Published: August 9th, 2011 at 2:48 pm ET
|
Japan Ignored Own Fukushima Radiation Forecasts, Associated Press, August 9, 2011:
At 1:05 in
Namie Mayor: It’s a lie when the gov’t says it didn’t go public with information about the radiation because it had no idea how much had been released.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70TYXGWeZhg
Published: August 9th, 2011 at 2:48 pm ET
|
sending...
people fleeing right into the plumes path because nato khans ego cant bear the real truth.
The cognitive dissonance, to justify such “deadly silence” is a rational I find oxymoronic, and sickening.
Report Comment
check out this Safecast analysis
http://blog.safecast.org/2011/08/drive-report-august-7/
They measured both CPM (beta count) and microsieverts an hour
They found the following at different locations
(highest readings were at ground level)
http://blog.safecast.org/2011/08/drive-report-august-7/
Location 1
192 CPM air level
.503 micosieverts an hour
–
Location 2
322 CPM air level
2746 CPM ground level
7.266 microsieverts an hour ground level
–
Location 3
1000 CPM air level inside car
pulled over and put the devices on the ground and found
1600 CPM ground level
15.96 microsieverts an hour ground level
Location 4
“20,000 CPM and 9 µSv/hr. We pulled out our SAM 940 to try and identify the isotopes and found things we weren’t expecting at all. So we grabbed some samples to send to a lab for professional analysis and got out of there quick.”
MAJIA HERE: Is there a way to establish a ration between CPM and microsieverts?
This is a very important question for me when trying to figure out exposure levels.
In locations 1 and 2 there is a relatively constant relationship between CPM and microsievert readings.
However, this relationship does not hold at all for Locations 3 and 4.
I am looking for help here and any would be much appreciated.
Thanks!
Report Comment
“ratio” not ration
I need to proof more carefully obviously
Report Comment
majia, first, I would like to commend you on your blog, which I have bookmarked and use quite often…so kudos to you. I found the following which I hope will benefit you in your quest concerning CPM vs microsieverts
.If a reading is given in CPM as many Geiger counters provide for, it is common to see that the press has converted it using the ratio of 10 CPM = 0.1 microsievert. So in one minute, at that rate, you would absorb 0.1 microsievert.
However, there is a ~20% margin of error here, depending on whether the test unit measuring CPM was calibrated for Cobalt 60, or Cesium 137. Another factor are the design of Geiger counters, what tube sizes, and sensitivities they provide for. For one vendor, the difference between their lowest end model with lower sensitivity, and their higher end model with 20x larger tubes, and greater sensitivity, the rates can vary up to a factor of three or more, although they do show consistency for trends.
To summarize, if you see that a reading is consistently above around 0.1 µSv/hour, you should try to move away to where it is lower, preferably closer to 0.01 µSv per hour (as it currently is in much of Japan, other than Fukushima), where that is just a bit above the levels before the earthquake.
Always try to minimize your exposure to radiation, but if you’ve been exposed, or it appears that you will likely be exposed to a higher amount of radiation than normal, for a prolonged period of time, schedule a talk with a radiologist that you trust, and be very cautious when reading the news, where in recent days, the units of measurement or their analogies to background radiation have sometimes been in error.
Notes on units. I chose to use microsieverts µSv, but if you have data that you want to add or convert, there are many online calculators for converting units of radiation.
Here are some common ones:
* 1 Sv = 1000 mSv (millisieverts) = 1,000,000 μSv (microsieverts) = 100 rem = 100,000 mrem (millirem)
* 1 mSv = 100 mrem = 0.1 rem
* 1 μSv = 0.1 mrem
* 1 rem = 0.01 Sv = 10 mSv
* 1 mrem = 0.00001 Sv = 0.01 mSv = 10 μSv
Report Comment
Thank you very much Moonshellblue!
I appreciate All of your feedback!
Report Comment
Is it ok Moonshellblue and Jon_NY if I repost your comments on my blog?
Report Comment
Fine with me and thanks again for all your effort. I wish I had your energy and determination. Good luck and take good care.
Report Comment
Since I have had my counter the lowest background reading I have is about 0.15 uSv/hr? So if it is lower in japan there must be something wrong with my counter??
Report Comment
No, Something is wrong with your place.
Report Comment
Hi Toadmac, what was the average background reading since you have your counter? I’d like to compare it with our levels in Germany. Thanks!
