When the Chernobyl nuclear plant suffered the power output surge that would destroy its #4 reactor, a substance called ‘corium‘ was formed. This originally lava-like substance formed out of the destroyed fuel rods along with surrounding materials, like concrete, that made up the reactor. The corium ultimately cooled down and left large amounts of solid corium in the rooms where it had pooled.
Over the past few days there have been numerous reports in the media regarding a ‘sudden surge’ in neutron flux levels from this corium, with some predicting a ‘second Chernobyl disaster’. Obviously, this has quite a few people alarmed, but how dire are these neutron output changes exactly, and what do they tell us about the condition of the corium inside the ruins of the #4 reactor building?
Matter of Perspective
When it comes to translating scientific measurements and data into health and safety information, perspective is everything. For example, after the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi disaster, marine life near the wrecked plant got exposed to increased levels of radioactive cesium isotopes. Some of these, like tuna, are migratory, and are caught by fishers off the US West Coast. As explained by NOAA Fisheries, the fact that we can measure these increased levels in the caught tuna does not mean that they’re of concern to public health, but it’s still not cool.
When it comes to consuming fish, the bigger danger is heavy metals. In the case of tuna, mercury levels are generally high enough that the mercury exposure from a single 85 gram ..
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