Fukushima

[billvon]

Losing track of the point source concentrated release from Fukushima, and all its effects, is another level of poor estimate though.

Most of the radiation released was NOT point source, concentrated material. It was tritium. The water circulated through the cores to cool them did indeed contain a lot of concentrated material (bits of the core, irradiated material from the damaged buildings.) That was removed by filtering.

If the same general thing happens to one of the Fukushima designs in the Mississippi or Great Lakes drainage, it's not going to look like somebody lost a truckload of car batteries in a bridge accident.

If all that happens is a lot of tritium gets released - then it will have about the impact of a lost truckload of car batteries. Some potential risk if the worst happens (i.e. all the batteries crack open and end up in a water reservoir) but not catastrophic. (BTW the lead in car batteries is one of the most recycled materials in the world. I was thinking more of the cobalt in li-ion batteries, which are not recycled or tracked in any way.)

 

[iceaura]

Most of the radiation released was NOT point source, concentrated material

As a percentage of the total release, which was large, maybe.
As an absolute amount, it was a bad scene. Worst since Chernobyl.

The water circulated through the cores to cool them did indeed contain a lot of concentrated material

The cores melted, and released on their own as well.

That was removed by filtering.

And then?

If all that happens is a lot of tritium gets released

Too late for that to be all.

 

[billvon]

(Edited)

 

[RainbowSingularity]

But as two thirds of the bad stuff Fukushima released has never been accounted for, and the ecology of the Pacific Ocean is so little and poorly known, reassurance can be only contingent and partial.

what he said

 

[Quantum Quack]

Unfortunately the real story about the historical and future consequences of this incredible disaster will probably never be made public, due to the significant investment globally in nuclear energy.
Also not enough is known about how increased background radiation levels effect human dna and other health disorders. We have a reasonable understanding of short term affects but little knowledge of long term affects (generational).
The incentive to keep a tight lid on it all is very high, high enough to be extremely skeptical of published media and other managed info sources. IMO