Quote:
Originally Posted by termogard
No, spent fuel rods were submerged in water just because water serves as coolant and prevents them to overheat. Overheated spent fuel rods may get ablaze. Sea water can absorbs products of radioactive fallout i.e. strontium-90 or cobalt-60.
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It both acts as a coolant and as a way to contain the radiation.
You can look down through 40m of water at them and not get a significant dose of radiation. 40m of air would not provide the same protection.
*Absorption* and *travel* are different things. Being absorbed into the water reduces the amount that would be absorbed into living things. Something that has been
exposed to radiation doesn`t always end up
contaminated with radiation. If the water is absorbing the contamination, while fish may be exposed they won`t necessarily be contaminated. There is a difference that people should be aware of. This is why food can be irradiated without passing any of the radiation on to those eating the food. Exposure vs. contamination.
Radioactive
particles can get into the food chain, but it is just as likely in as out of the water.
But either way, it is a moot point because right now there are larger dangers to eating any fish caught in that immediate area. I highly doubt there is going to be much commercial fishing going on in the area for some time as the ports have been washed away, the boats crushed, and the seabed torn up and covered with debris. Not to mention that there is huge difficulty in getting any supplies up there, let alone shipping out fish.