Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Crisis in Japan Seen from Korea - Part 6

OK...  It's getting depressing watching what's happening in Japan.  I really hope that the Fukushima reactors can be cooled and safely sealed off as soon as possible.

It has been reported that the unfortunate souls who found themselves standing in a puddle of radio-active water at the Fukushima nuclear plant, thus discovering that some of the reactor cores at Fukushima are probably leaking, did not sustain injuries as serious as initially thought.  But I can't help but wonder what long term effects their exposure to this radiation is going to have on them.

Not to forget that what they discovered is very serious.  Soon after, it was found that water in trenches outside the Fukushima reactor buildings contain radio-active pollution.  At first, it was believed that none of this polluted water had reached the ocean, but it was soon discovered that some of this pollution had indeed reached the sea.  It is difficult to predict the long-term effects of this pollution in the ocean, but some of it could eventually be absorbed by humans, as it may accumulate in fish and other marine organisms that human beings eat.  A marine scientist from Japan indicated that some seafood will have to be screened for radiation to make sure that it is safe for human consumption.  In addition, the polluted water at Fukushima is slowing down the process of re-establishing the damaged reactor's automatic cooling systems.  And it has also been reported that, to prevent them from overheating, it is necessary to keep watering the plant's reactors, even if radio-active materials are carried out of them by the water that is used to cool them.  This means that there is a risk of further runoff of radio-active pollution into the environment.

It has also been reported that plutonium has been found in the soil near the Fukushima plant, but that "the level detected is the same as that found in other parts of Japan", and "does not pose a threat to human health".  So, has the Fukushima disaster caused plutonium pollution in the soil throughout Japan?  Japanese officials are reported to be seeking the answer to this question.

Furthermore, recent news articles have reported that radio-active materials originating from the Fukushima plant may have been carried by air currents all the way to the United StatesSuch materials have also been identified in Korea.  Specifically, radio-active iodine-131 has been sampled at radiation monitoring stations throughout Korea, in concentrations that could emit 1 / 30,000th of the maximum recommended yearly exposure of human beings to radiation.  The concentration was reported per cubic meter of air, and according to Wikipedia, a typical human being breathes 11,000 liters of air per day, which is equivalent to 11 cubic meters of air per day.  Therefore, in order for a person to be exposed to the maximum recommended yearly exposure of radiation, he or she would have to breath this contaminated air for about 30,000 / 11 / 365 = 7.5 years.  Thankfully, the half-life of iodine-131 is of approximately 8 days.  Therefore, the concentration of iodine-131 in the air should fall to natural levels well before the passing of the 7.5 years required for a person to be exposed to the maximum recommended yearly dose.

In addition to causing radio-active pollution on a global scale, the crisis at Fukushima has had social and political ramifications.  In Germany, many Green Party politicians were recently elected, including the first Green Regional Minister President in Germany's history.  Some believe that this Green turn in German politics is partly the result of the German people's reaction to the Fukushima disaster.  Furthermore, Japan is reconsidering its reliance on nuclear energy as a result of what is happening at Fukushima.


On a more philosophical note, though not a cheery one, the health concerns arising as a result of the radio-active pollution emanating from the Fukushima reactors are at root the result of the possibility that, in some cases, a single atom can trigger the chain of events that culminate in a person's death.  Is this going to be my fate?  If so, have I already encountered the atom that will eventually cause my death?  If not, can I do anything to avoid encountering it, to miss my Appointment in Samara?

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