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Is Plutonium Release the Real Danger at the Damaged Japan
Fukushima Nuclear Reactor?

http://www.emfnews.org
Nuclear power plants are a source of electricity that does
not use up oil, natural gas or coal supplies or increase the
carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere, but they come with
their own risk as the disaster at the Japanese Fukushima
Daiichi nuclear power plant is clearly showing us. Knowing
how these reactors work can help you to stay safe when there
is an accident like this and protect you and your loved ones
from harm.
Power plants of this type are basically giant water boilers
that use the heat generated by decay of radioactive 'fuel'
to run generators to produce electricity. The fuel pellets
contained in the reactor core of the Number 2 unit of the
damaged Fukushima plant consist of a mixture of oxides of
uranium and plutonium known as MOX. This fuel may be
produced by processing spent uranium from other reactors in
combination with plutonium from nuclear weapons. The
extremely toxic plutonium in MOX is what makes the risk from
meltdown of the reactor core of the Japanese plant much more
serious.
Everyone knows that radiation, or at least too much
radiation, is harmful to humans and can cause DNA damage.
But not all radiation is the same in its potential for
harming us. A CAT scan uses X-rays which are a form of
radiation that allows details of internal organs to be
visualized and diseases to be diagnosed with amazing
accuracy. The X-rays are produced in a controlled way by the
CAT scan machine and not by decay of radioisotopes as in a
nuclear power plant. Uranium and plutonium are large
elements that form what are known as radioisotopes, unstable
variant forms differing in the number of neutrons in the
nucleus.
Plutonium (the chemical symbol is 'Pu'—singularly
appropriate) is one of the original heavy metals.A chunk of
Pu feels warm to the touch because its atoms are continually
'decaying', which means they are spitting out an alpha
particle—two protons plus two neutrons—and a small amount of
energy. There are some 600 billion of these decays per
second in Pu-238, so even though the energy released per
decay is very small, altogether they add up to make a pretty
good heat source.
Pu-239 is a different isotope of plutonium and is the one
used in weapons because it is able to undergo a chain
reaction similar to what happens with uranium in the atomic
bomb. Pu239 is produced continuously from uranium-238 in
nuclear reactors such as the Fukushima unit; but in these
reactors, the mixed oxide or MOX pellets were enriched in
Pu-239. When an atom of Pu-239 decays, it releases an alpha
particle like Pu-238 and some weak gamma rays, which are
similar to X-rays.
So, what makes plutonium so hazardous? To answer that
question properly, we need to know what form the plutonium
is in. A solid piece of Pu metal produces alpha particles
from radioactive decays, and these energetic particles can
damage cells—but they have to penetrate them to do that.
Pick up a piece of plutonium. It feels warm because of the
continuous alpha decays. The particles, however, are blocked
by the outer layers of your skin. A single sheet of paper
stops them almost completely.
The problems with Pu-239 begin when it gets inside your
body. An exploding nuclear reactor core could release small
particles of plutonium oxide into the air, which would be
carried aloft by winds and transported to population centers
where they could be inhaled into the lungs. Once lodged in
the airways they would continue to release billions of alpha
particles per second with a half-life of 24,000 years. The
particles have enough energy to damage the cells' DNA and
potentially cause mutations that can lead to cancer.
How can you protect yourself from Pu-239? The obvious answer
is—get as far away from the source as possible. Externally,
plutonium is not that harmful. What you do not want to do is
breathe it in. The MOX fuel contains mixed oxides of uranium
and plutonium and if particles of MOX enter and remain in
the lungs, there is an increased risk of lung cancer.
Covering your nose and mouth with a handkerchief will help
in an emergency, but for best protection the N95 particle
mask is recommended. These masks fit over the nose and mouth
and block 95% of particles larger than 0.3 microns in
diameter. They should be marked as certified by the National
Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and can
be purchased on the Web from a number of different
suppliers. In order to work effectively, they have to be
carefully fitted around your nose, and if you have a beard
you cannot get a good fit without shaving it off.
Accidents such as occurred when the combination of
earthquake and tsunami shut off coolant water to reactors in
the Japanese Fukushima power station are fortunately rare,
but understanding the risks can help you protect yourself
and your loved ones. Being prepared for any kind of natural
disaster means making a plan ahead of time and being sure
everyone in your family understands what to do. It can save
your life.
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