Comparison of Fukushima and Chernobyl nuclear accidents

Comparison of Fukushima and Chernobyl nuclear accidents

The following table compares the nuclear accidents in Fukushima Daiichi (2011) and Chernobyl (1986) nuclear plants.

Fukushima Daiichi
Fukushima I by Digital Globe crop.jpg
 Chernobyl
Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant.jpg
Location Japan Ukraine (ex. Soviet Union)
Date of the accident March 11, 2011 April 26, 1986
Plant comissioning date 1971 1977
Years of operation before the accident 40 years 9 years
Electrical output 4.7 Gigawatts 1 Gigawatt
Type of reactor Boiling water with containment vessel Graphite moderated without containment
Number of reactors 6 — 4 (and spent-fuel pools) involved in accident 4 — 1 involved in accident
Amount of nuclear fuel in reactors 1,600 tons 180 tons
Cause of the accident Shut down of cooling system due to tsunami Accidental failure during safety feature experiment
Maximum level of radiation detected 800 mSv 200,000 mSv
Radiation released 370 PBq (as of 12 April 2011) 5,200 PBq
Area affected Radiation levels exceeding annual limits seen over 60 kilometres (37 mi) to northwest and 40 kilometres (25 mi) to south-southwest, according to officials. An area up to 500 kilometres (310 mi) away contaminated, according to the United Nations.
Exclusion Zone Area 20 km (30 km voluntary) 30 km
Population relocated 300,000 About 115,000 from areas surrounding the reactor in 1986; about 220,000 people from Belarus, the Russian Federation and Ukraine after 1986
Direct casualties from the accident none 31 (64 confirmed deaths from radiation as of 2008, according to the UN)
Current status Restoration of coolant to reactors and spent-fuel pools in progress. Radiation leaks continue and could eventually exceed radiation released at Chernobyl, according to officials. All reactors were shut down by 2000. The damaged reactor is encased in concrete. A New Safe Confinement structure is expected to be completed in 2013.

Last update April 12, 2011 (reference from BBC News).

References

[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10]

  1. ^ Fukushima I nuclear accidents
  2. ^ Deaths due to the Chernobyl disaster
  3. ^ How Much Fuel Is at Risk at Fukushima?
  4. ^ Scientific Facts on the Chernobyl Nuclear Accident. Green Facts.
  5. ^ Chernobyl Accident. World Nuclear Association.
  6. ^ Fukushima Nuclear Crisis Unwrapped
  7. ^ Fukushima Nuclear Accident. IAEA Update Log
  8. ^ Chernobyl Disaster
  9. ^ Chernobyl City
  10. ^ BBC News: Fukushima and Chernobyl compared

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