Environment & Energy
In reply to the discussion: TEPCO Rose [View all]
PamW
(1,825 posts)RobertEarl,
Yes - volatile materials like Iodine-131 and Cesium-137 and other gases were intentionally released during the venting.
As of yet, we do NOT KNOW that "some has melted into the ground". The disposition of the core is presently unknown; but it could be like the Three Mile Island Unit 2 meltdown in which the melted core was found at the bottom of the intact reactor vessel. There has been a lot of speculation especially by the anti-nukes as to what MIGHT have happened. But do NOT say "we know" when we most certainly do not know.
Some of the material was discharged to the environment and found miles away.
However, as I stated, the Universities and especially the National Labs that were tasked with calculating how much was discharged given the amounts found and extrapolating the amounts not yet found; have come up with the figure I gave; for plutonium the release is about 2 grams.
PamW
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