Fukushima Nuclear Meltdown free essay sample

The epicentre was reported to be 130 kilometres off the east coast of the Oshika Peninsula, Tohoku, with the hypocenter at a depth of 24. 4 kilometres; it took approx. 10 minutes for the first tsunami to hit the shore. Tsunamis continued to hit the shores after 24 hours. The tsunami warning issued by the Japan Meteorological Agency was the most serious on its warning scale; it rated as a â€Å"major tsunami†, the greatest being for Miyagi at 6  m high. The tsunami inundated a total area of approximately 561  km2 in Japan. The 9. MW Tohoku earthquake occurred at 14:46 JST on Friday, 11 March 2011. The Fukushima I facility had not initially been designed for a tsunami of the size that struck the plant, nor had the reactors been modified when later concerns were raised in Japan and by the IAEA. When the earthquake occurred, the reactors on Units 1, 2, and 3 were operating, but those on Units 4, 5, and 6 had already been shut down for periodic inspection. We will write a custom essay sample on Fukushima Nuclear Meltdown or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Units 1, 2 and 3 underwent an automatic shutdown (called SCRAM) when the earthquake struck. TEPCO reported that one of the two connections to off-site power for Reactors 1–3 also failed so 13 on-site emergency diesel generators began powering the plants cooling and control systems. There are two emergency diesel generators for each of the Units 1–5 and three for Unit 6. The earthquake was followed by a 13–15  m maximum height tsunami arriving approximately 50 minutes later which topped the plants 5. 7  m (19  ft) seawall, flooding the basement of the Turbine Buildings and disabling the emergency diesel generators located there at approximately 15:41. The Fukushima II plant, which was also struck by the tsunami, incorporated design changes which improved its resistance to flooding and it sustained less damage. Generators and related electrical distribution equipment were located in the watertight reactor building, so that power from the grid was being used by midnight. Massive amounts of radioactive materials were released from the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant to environment due to the Great East Japan Earthquake. However, precise information on exactly what occurred and on what is still ongoing is yet to be established. This lack of information raises serious concerns about biological influences on living organisms that could ultimately produce long-term destruction of ecosystems and cause chronic diseases. In the case of the Chernobyl accident, changes in species composition and phenotypic aberration in animals and an increase in the incidence of thyroid and lymph cancers in humans have been reported. Similarly, an increase in the incidence of cancers has been reported for atomic bomb survivors in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan. However, the effects of low-dose radiation exposure on animals, including humans, are still a matter of debate despite the relatively rigorous documentation of physiological damage to animals from external high-dose radiation exposure. Moreover, one of the greatest concerns is the possible inheritance of the adverse effects of exposure by the offspring of the exposed individuals. (Scientific Reports, 2012). This would have caused Japans Death rate to rapidly increase, and the birth rate to decrease. Experts on the ground in Japan agree that mental health challenges are the most significant issue. Stress, such as that caused by dislocation, uncertainty and concern about unseen toxicants, often manifests in physical ailments, such as heart disease. So even if radiation risks are low, people are still concerned and worried. Behavioural changes can follow, including poor dietary choices, lack of exercise and sleep deprivation, all of which can have long-term negative health consequences. According to U. C. Berkeleys McKone people, who lost their homes, villages and family members, and even just those who survived the quake, will likely continue to face mental health challenges and the physical ailments that come with stress. (Wikipedia the free Encyclopaedia, 2012). This might have caused many Japanese mental illnesses to form. In conclusion, this essay has proven that the 2011 nuclear meltdown caused a negative effect on the country of Japan, causing mental health issues, and nuclear radiation caused the surrounding area to become inhospitable. References 1. Answers, 2012, â€Å"When did the Fukushima nuclear accident happen? †30/10/12, http://wiki. answers. com/Q/When_did_the_Fukushima_nuclear_accident_happen 2. NXTnews, 2012, â€Å"Japan Earthquake 8. 9 Richter scale, 2011†30/10/12, http://www. nxtnews. com/japan-earthquake-8-9-richter-scale-2011/#ixzz2Al7t0bIa 3. Scientific Reports, 2012, â€Å"The biological impacts of the Fukushima nuclear accident†, 30/10/12, http://www. nature. com/srep/2012/120809/srep00570/full/srep00570. html 4. Wikipedia the free Encyclopaedia, 2012, â€Å"Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster† 30/10/12, http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Fukushima_Daiichi_nuclear_disaster 5. Wikipedia the free Encyclopaedia, 2012, â€Å"Japanese reaction to Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster†, 30/10/12, http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Japanese_reaction_to_Fukushima_Daiichi_nuclear_disaster#Long_term_effects 6. Wikipedia the free Encyclopaedia, 2012, â€Å"2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami†30/10/12, http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/2011_T%C5%8Dhoku_earthquake_and_tsunami# Tsunami