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Old 15th March 2011, 10:10   #46
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re: Earthquake & Tsunami hits Japan EDIT: Nuclear reactors damaged.

Situation looks real bad in Japan, fire at 4th reactor, dont know how they can overcome this nuclear crisis?

btw what will be the effect on India if things go out of hand completely? though i really hope this crisis comes to an end asap.
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Old 15th March 2011, 10:24   #47
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re: Earthquake & Tsunami hits Japan EDIT: Nuclear reactors damaged.

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Originally Posted by lohithrao View Post
Situation looks real bad in Japan, fire at 4th reactor, dont know how they can overcome this nuclear crisis?

btw what will be the effect on India if things go out of hand completely? though i really hope this crisis comes to an end asap.
I read in today's newspaper if there are anymore blast will have its effect in India as well. Its like pacific ocean to Indian ocean connection and its not just India all the south east Asian countries do get affected.
Article says that the radioactive material is being cooled by carpeting with sea water and they shouldn't send that water back to sea rather contain and quarantine it. Even if by mistake that water comes back to sea it will travel all around causing radio active exposure sickness to sea lives which in turn affect the people when consume them.

Source: Dinakaran.com

Last edited by Reisender : 15th March 2011 at 10:26.
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Old 15th March 2011, 10:35   #48
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re: Earthquake & Tsunami hits Japan EDIT: Nuclear reactors damaged.

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The emergency pumps were not working since the backup generators were washed away in the tsunami. This is what i heard from news. I dont think japan takes their nuclear reactors lightly, but there was nothing they could do in the face of this calamity.
A Japaenese nuclear scientist warned the government in 2007 that such incident would happen in the near future, but was ignored. If that isn't taking it lightly then what is. The Japanese were aware of the risks, but the electricity company did not make provisions.
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Old 15th March 2011, 12:23   #49
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re: Earthquake & Tsunami hits Japan EDIT: Nuclear reactors damaged.

Reached the level of reaction :(

BBC News - Japan quake: Radiation rises at Fukushima nuclear plant
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Old 15th March 2011, 17:48   #50
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re: Earthquake & Tsunami hits Japan EDIT: Nuclear reactors damaged.

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A Japaenese nuclear scientist warned the government in 2007 that such incident would happen in the near future, but was ignored. If that isn't taking it lightly then what is. The Japanese were aware of the risks, but the electricity company did not make provisions.
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When the atomic bomb was dropped, they told troops to wear white cloths and that will keep the radiation away (saw on discovery channel).
Dont trust the govt.

I have been getting sms's and mails from yesterday saying "japan Government confirms radiation leak at fukishima nuclear plants. Asian countries should take necessary precautions. Remain indoors first 24 hours. Close doors and windows. Swab neck skin with betadine where thyroid area is, radiation hits thyroid first. Radiation may hit Philippines starting 4:00Pm Today"

Is there any point to this.. I searched bbc, but could find a definite picture.
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Old 15th March 2011, 18:21   #51
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re: Earthquake & Tsunami hits Japan EDIT: Nuclear reactors damaged.

You are getting sms'es in India? its effect should be within 20 or 30 kms right now. Dont think it will impact India. The wind direction will be blowing away from the coast towards east for next couple of days.

There is now a added risk of the spent fuel rods also running out of cooling and since they are in open the radioactive release would be even more dangerous than the ones inside the damaged reactors.

Quoting NY times (http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/16/wo...16fuel.html?hp )

"A 1997 study by the Brookhaven National Laboratory on Long Island described a worst-case disaster from uncovered spent fuel in a reactor cooling pool. It estimated 100 quick deaths would occur within a range of 500 miles and 138,000 eventual deaths.

The study also found that land over 2,170 miles would be contaminated and damages would hit $546 billion"

Scary Nuclear power! I hope this brings the safety of reactors into serious consideration and management of same will see a dramatic change towards safety

Last edited by srishiva : 15th March 2011 at 18:33.
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Old 15th March 2011, 22:31   #52
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re: Earthquake & Tsunami hits Japan EDIT: Nuclear reactors damaged.

Guys, that SMS thingy is a hoax. It's not affecting our motherland, atleast as of now.
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Old 16th March 2011, 07:00   #53
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Re: Earthquake & Tsunami hits Japan EDIT: Nuclear reactors damaged.

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Originally Posted by DRIV3R View Post
Guys, that SMS thingy is a hoax. It's not affecting our motherland, atleast as of now.
Thats right. Always refer to news websites like (e.g.; www.bbc.co.uk) for credible information. We got an sms here saying that the radiation will impact PH by 4pm GMT yesterday. Some accelerated thoughts, I must say
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Old 16th March 2011, 08:09   #54
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Re: Earthquake & Tsunami hits Japan EDIT: Nuclear reactors damaged.

God knows who start these hoax sms's and what they'll get it out of these. I got this sms today and warns to be extra cautious for the first 24 hours(no mention of any dates), i.e., "Today" for me. The SMS asks to forward to everyone, and as long as this sms keeps doing the rounds, its always "Next 24 hours" for the one who receives it(even after 10 days, ? ). Mobile companies might be making good money with these hoax sms doing rounds.
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Old 16th March 2011, 09:36   #55
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Re: Earthquake & Tsunami hits Japan EDIT: Nuclear reactors damaged.

