04.04.2011, 13:43 5432

Japanese engineers put dye into radioactive water

The Fukushima technicians injected liquid dye into Unit 2 reactor in an attempt to trace the route of highly radioactive water flowing from a reactor into the sea, Kazakhstan Today reports.

Almaty. April 4. Kazakhstan Today - The Fukushima technicians injected liquid dye into Unit 2 reactor in an attempt to trace the route of highly radioactive water flowing from a reactor into the sea, Kazakhstan Today reports.

Japanese engineers put dye into radioactive water on Monday to check if they had managed to stop a leak from one reactor at the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant but one official warned it would be months before the crisis was under control, Reuters reported.

An aide to embattled Prime Minister Naoto Kan said on Sunday that the government's priority now was to stop radiation leaks from the Fukushima nuclear plant, 240 km (150 miles) north of Tokyo, and that the situation had "somewhat stabilised".

Engineers at plant operator Tokyo Electric Power Co (TEPCO) have been scrambling to find anything that will help stop the leaks and prevent reactors from overheating.

They mixed sawdust and newspapers with polymers and cement to try to seal a crack in a concrete pit at reactor no.2, where radioactive water has been seeping into the sea.

"We were hoping the polymers would function like diapers but are yet to see a visible effect," said Hidehiko Nishiyama, a deputy director general of the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency.

Nishiyama said three of the six reactors were now generally stable. TEPCO has said it will scrap at least four reactors once they are under control, but this could take years or even decades.

Japan's crisis has rocked the nuclear industry and the European Union said on Sunday it will affect the fight against climate change as energy policies are reviewed.

Germany and Switzerland have said they will shut older reactors or suspend approvals, China has suspended approvals for new plants, and Taiwan is studying cutting nuclear output.

Japan may review its pledge to cut its 2020 greenhouse gas emissions by 25 percent from 1990 levels in the wake of the Fukushima nuclear power plant crisis, Japanese media quoted a senior environment ministry official as saying.

The 9.0 magnitude quake and tsunami left nearly 28,000 people dead or missing and Japan's northeast coast a splintered wreck. The disaster has hit economic production and left a damages bill, which may top $300 billion.

Photo: BBC News

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