Fukushima Q & A With Physicists

Last week, Nature magazine held a live Q & A about the Fukushima nuclear power plant disaster in Japan. Understandably, people had many questions about the actual dangers associated with the damaged reactor.

The session included Jim Smith, an environmental physicist from the University of Portsmouth, U.K., and Geoff Brumfiel, Nature’s senior physical sciences correspondent.

With all the media hoopla, which included getting the science flat-out wrong and over-blowing the dangers (or lack thereof) here in North America.

Scientific American wrote a brief excerpt of the interview here. You can also get the full transcript on the Nature website.

Here’s an example of the kind of questions that were asked, and the answers given.

[Question From ZoeyZoey: ] Although there are high levels of Cesium 137 and Iodine 131 in the water around Japan many people believe that it is not cause for concern because of the ocean’s ability to vastly dilute what is put in it. Do you believe other countries should be concerned or do you agree that the ocean can fix it?

Jim Smith: Yes, there is enormous dilution of radioactivity in the marine system. By the time any contamination got across the ocean to other countries (if any did), the concentrations would be tiny and wouldn’t present any risk. The concern for the marine system is mainly in the local area to Fukushima.