Report Comment
Average background around the world is 2.4 mSv/yr. Australia is 2 mSv/yr.
http://www.arpansa.gov.au/radiationprotection/factsheets/is_cosmic.cfm
I just took a reading and it was 0.18 uSv/hr x 24 = 4.32 uSv/day x 365 = 1576.8 uSv/yr = 1.5768 mSv/yr. Japan must have been wiped clean! Good stuff, we can all go back to bed.
B&B I have had readings of about 0.4 uSv/hr during heavy rain. Ave would be about .2 uSv/hr i guess maybe a little more.
Report Comment
Thanks Toadmac, that’s interesting. Here we have different levels from region to region – and therefore also different limits to match those levels
In my region (close to French border and their nukes) we have an average of 0.1 uSv/hr.
Report Comment
Measuring Radiation with a Geiger Counter CPM
CPM (counts per minute) is a measure of radioactivity, a unit of measurement for a Geiger counter. Technically, “It is the number of atoms in a given quantity of radioactive material that are detected to have decayed in one minute.”
Most Geiger counters are calibrated to Cs137 (Cesium).
1,200 CPM on the meter (for Cs137) is about 1 mR/hr (milliRad per hour).
120 CPM on the meter (for Cs137) is about 1 uSv/hr (microSievert per hour).
http://modernsurvivalblog.com/nuclear/radiation-geiger-counter-the-radiation-network/
Report Comment
We all remember looking at those early weather maps and noticing how the winds were moving to the north and east and thinking that’s quite good luck for Japan as the people of Tokyo will be OK for the moment – little did we think that the authorities would evacuate people directly into the path of the winds. The statements coming out now cannot be true. A child of 10 could tell you which way the wind is blowing. They must think we are all fools. Yet another case of the Emperor’s new clothes.
Report Comment
Given the feedback from both Moonshellblue and Jon_NY it seems logical to deduce that these persistently high beta levels being measured across the US and Canada are REALLY dangerous
I don’t even know what to say about Japan my dismay is so great. I am so sorry this is happening.
Report Comment
Any Government who says they didn’t know how much radiation has been released, is full of it.
When they say they didn’t know, they are saying they have been incompetent in their job, and I don’t believe that’s the case.
Report Comment
I believe they have know all along and keeping the public in the dark.
Report Comment
Guess I better check my typing.
Correction:
I believe they have known all along and keeping the public in the dark.
Report Comment
THE US AVERAGE BACKGROUND RADIATION DOSE
3 mSv per year (3 milliesieverts per year) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sievert
AVERAGE US ANNUAL TOTAL EXPOSURE
6 millisieverts
NOW LET US CALCULATE AN AVERAGE EXPOSURE OF 1 YEAR AT 120 CPM
CPM calibrated for cesium-137
10 CPM = .1 microsievert per minute
120 CPM = 1.0 microsievert per hour http://modernsurvivalblog.com/nuclear/radiation-geiger-counter-the-radiation-network/
So 1.0 microsievert an hour at 120 CPM
X24 hours
24 microsieverts per day
X365 days
8760 microsieverts per year
EQUALS
8.76 milliesieverts per year
AVERAGE Annual US exposure from background radiation 3 milliesieverts
So annual exposure of 120 CPM is basically 3 times normal background exposure
LET ME KNOW IF THIS DOES NOT LOOK RIGHT
Report Comment
My geiger counter from Finland is a simple device, one beep or flash per detection, if it goes continuous MOVE AWAY! is what the instruction says so I am guessing (without checking the manual but I believe I read it) that this would be 60cpm.
This would tend to confirm what you are saying.
Report Comment
I just realised we’ve actually come to a point where people are running around with Geiger counters and discussing radiation readings and instrument callibration like photographers discussing camera settings.
How could they not see this coming? Did the global background radiation not increase with each ‘little’ accident? Cancer rates climbing since the beginning of radioactive releases? Were there no cautionary words from the physicists and physicians? Steadying counsel from the political advisors?
Even if this isn’t as catastrophic as we suspect, the clock is still ticking. Clearly they intend to carry on regardless until they have a ‘really big’ accident, although after this I’m not sure what that would entail.
I’m done. These ‘professionals’ and ‘leaders’ have let us all down. They must either be criminally negligent or deliberate criminals, so it’s now long overdue for the international legal machinery to power up and protect the poor bloody ordinary folk (and the flora and fauna) from this kind of reckless fascist behaviour.
