Radiation level of 1,120 millisieverts per hour detected in damaged reactor building

[kristopher]

Radiation level of 1,120 millisieverts per hour detected in damaged reactor building

A high radiation level of 1,120 millisieverts per hour was detected within the damaged No. 1 reactor building at the Fukushima No. 1 Nuclear Power Plant when robots photographed the area on April 26, it has been learned.

The level is the highest detected in the reactor building to date. The plant's operator, Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO), plans to fill the nuclear reactor containment vessel with water to contain radiation emissions, and is trying to cool down the reactor, but the high levels of radiation in the building are hampering work and are likely to cause difficulties for the company in achieving its goal of bringing the crisis at the plant under control within "six to nine months."

Two robots were used to photograph the area near the pump room on the first floor of the No. 1 reactor building and measure radiation. The pump room contains a heat exchanger that is used to cool water containing residual heat that is emitted when the nuclear reactors are stopped, and a pump to circulate cooling water.

"It's possible that reactor water containing radioactive materials seeped into pipes due to valve problems," a TEPCO representative commented.

Initially, TEPCO planned to use the reactor's residual heat removal...

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/news/20110428p2a00m0na007000c.html

[AndyTiedye]

1. Radiation Levels There Keep Getting Higher and Higher

This Is Not Good. How long before it does the big kaboooey? :nuke: :hide:

[SpoonFed]

2. I doubt it

I think things went to worst but it's taking TEPCO a dogs age to go from fantasy denier land to reality, probably based on economics, TEPCO and Japan's. Once the "smart money" is all out, I think reality will somewhat be reflected in reports again.