Contaminated water leak at Fukushima Daiichi

The location of the leak (left) and a close-up of the vent (right) (Image: Tepco)
A leak of contaminated water has been discovered from a pipe connected to a caesium adsorption device at the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Japan. The leak has been stopped and Tokyo Electric Power Company (Tepco) said it will check soil beneath the pipe for contamination.

Tepco said that at about 8.52am on 7 February a worker from a contracted company found that water was leaking from the vent opening of the second cesium adsorption device installed on the east wall of the high-temperature and high-pressure incinerator building. The vent is for discharging hydrogen generated within the adsorption device. The second cesium adsorption device was currently out of service and was undergoing flushing work with filtered water for valve inspections.

At around 9.10am, the main valve for filtered water was closed, and at around 9.16am, Tepco confirmed that the water had stopped leaking.

The water had leaked onto metal plates located below the leaking pipe.

Tepco estimates that about 5.5 tonnes of water leaked from the pipe, which may contain 22 billion becquerels of radioactive materials, such as caesium and strontium.

"There is a possibility that water leaked into the soil through the gaps between the metal plates under the leakage point," Tepco said, adding that as an emergency measure it will restrict access to the area and will collect the soil in the future.

Although the indicated value of the nearby continuous dust monitor on the premises temporarily rose slightly within the normal fluctuation range, it has now returned to its original value, Tepco noted. In addition, there were no significant changes in the indicated values ​​of the monitoring post, site boundary continuous dust monitor, and drainage channel monitor closest to the leak point.

"The cause of this incident is currently under investigation, but we will continue to appropriately investigate the cause and take measures to prevent recurrence," Tepco said.Researched and written by World Nuclear News. Contaminated water leak at Fukushima Daiichi : Regulation & Safety - World Nuclear News
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Tokyo confirms record-high 949 new virus cases


Tokyo, Dec. 26 (BNA): Tokyo has confirmed 949 new cases of the coronavirus, a new high for the Japanese capital, as the country struggles with an upsurge that is spreading nationwide, the Associated Press (AP) reported.

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government said Saturday that the additional cases bring the prefectural total to 55,851. Japan had 3,823 new cases Friday for a national total of 213,547, with 3,155 deaths, the health ministry said.

Japan has not been able to slow the infections despite government requests for the people to avoid going out for dinner and parties before and during the holiday season.

Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike has ordered bars to close early and urged residents to avoid nonessential outings. But many people have continued commuting on crowded trains and going out for dinner and drinks.  Source: https://www.bna.bh
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Japan PM imposes ‘maximum alert’ after record virus cases


Japan’s Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga on Thursday said that the country is on “maximum alert” after logging a record number of daily coronavirus infections, however, no immediate restrictions are planned.

“We are now in a situation of maximum alert,” Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga told reporters.

“I ask you, the Japanese people, to fully implement principles such as wearing masks,” Suga added, urging people to wear them even while talking during meals in restaurants.

National broadcaster NHK said Suga had asked expert advisers to meet on Thursday and Friday to examine the growing number of infections before the government takes any further measures.

Suga said he would support local regions if they asked businesses to close early, and that restrictions including limiting groups at restaurants to four people should be considered.

Tokyo is expected to raise its alert level to the highest of a four-tier scale on Thursday, but the move does not come with automatic restrictions.

Japan has so far taken a comparatively relaxed approach to Covid-19 restrictions, with even a nationwide state of emergency in the spring carrying no obligation for businesses to close or people to stay at home.

Japan, on the other hand, has seen a relatively small outbreak so far, with close to 121,000 recorded infections and just over 1,900 deaths since the virus was first detected in the country in January.More than 2,000 cases were recorded nationwide on Wednesday, with nearly 500 in the capital Tokyo alone Source: https://www.daily-bangladesh.com/
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