Radioactive level halved at reactor water intake
The operator of the quake-damaged nuclear power plant in northeastern Japan says levels of radioactive iodine in seawater samples taken near one of the plant’s crippled reactors are down by more than half from the previous day.
The Tokyo Electric Power Company says the level of radioactive iodine-131 per cubic centimeter in samples collected near the water intake of the No. 2 reactor was 63 becquerels on Wednesday.
The figure is 1,600 times the state limit, but marked the first decline in 3 days.
Highly contaminated water had leaked into the sampling area, where iodine-131 at a level 7.5 million times the limit was detected on April 2nd.
On Wednesday, the level of cesium-134 was 430 times the limit, and that of cesium-137 was 300 times the limit. Both figures were nearly the same as on the previous day.
Levels of radioactive substances detected in samples taken near the facility had nearly leveled off.
Iodine-131 at a level 2.5 times the standard was found in samples taken some 30 meters north of the plant’s No. 5 and 6 reactors.
The company says changes in readings are seen as being within a margin of day-to-day volatility. The firm says it will continue monitoring the situation.
Sampling tests farther from the plant were prevented by bad weather.
Thursday, April 28, 2011 20:15 +0900 (JST)