4 ms·

I understand the political reason for not naming the reactors/nation-states most likely responsible for the release but I don't understand the lack of context.

I understand the political reason for not naming the reactors/nation-states most likely responsible for the release but I don't understand the lack of context. Why wasn't short-lived iodine-131 detected along with the caesium-134, caesium-137 and ruthenium-103? How do the measured levels of the long-lived caesium/ruthenium isotopes compare to known events like Fukushima? How do these measured levels compare to known nuclear weapon tests? I'm worried about the geopolitical implications, not the global health implications.

cowboysauce 6y ago
The release likely happened during fuel reprocessing. Since fuel is left to cool for at least several months before reprocessing, there’s essentially no I-131 left at that point.
- jnxx 6y ago
  But then, why would Ru-103 be present, which has a half-life of 9 days? https://www.dw.com/en/slight-radioactivity-rise-in-nordic-countries/a-53968555 https://www.dw.com/en/slight-radioactivity-rise-in-nordic-co...
  - cowboysauce 6y ago
    Ruthenium-103 has a half-life of 39 days.
- sradman 6y ago
  How does the spent fuel get aerosolized and into the atmosphere? Some of the more recent comments link to a site that detected iodine-131 in Norway. Vented hydrogen/steam from partially uncovered fuel rods (e.g. Three Mile Island, Fukushima) in an active boiling water reactor is historically the most likely source (I think) but iodine-131 should be abundant. The same principle should apply to any nuclear powered submarine or ship. Other commenters point out that Russia has nuclear powered missiles and torpedoes that emit radiation. I expect the CTBTO to be able to categorize the nature of each radiation source but maybe that type of analysis takes time.
  - cowboysauce 6y ago
    >How does the spent fuel get aerosolized and into the atmosphere? I'm not an expert, but fuel reprocessing is generally done is an aqueous state. The widely used PUREX process, for example, starts with dissolving the spent fuel in nitric acid. Splashing or boiling the liquids involved will cause the formation of aerosols. In particular, concentrated nitric acid tends to react with things quite vigorously, generating a lot of heat. The process also uses flammable liquids like kerosene and hydrazine. Some radioisotopes also have compounds that are volatile. Ruthenium, in particular can form Ruthenium Tetroxide which boils at only 40C.
ISL 6y ago
103Ru has a 39-day half life. 134Cs has a 2 yr half life, 137Cs has a 30-year half life. 131I has an 8 day half-life. One can use those numbers to infer, in the absence of supporting chains, how-recently the released material was involved in a fission reaction.
badwolf 6y ago
iodine-131 was apparently detected June 2-8 https://thebarentsobserver.com/en/ecology/2020/06/various-reactor-related-isotopes-measured-over-scandinavia-and-svalbard https://thebarentsobserver.com/en/ecology/2020/06/various-re...

cowboysauce 6y ago

The release likely happened during fuel reprocessing. Since fuel is left to cool for at least several months before reprocessing, there’s essentially no I-131 left at that point.

jnxx 6y ago
But then, why would Ru-103 be present, which has a half-life of 9 days? https://www.dw.com/en/slight-radioactivity-rise-in-nordic-countries/a-53968555 https://www.dw.com/en/slight-radioactivity-rise-in-nordic-co...
- cowboysauce 6y ago
  Ruthenium-103 has a half-life of 39 days.
sradman 6y ago
How does the spent fuel get aerosolized and into the atmosphere? Some of the more recent comments link to a site that detected iodine-131 in Norway. Vented hydrogen/steam from partially uncovered fuel rods (e.g. Three Mile Island, Fukushima) in an active boiling water reactor is historically the most likely source (I think) but iodine-131 should be abundant. The same principle should apply to any nuclear powered submarine or ship. Other commenters point out that Russia has nuclear powered missiles and torpedoes that emit radiation. I expect the CTBTO to be able to categorize the nature of each radiation source but maybe that type of analysis takes time.
- cowboysauce 6y ago
  >How does the spent fuel get aerosolized and into the atmosphere? I'm not an expert, but fuel reprocessing is generally done is an aqueous state. The widely used PUREX process, for example, starts with dissolving the spent fuel in nitric acid. Splashing or boiling the liquids involved will cause the formation of aerosols. In particular, concentrated nitric acid tends to react with things quite vigorously, generating a lot of heat. The process also uses flammable liquids like kerosene and hydrazine. Some radioisotopes also have compounds that are volatile. Ruthenium, in particular can form Ruthenium Tetroxide which boils at only 40C.

ISL 6y ago

103Ru has a 39-day half life. 134Cs has a 2 yr half life, 137Cs has a 30-year half life. 131I has an 8 day half-life. One can use those numbers to infer, in the absence of supporting chains, how-recently the released material was involved in a fission reaction.

badwolf 6y ago

iodine-131 was apparently detected June 2-8 https://thebarentsobserver.com/en/ecology/2020/06/various-reactor-related-isotopes-measured-over-scandinavia-and-svalbard https://thebarentsobserver.com/en/ecology/2020/06/various-re...