How is a nuclear leak contained?

In addition to evacuating the area around the plant, it is necessary to cool the reactor immediately so that its shielding is patched

After evacuating the area, the reactor must be cooled down until a "patch" can be made in the affected structure.Otherwise, it would act like a sealed pressure cooker, which would explode. These were the measures taken by the Japanese to deal with the leak at the Fukushima plant, 250 km from Tokyo. The drama has occupied headlines worldwide since the March 11, 2011 earthquake affected the building and allowed the release of radioactive material into the atmosphere, threatening the population of Japan and nearby nations. The leak in Fukushima has released a radiation eight times greater than the maximum exposure suffered by plant workers in a year! In the vicinity of the plant, an unprotected hour could cause nausea and changes in blood cells. Some of the water used to cool Fukushima has returned, contaminated, to the sea. Another part was collected to be treated and isolated as radioactive waste.

1. In a nuclear power plant, the energy potential of uranium, plutonium, cesium, thorium or cobalt is used. When the atoms of the chemical element separate (nuclear fission), the energy heats the water around the reactor core. This generates steam, which causes the turbines to move. And the turning of the turbines is converted into energy by the generators

2. The Japanese earthquake affected water reservoirs, which help control uranium warming. The temperature rose sharply, melting the metal bars that concentrate the radioactive elements. This heat has damaged the plant's shielding layers, which serve to prevent leakage

3. In cases like this, the first measure is to vacate the contaminated area. The size of this area depends on the amount of material released into the air and the climatic conditions of each country - such as wind speed and direction. In Japan, the withdrawal of people began with a radius of 3 km and then rose to 20 km

4. The plants have teams prepared to act in emergency situations. Its equipment includes masks for air filtration and waterproof clothing, which prevents skin contamination. In addition, the radiation exposure time should be controlled in shifts of up to five hours daily

5. The first effective measure to contain the leak is to cool the reactor. The temperature of the water in contact with uranium must be below 100 ° C to interrupt the boiling process. That's why you throw more water into the reactor. In Japan, truck-barrels, pressure pumps and even helicopters were used

6. As long as the temperature is not controlled, it is impossible to "patch" the cracks in the shielding of the reactor. The repair is done with steel and concrete. But even so, the plant will never be able to function again due to the risk of new accidents. Radioactive material also can not be passed to another plant

The radioactive elements released into the atmosphere mix in the air, water and earth and are absorbed by man unnoticed. They can alter the structure of cells, destroying their nucleus and causing serious diseases such as: fibrosis in the lungs, pneumonia, bleeding in the stomach and bleeding in the intestine. Radiation also reduces the number of antibodies by up to 50%, which increases the risk of infections. There are some emergency treatments. Iodide tablets saturate the thyroid gland with natural iodine, preventing the particles from settling there and causing cancer. And the remedy known as prussian blue absorbs the radioactive element, causing it to be eliminated in feces and urine thyroid cancer.

In much smaller quantities than that released in nuclear accidents, radiation can be an ally of our health. It is used by radiotherapy, for example, to destroy cells from a cancerous tumor. On radiographs, bones absorb radiation and allow doctors to discover possible fractures. And in industries, it can be used to measure the flow rate of liquids and the thickness of materials.