I have worked at reactors (of the research variety) for five years. So ehre is my tuppence worth.

No.4 is essentially a storage facility and not a reactor (at least at this time). All water boiled off (a storage is fuel rods, in a deep pool of water). There was a fire. No.1,2,3 and 5 & 6 were working reactors. The blasts in nos. 1,2 and 3 were essentially the vented Hydrogen going off and now it is steam. No. 4 is more serious - no containment vessel/pressure tank. It is a fire (the black smoke) which my vent higher elements into the atmosphere.

Also, I hear that No. 3 is not Uranium fuelled but fuelled by a Uranium-Plutonium mix. What is worrisome is the Pu part. Pu is not as much a hazard as a radioactive element, but as a Toxic Chemical. It is probably the most toxic element known to man.

All this talk of radiation safety is justified, but what about our Hydroelectric plants. Otherwise I can visualize a tidal wave from the Himalayas to the ocean.
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Old 16th March 2011, 10:35   #56
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Re: Earthquake & Tsunami hits Japan EDIT: Nuclear reactors damaged.

Agree with sgiitk. The situation may not be as grim as it is made out to be by all and sundry. Please stop spreading hoax and fear. T-bhp is a responsible board and a bit of self censorship is expected here. @Mods please step in otherwise it is becoming a cauldron of discussing "nuclear technology" as if it was a saas-bahu saga.

Re-posting a link, which I think, does a very good layman explanation of how nuclear technology is exploited to generate power here: Fukushima Nuclear Accident – a simple and accurate explanation « BraveNewClimate. Please go through this page. It has various latest updates too.

-BJ

PS: Sorry, if I have offended anyone, it is unintentional.
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Old 16th March 2011, 11:46   #57
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Re: Earthquake & Tsunami hits Japan EDIT: Nuclear reactors damaged.

@bj96: I think the US and media are alarmists. The US, since it has lost the nuclear race with the French, Japanese, and Russians is in the forefront. With adequate oil/coal they do not need nuclear as much as the others. Also, these reactors were to a GE design, so the legal liability aspect may also come in.

Unfortunately, the aam admi only saw the work Nuclear with Hiroshima and Nagasaki. We get radiation everywhere, X-rays, 10x as much in a CT or Angiography, from the house (brick has radioactive P), sand (some of the white sands have a very high Thoria content), cosmic rays, etc.

Also, we need energy, the practical sources are Thermal, Hydel and Nuclear. I will rather live next to a nuclear plant, than a chemical plant (remember Bhopal).

What is bugging me the most is that the regulator and the implementer are the same. DGCA runs airports and also examines crashes. The Nuclear regulator (AERB) is mostly manned by the ex-DAE chaps. Also, we have a strong chalta hai and fatalistic approach to life.
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Old 16th March 2011, 12:29   #58
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Re: Earthquake & Tsunami hits Japan EDIT: Nuclear reactors damaged.

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Originally Posted by sgiitk View Post
... we need energy, the practical sources are Thermal, Hydel and Nuclear. I will rather live next to a nuclear plant, than a chemical plant (remember Bhopal).

What is bugging me the most is that the regulator and the implementer are the same. DGCA runs airports and also examines crashes. The Nuclear regulator (AERB) is mostly manned by the ex-DAE chaps. Also, we have a strong chalta hai and fatalistic approach to life.
Very true sgiitk. You have summed it up nicely. Every technology has some risks. Point is how do we handle it with the system we have in place?

OT: Heard the other day, DGCA's kin managed to get a flying license without qualifying for one .

-BJ
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Old 16th March 2011, 13:46   #59
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Re: Earthquake & Tsunami hits Japan EDIT: Nuclear reactors damaged.

Everybody is following the news of the devastation caused by the Tsunami and is shocked by it. I got a true picture of the loss after checking out the Before and After pictures posted on ABC News. It is really very sad.

Source: ABC News
Link: ABC News - Japan Earthquake: before and after
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Old 16th March 2011, 17:28   #60
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Re: Earthquake & Tsunami hits Japan EDIT: Nuclear reactors damaged.

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Originally Posted by sgiitk View Post
..............
All this talk of radiation safety is justified, but what about our Hydroelectric plants. Otherwise I can visualize a tidal wave from the Himalayas to the ocean.........

That is precisely the point.

Lets take for example the tehri dam.The THDC say that this dam was made with 8.4 magnitude earthquake.But the kind of quality of construction that has been done and the kind of things overlooked by the govt. i doubt whether it will withstand even a 7 magnitude earthquake.
Look at the amount of water in that lake.2.6 cubic kilometers.Yes you read it right!

What some have predicted is that if the dam falls, there will be a 40 foot high wave sweeping down haridwar and you can imagine this will take the whole of UP, Bihar and West bengal with it.

Also another point to be noted here is a mountain on the left of the dam.This mountain has been a point of observation for some scientists for some time.It is known that this is a weak mountain and is actually shifting by some amount every year because of the pressure exerted by the water.The whole report was hushed up and now it remains to be seen what will happen if and when something happens.

This country of ours really runs "Ram Bharosey".if and when something happens we will have a lot of trouble for sure.
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