Researchers discover how human cells take in nuke-crisis contaminated plutonium
A United States research has discovered how the toxic radioactive element plutonium -- detected in and around the grounds of the crisis-stricken Fukushima No. 1 Nuclear Power Plant -- is taken up by human cells.
The research team led by Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) in Illinois has been working on ways to stop the uptake of the synthetic element -- a byproduct of nuclear fission and also the fissile material in many nuclear warheads. However, the team has at the same time emphasized the extreme difficulty of expelling plutonium once taken up, and the necessity of preventing nuclear accidents that could introduce the element into the environment.
The researchers used special x-rays among other techniques to analyze plutonium uptake in the body. They found that the element -- which has a half-life of some 24,000 years -- was being brought into cells by binding to a protein responsible for iron uptake.
There are two binding sites for iron uptake and at least one of them must still bind to iron for the other to bring in plutonium. The process also has a preference for iron ions even in the presence of plutonium -- a preference that could lead to new plutonium poisoning treatments. The team also said, however, that complete prevention of plutonium uptake was not realistic...
(Mainichi Japan) June 28, 2011
http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/news/20110628p2a00m0na006000c.htmlFukushima governor aims to abandon nuclear power generation
FUKUSHIMA (Kyodo) -- Fukushima Gov. Yuhei Sato said Monday he intends to incorporate the idea of abandoning nuclear power generation in the northeastern prefecture's blueprint for reconstruction to be drawn up by the end of July.
"I have come to believe that Fukushima Prefecture should aim to create a society that is not reliant on nuclear power," Sato told a session of the prefectural assembly.
The prefecture hosts Tokyo Electric Power Co.'s Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, which has been crippled since the March 11 earthquake and tsunami.
Earlier in June, a panel of experts assembled by the prefectural government presented a draft plan to the governor calling for "the creation of a safe society capable of sustainable development without relying on nuclear power."
(Mainichi Japan) June 28, 2011
http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/news/20110628p2g00m0dm009000c.htmlPanel says Japan must rip up its disaster plans
2011/06/28
Japan's tsunami response measures will have to be overhauled to cope with the largest tsunami that can be expected, according to a government panel.
A technical investigation panel under the Central Disaster Management Council said on June 26 that previous planning, based on more conservative estimates, was inadequate.
In the cases of the long-expected Tokai, Tonankai and Nankai earthquakes, the maximum scale envisaged by tsunami response measures is the magnitude 8.6 Hoei Earthquake of 1707, which combined all the three earthquakes.
But seismologists said an offshore focal region close to a trench could move simultaneously, as occurred in the Great East Japan Earthquake, leading to a much larger catastrophe…
http://www.asahi.com/english/TKY201106270176.htmlTEPCO starts, stops recycling purified water to cool reactors
2011/06/28
Tokyo Electric Power Co. was forced to halt a system on June 27 only 90 minutes after starting that company officials hope will lead to a stable cooling of the reactors at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant, as well as reducing the volume of water contaminated with radiation that is accumulating in the reactor buildings.
The system to recycle purified water began from 4:20 p.m. but was shut down shortly before 6 p.m. after a leak in the line was detected.
The startup was already 12 days later than originally scheduled, due mainly to problems in the various equipment making up the water purification system.
The system will be needed to reduce the approximately 110,000 tons of contaminated water that have accumulated in the plant grounds…
http://www.asahi.com/english/TKY201106270159.htmlTEPCO delayed disclosing rising radiation levels at plant
BY TAKASHI SUGIMOTO STAFF WRITER
2011/06/28
Tokyo Electric Power Co. saw signs that a hydrogen explosion was possible at the No. 1 reactor of the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant the night before the explosion occurred on March 12, but did not immediately inform the central government, according to a report published by the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency (NISA).
TEPCO also withheld similar information when the same buildup of hydrogen occurred in the No. 3 reactor, despite being obligated under government safety regulations.
The report says TEPCO detected 290 millisieverts of radiation per hour--a level that prohibits entry into the reactor building--at the No. 1 reactor building at 9:51 p.m. on March 11.
Such a high radiation level indicates the strong possibility of radiation and hydrogen leaks inside…
http://www.asahi.com/english/TKY201106270160.html