The Day Chemical Reactions and Particles Changed the Destination of Radioactivity Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant Invisible Pathways of Environmental Contamination Drawn by Water, Iron, and Cesium (2011-2020)

The Day Chemical Reactions and Particles Changed the Destination of Radioactivity Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant Invisible Pathways of Environmental Contamination Drawn by Water, Iron, and Cesium (2011-2020)
In the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident, complex chemical reactions that cannot be explained by mere leakage of radioactive materials were responsible for the spread of environmental contamination. In the high-temperature, high-pressure, and highly radioactive cooling water, many iron oxide particles generated by corrosion of pipes and equipment were suspended, which may have adsorbed cobalt and cesium and acted as carriers. Iron oxide strongly adsorbs cobalt ions, and the corrosion particles in the reactor may have behaved in a similar manner. Cesium is more complicated. Experimental studies have shown that in soil, cesium is fixed to clay, but in a high-temperature environment such as that in the reactor, the amount of cesium adsorbed decreases and the amount released increases as cesium is desorbed from the particulate matter. In addition, the oxidation and melting of zirconium cladding at high temperatures produces glassy particulate CsMP mixed with silicate
, which has been found in large quantities in the environment. The high concentration of cesium in the interior also contributed to the formation of localized hot spots. These differences in chemical and particle morphologies affected the environmental transport and decontamination difficulty, and prolonged the accident consequences. The chemistry of water, iron, and cesium illustrates the structure of environmental destruction.