Comments on: Worst. Science. Ever.

By: Zen

Zen — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 17:00:22 +0000

If we compare the earth’s cleansing by fire, to when it was cleansed by water, then physically it will mainly be destruction.

However, all things will also be revealed, which means we will understand nuclear forces more perfectly, and will be able to render these radioisotopes harmless. At least, that is my testimony.

And just to add to the conversation, the part of the problem with Cesium, is that it fills the same part of the periodic table as potassium and sodium. The body has a hard time distinguishing potassium and cesium. While chemically they are very similar, they are different enough to cause major problems in the body.

By: Bookslinger

Bookslinger — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 16:39:38 +0000

in the area around Fukushima, the cesium levels are very high and measurable. Forget Idione-131, that’s neglible. The demon in this situation is cesium. this is as bad, or worse than those nuclear tests in pacific atolls in the 50′s. at least with the atolls, they were evacuated beforehand if they were not already empty of people, and they could be kept depopulated.

But Fukushima and the waters next to it are right next to hihghly populated areas, and the waters are fishing zones, and close to other fishing zones. it is impossible to isolate/avoid the contaminated area like those remote atolls where nuke tests went on in the 50′s.

They’re going to be finding cesium in harvested wildlife off the east coast of Japan for centuries.

I wonder if these kinds of human caused messes get “automatically” cleaned up at the Second Coming, or if they continue on, for mortals to deal with in the Millenium. Is the Earth’s “cleansing” at the second coming, strictly a moral one, or will it also be a physical one?

By: Adam Greenwood

Adam Greenwood — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 18:06:18 +0000

Books,
the oceans are huge. I doubt the increase in oceanic radiation levels will be measurable.
Water is also a very effective radiation shield.

By: Bookslinger

Bookslinger — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 17:09:23 +0000

Yes, the attempt at the link is ridiculous. However, by ridiculing a falsehood, let us not forget more essential facts.

Such as when the reactor cores (from 3 reactors) melted completely _through_ the reactors and the containment vessels, they released Cesium in addition to Iodine-131.

Cesium is much more toxic and has a much longer half-life.

I don’t know how much Cesium has crossed the Pacific via water, but the amount of Cesium released into the waters around Fukushima is disastrous and will have effects for thousands of years.

If the fuel rods had not melted and been exposed to the environment (the air, and all that water used to flush/cool the reactors), then yes, it would have been mainly Iodine-131.

With the melt-down and exposure of the rods, and all that water being pumped on and through the reactors and containment vessels, much of that water flowed right back into the ocean, carrying Cesium with it.

If I understand the reports correctly, the radioactive damage, in terms of bequerels released, more bequerels were released into the ocean than into the air. And with the long half-life of Cesium, those Cesium particles that ended up in the ocean are going to continue to break down and release more radioactivity.