LEVELS OF NUCLEAR POLLUTION

[maria angelica sassone]

The media reports warning that the risk of nuclear plant accident in Fukushima is at level 7, the full scale . Which means and what consequences can result in accident 

Accidents happen on Sunday from the Fukushima nuclear power plant raised the alert of the INES scale, an instrument that is used worldwide to set the information of nuclear events.

Depending on the scale of International Atomic Agency, the nuclear events are classified into seven levels .

The newspaper El Mundo explained that from 1 to 3 are considered "incidents" , while the 4-7 refers to "accidents" and each level rise on the scale indicates the severity of events is approximately ten times higher the previous.

Fukushima is at level 7.

One by one

Level 1. At this level includes the overexposure of a person over the statutory annual radiation levels . Minor problems with safety components. And the loss or theft of radioactive sources.

Level 2. This includes the exposure of a person over 10 millisievert or exposure of a worker above the annual regulatory limits . In addition, level 2 would be established when radiation levels exceeding 50 millisievert when operating in an area, significant pollution within a facility, major security flaws, but no significant effect or inadequate packaging source high radioactivity.

Level 3. Exhibition 10 times higher than the annual levels in a worker , non-lethal effect on health, such as burns, severe pollution in an area not covered, loss or theft of a source of high radioactivity and error handling.

Level 4. Liberation radioactive materials under a death by radiation , fusion fuel or fuel damage causes a release greater than 0.1% of core inventory, and release considerable quantities of radioactive materials within a facility.

Level 5. Limited release of radioactive material that requires the taking of countermeasures, a number of deaths by radiation, severe damage to the reactor core and release of large quantities of radioactive material in an installation as Windscale Pile occurred in Britain in 1957.

Level 6. Significant release of radioactive materials . Occurred in 1957 in the Russian central Kyshtym. This is the level that is now the central Fukushima

Level 7. Liberation serious radioactive materials reaching effects on health and the environment , which requires the application and extension of countermeasures. This is the case of the Chernobyl disaster in 1986.