Radioactive water slows nuclear cooling

摘要

Hundreds of workers trying to restore cooling systems at Japans crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant have been hindered by radioactive water in flooded turbine buildings and reportedly leaking from reactor units. On 24 March, three workers were exposed to high localized radiation (around 2-3 sieverts in total) while standing in water in a building near reactor 3 to work on electricity cables. They were hospitalized (pictured, covered by tarpaulin) but released four days later. As Nature went to press, Japan's Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency warned of contaminated water in overflow tunnels from three reactor units, reaching a potentially lethal dose of 1 sievert per hour on its surface.