About Jonathan Golob

Dear Science

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  Why can't Fukushima get worse than Chernobyl?

  3 0 "Is Fukushima worse than Chernobyl?" is a bit like asking "Are the Mariners a bigger disaster than the Seahawks?" Both are disasters, but in different ways. First, let's acknowledge the similarities. Both the Chernobyl disaster and the Fukushima disaster have resulted in radioactive elements leaking out of containment, into the environment. We know very little--at this time--how much radioactive material has leaked out of the Fukushima complex; for Chernobyl we have some information.The Iodine-131 that leaked out of the Chernobyl disaster has been blamed for about 4000 incidents of Thyroid cancer--primarily in children who ate radioactive iodine-contaminated milk, from cows that ate the Iodine-131 that leaked from Chernobyl. Now, the differences: Unlike after Chernobyl--and despite this event occuring in the context of a much larger disaster--for Fukushima, those most at risk of injury from Iodine-131 are being provided non-radioactive iodine in pill form, to protect against this possible injury. The Chernobyl plant had a design that resulted in rapid failure (in the matter of seconds) when the coolant water was lost. In contrast, the Fukushima reactors failed slowly, over the course of hours and days--allowing time for emergency responders to anticipate and prepare for the concequences of the failures. At Chernobyl, only one reactor (in a complex of several) failed. At Fukushima, several reactors have failed, and there is the added (and potentially more serious problem) of damage to nuclear waste storage pools. Due to a terrible flaw in the Chernobyl reactor design, a massive explosion distributed the leaking radioactive elements over a gigantic geographic area--including most of Western Europe, aside from the Iberian peninsula. In contrast, the Fukushima explosions have been comparatively tiny, steam explosion and hydrogen gas fires. While damaged, the Fukushima reactors have both primary and secondary containment buildings to help block or slow the leaks into the environment. Chernobyl had no such containment buildings, with one hastily constructed by workers subjected to high radiation levels. The Fukushima disaster a terrible accident, with short- and long-term concequences for those who live around the plants. Until more information comes out, and we know if the struggles ongoing at the plant succeed in containing the radiation, we won't know how to compare the ultimate effects of this disaster to those in the past. Jonathan Golob answered in Earthquake! about 1 year ago Answer, comment & read 4 more answers »

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  Should I cancel my trip to Beijing?

  5 0 There is no reason, at this time, to cancel a trip to Beijing because of this nuclear disaster. Even in Tokyo, much closer to these plants than Beijing, the measured radiation levels have only been about twice above normal background radiation--and nowhere near doses needed to cause health problems. If you wish to be really cautious on your trip, I would avoid feeding your children iodine-rich foods harvested from places nearby to the leaking plants. The typical air and water pollution present in Beijing is, was, and will likely be for some time, a far greater health risk to adults and children than the nuclear disaster. Jonathan Golob answered in Earthquake! about 1 year ago Answer and comment »

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  Does it make sense to stock up on iodine?

  5 1 One of the elements being released from the damaged Fukushima reactor complex is a radioactive version of Iodine, called Iodine-131. This radioactive kind of Iodine was also released during the Chernobyl disaster. For people in the immediate vicinity of the leaking reactor who ate foods contaminated by the radioactive iodine, there were negative health concequences. Most people were exposed by drinking milk from cows that had grazed on grass contaminated with the radioactive iodine. Particularly for children, being exposed to this kind of Iodine can increase the future chance of coming down with Thyroid cancer. Radioactive Iodine-131 is short lived, losing almost all of it's radioactivity within about 40 days (or five half-lives of 8 days). For those in Japan, nearby the Fukushima plant, taking non-radioactive iodine helps keep the radioactive version from being absorbed. This medicine isn't perfectly safe. People can develop allergic reactions to it, and if they overdose, people can die of heart arrhythmias. For someone in the United States (including California, Washington, Oregon and even Hawaii), the amount of radioactive Iodine reaching us is (at this point) too small to accept the risk of taking the medicine. It might be wise to avoid eating iodine-rich foods that are harvested or collected from the parts of the Pacific Ocean most showed by debris from the reactors--at least until about a Month and a half after the reactor leaks are all fixed. There is a limited supply of this medicine, due to the crisis. Please do not stockpile it, and keep it from reaching those (in Japan) who really, desperately need it right now. Stockpiling Potassium Iodide right now is both unnecessary and unethical. Jonathan Golob answered in Earthquake! about 1 year ago Answer, comment & read 6 more answers »

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  If an earthquake hit in Elliott Bay, aren't we all fucked?

  4 0 The Seattle Fault (roughly paralleling I-90, extending across Elliot Bay) is probably the closest thing to what you're worrying about. The Seattle fault is quite similar to those that caused the Kobe and Northridge Earthquakes. Given that the fault is right in town, and extends under the bay, Seattle is predicted to receive severe damage when it ruptures--with a limited sort of Tsunami-like wave in the Sound that would be likely to inundate the waterfront, downtown and other low-lying areas. This fault is quite different from the one off the Pacific Northwest Coast (the Cascadia Subduction Zone) or the fault that just ruptured in Japan. With all that said, it is very unlikely that we'd all 'pretty much be fucked, no matter how prepared we were'. If you have an option, try not to live in an older brick building, or an older (non-flexible) concrete building. Support stronger building codes (in part, by opposing the BIAW and voting Democratic). Keep a readily accessible cache of water and non-perishable food, as well as some warm clothing. Meet your neighbors. While there will almost certainly be fatalities and injuries when the Seattle Fault ruptures, the majority of us should fair fairly well. Jonathan Golob answered in Earthquake! about 1 year ago Answer, comment & read 2 more answers »

• Comment on Fnarf's answer…

  0 0 My only defense is sometimes it's my head that is exploding. Jonathan Golob commented over 3 years ago

• Follow Following 1 Is it wrong of me to enjoy when Will in Seattle drives people crazy in Slog comments? Jonathan Golob asked in Whatever over 3 years ago 3 Answers by Fnarf, AWOL , elenchos…

• Follow Following 1 Why aren't you watching Better Off Ted? Jonathan Golob asked in Entertainment & Film over 3 years ago 6 Answers by Renée, Kip Waddle , Kevin Shurtluff…

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  Hawaii, Mexico, or Europe?

  0 0 Florence. Well, Florence if you love excellent food, astonishing art and the finest science history museums on the planet. Jonathan Golob answered in Whatever over 3 years ago Answer, comment & read 3 more answers »

• Follow Following 1 Why do most people find high school science class so boring? Jonathan Golob asked in Science & Technology over 3 years ago 9 Answers by kitsu, O. Monique , Renée…

• See all of my 3 Questions , 5 Answers and 1 Comment