there were 9 workers at the site of a nuclear fuel leakage accident at a state-run nuclear fuel treatment facility in Ibaraki County, Japan. What happened to the nuclear leak in Japan? What causes the leak?
According to the website of Japan Atomic Energy Research and Development Agency (JAEA), at 14:24 local time on January 30, there was a nuclear leakage accident at a state-run nuclear fuel processing facility in Ibaraki County, Japan. At that time, there were nine staff members on the site. Fortunately, nine people wear half mask and other protective equipment, are not directly exposed to nuclear radiation, and have been evacuated in time.
According to the news, the accident happened at the 'Institute of nuclear fuel cycle engineering' in Donghai village, Ibaraki County, Japan. The staff in the secondary development room of plutonium fuel prepared to replace the rubber cover for two containers containing plutonium and uranium. When the sealing interval was opened, the leaked nuclear material triggered the alarm of monitoring equipment. The staff immediately ran to another room for shelter. After the accident, the monitoring results showed that the nuclear radiation data of the exhaust device and the external environment of the Research Institute did not fluctuate, so it was determined that the nuclear leakage had no impact on the environment.
At present, the cause of the accident is under investigation, and Japan's atomic energy research and development agency said the aging of containers caused by daily use may be the main reason. It is understood that the nuclear facilities of Japan's atomic energy research and development agency have leaked many times in recent years, and the Japanese government has frequently issued warnings to them due to safety issues. In June 2017, a staff member opened a metal container containing powder test materials such as plutonium and uranium. The plastic bag inside the container suddenly broke and the test materials were scattered. Five workers were found to have radioactive substances in their bodies, and the nuclear leak led to the largest internal radiation accident in Japan.