Plutonium is Detected in Fukushima Soil

The Electric Energy Company of Tokyo (Tepco), announced that plutonium residues have been detected in five points of the Fukushima Daiichi plant. This news has alarmed the Asian country. It is very likely that the leaking comes from the reactor #3 since it is the only one that works with plutonium and uranium. The plutonium is hard to manage since it is a dangerous material.

The plutonium found was discovered last week, meanwhile the Tepco vice president, Sakae Muto, informed that work will not be suspended since the damaged reactors need constant maintenance to avoid any further complications. Tepco had also detected a high level of radiation in the water outside the containment building and the turbine of the reactor #2. According to a spokesman of Tepco, a person exposed to a 1,000 millisievert has a risk of suffering cancer.

The government considers that the reactor #2 could have suffered a partial fusion of its core, after the tsunami and the earthquake of March 11. Since the cooling systems of the reactors are severely damaged. Now the Executive has decreed a 14% cutback of the parliament salary to contribute to the repairs after the disaster.

Yesterday, Tepco announced the detection of a 1,000 millisievert per hour, which is 100,000 times superior to the normal radiation. Everything points out that the leakage comes from reactor #2. Against this scenario the International Agency for Atomic Energy (IAEA) announced that by the end of June, the international summit in Vienna would give the maximum level to nuclear safety. The General Director, Yukiya Amano, stated that because of the seriousness of this matter only experts could treat it.

Source: El País