MOX fuel is made with plutonium oxide and uranium oxide. The characteristics and behavior of MOX fuel have few differences from those of uranium fuel. As of 2001, more than 3,500 MOX fuel assemblies have been used in nuclear power reactors, mainly in Europe. Its use in Japan has been demonstrated successfully. Plutonium is already being used as fuel in existing LWRs. In fact, some 30% of the power generated in nuclear reactors comes from burning the plutonium that results from the fission process. This extensive experience has proven that MOX fuel utilization can be conducted very safely.
It looks great on paper and gets the job done until you have a major disaster. Then what would be a bad radiation leak turns into an awful giant mess.
Japan nuclear crisis has sparked a revision of energy sources and started a debate worldwide according to the news I hear today. The potential for things going wrong with nuclear power is huge.
But, there are problems with all power sources - I was surprised to see a huge resistance of an English community against wind power generators. Their reason - ruining the landscape...
MOX is the kind of recycled nuclear fuel that has been used in this plant for only 6 months. It is unstable and much more radioactive than usual.
I am curious about this statement though. I've looked through the articles about mixed oxide nuclear fuel and they haven't said anything about the radioactivity level compared with conventional nuclear fuel.
Where does it say MOX is much more radioactive than the usual nuclear fuel?
It seems only reactor 3 was using MOX, unfortunately, it is the most devastated reactor on the image:
Most of the news about cooling efforts are directed at that number 3 reactor, I believe for this reason. MOX has much more toxic and dangerous radiation in it's mix, the higher amount of plutonium has been mentioned by the media as a difference between Chernobyl and this crisis. Chernobyl's reactor had flammable graphite that made things worse, Fukushima core 3 has plutonium.
I also noticed that CNN has been breaking away when Japanese officials and expert guests were talking about that difference in kind of fuel used. They tried to avoid that issue.
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.
It's been a while since anyone posted about Fukushima nuclear plant. But, the drama continues, engineers are still trying to seal the reactors and prevent further radiation leaks, despite great health risk.
Here is a YT video of unmanned drone taking footage of the Fukushima complex:
No they aren't and I'm quite happy about that. Realistically speaking there's no point in even really discussing or worrying about this. If there's going to be a massive radiation leak it's going to happen regardless. I hate the fact that people are spreading rumors along with conflicting news stories. It's nothing more than fear-mongering and unless news stories are based on solid fact or even discussions are based on solid fact it's pointless to worry about it. Yes radiation is leaking. We're told it's reaching the ocean, but who knows for sure. We're told it's leaking via a tunnel with cracked cement, but once again who's to say for sure? Everyone with at least one good brain cell knows that the news is censored. The problem may be worse or it could be nothing to worry about at all.
I prefer to not worry about it and I avoid considering what the media and government expects us to believe.
Posted: Sun Apr 03, 2011 1:15 am Post subject: You are correct
They have veen downplaying the whole issue in the news though the radiation has already been reported to have found its way to my part of the world already and NO ONE IS TALKING ABOUT IT AT ALL!
Your comment is just another point of proof of how people are brainwashed into believing the fear-mongering that is going on. I find it odd how paranoid people are over this "nuclear disaster" yet it hasn't come close to Chernobyl or 3 Mile Island yet. Come on people! You stand more chance of dying in a car accident than you do of radiation poisoning! Unless you're within 30 or so miles of the accident site.
It's time people start using their brains, stop spreading rumors and use their energy to worry about something worthwhile.
