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6.2.4 Accidents at MOX fabrication plants
Accidents at MOX fuel fabrication plants have occurred. In June 1991, the storage bunker of the MOX fuel fabrication plant in Hanau, Germany, was contaminated with MOX. It occurred after the rupture of a foil for container packaging in the course of an in-plant transportation process. Four workers were exposed to plutonium.29 This accident was the main reason the fabrication plant at Hanau was shut down.
In November 1992, a fuel rod was broken through a handling error, and MOX dust was released during the mounting of MOX fuel rods to fuel assemblies in the fuel fabrication facility adjoining the MOX facility in Dessel, Belgium. In the event of such accidents, if the ICRP recommendations for general public exposure were adhered to, only about one mg of plutonium may be released from a MOX facility to the environment. As a comparison, in uranium fabrication facility, 2kg (2,000,000mg) of uranium could be released in the same radiation exposure. A one mg release of plutonium can easily happen during various smaller incidents.30
In the event of such accidents, if the ICRP recommendations for general public exposure were adhered to, only about one mg of plutonium may be released from a MOX facility to the environment. As a comparison, in uranium fabrication facility, 2kg (2,000,000mg) of uranium could be released in the same radiation exposure.
Tokyo Electric Power Company's (Tepco's) Fukushima I unit 3 is set to become the third Japanese nuclear reactor to load mixed oxide (MOX) fuel after receiving approval from the governor of Fukushima Prefecture, Yukei Sato.
Japan's Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency has so far approved the use of MOX fuel in ten reactors, but utilities must also secure approval from prefectural governments before they can go ahead and use the fuel, which contains plutonium recovered from spent nuclear fuel.
According to a comparative analysis of possible consequences of a core meltdown accident in the German Kruemmel nuclear power plant with and without the use of MOX fuel.38
* The radiation exposure from inhalation of radioactive materials during the passage of the radioactive cloud is higher by several dozen percentages than if U fuel elements were exclusively used.
* Radiation exposure through the route of inhalation of remobilized long-lived actinide isotopes is more than doubled.
* The land areas to become out of use by long-term contamination increases as the re-suspension pathway is a limiting factor and the greater part of the dose resulting from the pathway comes from the actinides.
Originally posted by Vitchilo
From August 2010 :
Third Japanese reactor to load MOX
Tokyo Electric Power Company's (Tepco's) Fukushima I unit 3 is set to become the third Japanese nuclear reactor to load mixed oxide (MOX) fuel after receiving approval from the governor of Fukushima Prefecture, Yukei Sato.
Japan's Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency has so far approved the use of MOX fuel in ten reactors, but utilities must also secure approval from prefectural governments before they can go ahead and use the fuel, which contains plutonium recovered from spent nuclear fuel.
6.2.6 Accident scenario when burning MOX Accidents involving overheating and meltdown are possible in any nuclear reactor. In such accidents, not only would readily volatile noble gases like iodine and caesium be released to the environment, but a small portion of the actinides, including plutonium and neptunium, would be released. As the activity of the actinides is substantially higher in the case of MOX, the consequences of such severe accidents become more serious. When MOX fuels are used, the probability of having such serious accidents or trouble would increase due to the high content of plutonium in the fuel. Even if an accident is not a serious one, it could become serious since even a small portion of the inventory of actinides released to the environment could cause significant radiological consequences. According to a comparative analysis of possible consequences of a core meltdown accident in the German Kruemmel nuclear power plant with and without the use of MOX fuel.38 The radiation exposure from inhalation of radioactive materials during the passage of the radioactive cloud is higher by several dozen percentages than if U fuel elements were exclusively used. Radiation exposure through the route of inhalation of remobilized long-lived actinide isotopes is more than doubled. The land areas to become out of use by long-term contamination increases as the re-suspension pathway is a limiting factor and the greater part of the dose resulting from the pathway comes from the actinides.
Originally posted by 12voltz
reply to post by guessing
Ok 2,000,000 multiplied by the 30 km evac zone would be 60,000,000 km's away. Mars here we come
Originally posted by FoxStriker
Star and Flag... I can only see this getting worse, I'm pretty sure that explosion at reactor 3 wasn't a propane tank... and I'm positive officials are lying to the public...
In fact I'm sure Japan is only wondering about one thing right now... how to evacuate half their population off their Islands... that reactor is more powerful than most in the world... the amount of radiation is extremely dangerous and hazardous to any living organism within a 60 mile area at least.
Radioactive fallout from a nuclear explosion, though very dangerous initially, loses its intensity quickly because it is giving off so much energy. For example, fallout emitting gamma ray radiation at a rate over 500 R/hr (fatal with one hour of exposure) shortly after an explosion, weakens to only 1/10th as strong 7 hours later. Two days later, it's only 1/100th as strong, or as deadly, as it was initially.
Originally posted by Dendro
Sorry if this comes off insensitive but...
With Japan using MOX does that create a higher risk of fallout not only for Japan but surrounding areas? Decay rate and whatnot. My knowledge of radiation is limited to carbon dating.
Originally posted by Vitchilo
reply to post by FoxStriker
Thing is, a nuclear explosion fallout and actual fallout from a nuclear powerplant is not the same thing AT ALL.
BTW, the half-life of Plutonium 240, which MOX is made of, is 6563 years.edit on 15-3-2011 by Vitchilo because: (no reason given)