2011年4月6日星期三

Japan focuses on hydrogen accumulation after nuclear leak - Reuters

* Nitrogen pumped into the reactor to prevent the explosion of hydrogen

Nuclear crisis far under control

* Fisherman in anger over contaminated water pumped at sea

* China find radioaxtive iodine in spinach - Xinhua

By Chizu Nomiyama and Shinichi Saoshiro

(TOKYO, April 7, Reuters) - Japan began pump nitrogen gas into a crippled nuclear reactor, refocusing of the fight against the worst nuclear disaster in the world in 25 years on the prevention of explosive accumulation of hydrogen gas to Fukushima Daiichi Central.

Workers began by injection of nitrogen in the No. 1 reactor containment vessel Wednesday evening, after a morning breakthrough in stopping highly radioactive water leaking into the sea, another reactor in the six-reactor complex.

"It is necessary to inject nitrogen gas into the containment vessel and eliminate the potential for an explosion of hydrogen", an official of the plant operator Tokyo Electric Power (TEPCO) said a press briefing.

The possibility of another explosion of hydrogen as those which wracked reactors 1 and 3 at the beginning of the crisis, the spread of high levels of radiation in the air, was "extremely low", he said.

But TEPCO suspect that the outer envelope of the reactor building was damaged, said the official.

"Under these conditions, if we continue cooling the reactor with water, the hydrogen leaking ship reactor containment vessel might accumulate and could reach a point where it might explode," he added.

Although engineers succeeded after days of struggling to plug the leak at reactor No. 2, they must still pump 11.5 million litres (11 500 tons) of contaminated water back in the ocean, because they have run out of storage space for the installation. The water was used to cool the overheated fuel rods.

Nuclear experts that the damaged reactors are far from being under control almost a month after that that they have been affected by a huge earthquake and tsunami on 11 March.

The growing concerns about proximity in Korea South and China to radioactive fallout from the Japan was underlined when the Ministry of health China has reported traces of radioactive iodine in spinach in three Chinese provinces.

The two Western neighbours of the Japan have reportedly complained that they have not been fully informed TEPCO plans to release radioactive water in the Pacific Ocean.

"We instructed trade and the ministries of Foreign Affairs to work together so that detailed explanations are provided specifically to neighbouring countries," General Secretary of the Government Yukio Edano told a press conference Wednesday.


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