaii were hit by radioactive plumes of uranium/plutonium from Fukushima.

Ea O Ka Aina: Fukushima worst human disaster 1/24/15
Education ministry survey states obesity a growing problem among children in Fukushima.

Ea O Ka Aina: USS Ronald Reagan & Fukushima 12/15/13 USS Reagan was close to the meltdowns. Sailors and even their children have been seriously injured.

Ea O Ka Aina: Fukushima chronic radiation 10/31/14
Plants outside the exclusion zone are getting of chronic radiation that the Japanese choose to ignore.

Ea O Ka Aina: Tsunami, Fukushima and Kauai 3/9/14
How did it Affect Kauai? What Debris Came to Kauai? Was anything radioactive?
.