On March 11, 2011, the Fukushima nuclear power plant in Japan was severely damaged by a huge tsunami caused by a strong earthquake. As a consequence, radioactive materials have accidentally spilled out of the power plant, exposing its immediate environment to high doses of radiation. Since then, scientists have been monitoring the amount of radiation in the area. Unfortunately, radiation is still high until 2016. Explain why even after almost five years, radiation is still high in the vicinity of the power plant.
Answers
Following a major earthquake, a 15-metre tsunami disabled the power supply and cooling of three Fukushima Daiichi reactors, causing a nuclear accident beginning on 11 March 2011. All three cores largely melted in the first three days.
Answer:
These areas still have relatively high radioactivity. The half-life of radiocesium is about 29 years, meaning the quantity of the radioactive material should drop by half by roughly 2041
In 2020, the Japanese government lifted bans on Fukushima seafood, saying they met safety standards that are stricter than American guidelines for cesium in food. The radiation levels offshore of Fukushima have dropped in the years since, but some of the reactors there are still leaking
However, the Fukushima coast has some of the world's strongest currents and these transported the contaminated waters far into the Pacific Ocean, thus causing great dispersion of the radioactive elements.