Report Comment
It’s like this.
http://majiasblog.blogspot.com/2011/08/normal-0-false-false-false-en-us-x-none.html
‘K?
Report Comment
Dear Ris: I like Majia’s blog. Excellent fundamental stuff there for someone to get a grasp of dosimetry without the horrifying array of measurement methods past and present. She cuts through the BS very well. Excellent primer in many significant respects.
Report Comment
<bwe’ve actually come to a point where people are running around with Geiger counters and discussing radiation readings and instrument callibration like photographers discussing camera settings.
How could they not see this coming? Did the global background radiation not increase with each ‘little’ accident? Cancer rates climbing since the beginning of radioactive releases? Were there no cautionary words from the physicists and physicians? Steadying counsel from the political advisors?
Even if this isn’t as catastrophic as we suspect, the clock is still ticking. Clearly they intend to carry on regardless until they have a ‘really big’ accident, although after this I’m not sure what that would entail.
I’m done. These ‘professionals’ and ‘leaders’ have let us all down. They must either be criminally negligent or deliberate criminals, /b>
Yes. Welcome to our world.
Report Comment
This is catastrophic. They haven’t stopped this, there is not a fix for this, remember that even Chernobyl isn’t fixed and this is a worse situation. Levels are off the charts contaminating water, soil, air, ocean, cattle, people, and so on. The jet stream carries this far and wide.
They have not learned anything, they still want more of these plants, and they are not shutting down the ones that are running.
Report Comment
No fix and the predictable irreversible harm is spreading with each day throughout the world !
The radiation number build each day and more accumulation in all things !
Report Comment
They are not admitting to it here in the US, but you are correct in what you just wrote.
Quote: No fix and the predictable irreversible harm is spreading with each day throughout the world !
The radiation number build each day and more accumulation in all things !
Do you think they ever will admit we are also in danger from this disaster?
They didn’t admitted to the severe damage in the Gulf, to health of the people there, to the risks of the visitors who go in the waters, and about eating the sea food.
Report Comment
Thanks for quoting me at length NoVictim, I’ll take that as agreement in principle. I didn’t mean to give the impression that I’d just woken up, my point was that the secondary phenomenon of public reaction (proliferation of Geiger counters) highlights the new reality post Fukushima, and the growing anger and sadness that accompanies it.
Report Comment
A bright idea the French are looking at is to build their new nuclear plants completely underwater- the first in the sea off Cherbourg. The thing will be surrounded by a metallic net-like construction to stop the torpedo or whatever is thrown at it. It will all will perfectly safe! And it will generate as much power as 12 windmills.
Report Comment
Where have I heard this before..It will all be perfectly safe!
Can I scream now?
Nuclear Power, No Matter Where It Is, It’s Still A Monster That They Can’t Control.
Risk To Great
Report Comment
Hi odylan,
I’ve read that also. The craziest thing they said was “well, you know, those thingies can’t explode. And IF they do (though they can’t), there’s always enough water around them (aka the ocean) to keep the corium cool.”
Now THAT convinced me.
Report Comment
yeah that’s scary, for sure.
I agree, windmills can generate great power, but 12 might be a bit of an overstatement (I’d've estimated about 400)…but STILL, build 500 windmills (why not factor some bad output), (there’re plenty of windmill farms that size or larger)get as much as a nuclear plant for a whole lot less plutonium and many other things….at least, I’m pretty sure zero is less than tons and tons….
Report Comment
farawayfan, +1. Also, you / we / power companies could just replace windmill rotors of the first generation by newer ones as the technique evolves. So instead of putting more and more wind parks into the landscape, just make them more efficient and use the infrastructure (poles, cabling) which is already in place!
Nuke industry is really in a desperate struggle to survive. Here in GER the biggest company threatens to cut 11.000 jobs, because their losses are so big after we decided to quit nuke energy. I’m SO sorry (not).
Report Comment
Bright Idea, Laurel and Hardy again.
I used to imagine that engineers were clever people.
Report Comment
I would say they knew ~
TEPCO informs government of “emergency situation” at Fukushima Daiichi after radiation levels rise
March 12th, 2011
http://enenews.com/tepco-informs-government-emergency-situation-fukushima-daiichi-after-radiation-levels-rise
Report Comment