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An illustrative look at news and events

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Looming catastrophe
After the March 11 earthquake, Japan had to sacrifice three nuclear reactors in order to avert a catastrophic meltdown.
While the situation at the Fukushima Daiici nuclear power plant continues to degrade, several other power plants are under surveillance.

FUKUSHIMA
Roof destroyed
REACTOR 1 A few small releases of radioactive steam
DAIICHI
1
by hydrogen produced radiation at about the level of one
build-up. dental X-ray in the immediate vicinity and
quickly dissipated.
2 The tsunami destroyed the emergency pumps
1 for the cooling system, causing the water to
3 overheat.
• The resulting steam containing hydrogen
4 was vented, and an explosion ensued that
destroyed the top of the building.
REACTOR 2 INTERNATIONAL NUCLEAR EVENT SCALE
All fuel rods fully exposed.
MAJOR
Currently the most likely Chernobyl 7 INCIDENT
reactor to experience SERIOUS
6
REACTOR 3 meltdown. INCIDENT
INCIDENT WITH
Two explosions caused by a build-up 5 OFF-SITE RISK
of hydrogen injured 11 people. This ENGINEERS ARE NOW Fukushima INCIDENT WITHOUT SIGNIFICANT
TRYING TO PREVENT 4 OFF-SITE RISK
reactor contains more radioactive Primary Daiichi
elements and is potentially more containment
A MELTDOWN IN ALL 3
SERIOUS
INCIDENT

dangerous than the others. vessel THREE REACTORS. 2

INCIDENT

• The worst case

Engineers began 2 scenario: Molten
uranium could melt
1 ANOMALY

DEVIATION
pumping seawater and 0
through the walls of the
boric acid to stabilize containment vessel like
INCIDENT NOT RELATED TO
reactors 1, 2 and 3. SAFETY
lava, and contaminate
• The salt in seawater is
corrosive, meaning the
the environment.
• According to Nuclear
Not another Chernobyl
The Chernobyl reactor had two crucial design flaws that
reactors will never be analyst Kenneth D.
used again. are not present at the Generation II reactors in use at

Meltdown
Fuel
rods 3 Bergeron, the primary
containment vessels at
Fukushima Daiichi are
Fukushima Daiichi:
1) Chernobyl used graphite (carbon) instead of
If the water level falls “not particularly robust” water to “moderate” the neutrons. The graphite
below the level of the fuel and not as good as the caught fire and burned for four days. Water does
rods, this can cause them Sea- one in the accident at not catch fire.
to melt to the bottom of water Three Mile Island in 1979. 2) Chernobyl had no concrete containment
the steel pressure vessel.
RESEARCH BY PIERRE-ETIENNE PARADIS; INFOGRAPHIC BY JUSTIN STAHLMAN/QMI AGENCY