Asahi: Radioactive contamination ‘soaring’ in Fukushima groundwater — Strontium and other beta emitters up 4,500% in recent days; Cesium rises nearly 1,500% — Tepco says it doesn’t know why levels spiked (VIDEO)

NHK, Aug. 6, 2013: [...] on Monday, TEPCO detected high levels of radioactive substances in groundwater collected at a monitoring well close to the turbine building of the No. 2 reactor where highly radioactive water accumulated in its basement. The level of radioactive cesium was 14 times higher [960 Bq/L vs 65 Bq/L] than the reading logged last Wednesday. Strontium and other radioactive materials that emit beta rays were 46 times higher [56,000 Bq/L vs 1,200 Bq/L]. TEPCO officials say they do not know the cause for the spikes, and they will further look into how contaminated water has spread and what effects it has brought.

Asahi Shimbun, August 6, 2013: Radioactivity levels soared 47-fold over just five days in groundwater from a monitoring well on the ocean side of the crippled Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant, the plant operator said Aug. 5. Tokyo Electric Power Co. said 56,000 becquerels of radioactive substances, including strontium, were detected per liter of groundwater sampled on Aug. 5 in the “No. 1-5” monitoring well, which is adjacent to the turbine building for the No. 1 reactor. The previous measurement for the well water was made on July 31. [...]

Tepco Press Release, Aug. 5, 2013: [...] the latest situation concerning the detection of high densities of Tritium and Strontium in the observation hole at the east side of the Unit 1-4 Turbine Buildings [...] Groundwater observation hole No. 1-5 (west of the groundwater observation hole No.1-3)

* Aug. 5, 2013: Cesium-134 @ 310 Bq/L; Cesium-137 @ 650 Bq/L; All-β @ 56,000 Bq/L
* July 31, 2013: Cesium-134 @ 21 Bq/L; Cesium-137 @ 44 Bq/L; All-β @ 1,200 Bq/L

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