RAdiation in Japan

[lenser]

Are any of Fuji's film manufacturing plants or warehousing facilities anywhere near the damaged reactors and has there been any discussion about effects on any of their products from the leaking radiation?

[Frank Petronio]

So far it's been very overblown, the radiation seems to be minimal. If it was enough to damage film, we'd be worrying about more important things.

But our lovely media equates any radiation leakage, no matter the amount, as a giant catastrophe.

[lenser]

Agreed about the likely minimal effects and the likely hugely overblown media reporting, but since radiation is cumulative on film products, I was curious about film stocks being either manufactured or warehoused in any nearby area where it could be affected by long term exposure.

[Richard Mahoney]

... If it was enough to damage film, we'd be worrying about more important things. ...

Thank you for maintaining the relative scale of value here Frank. Yes, if our film supply was at risk, then many people would be at risk, and really, that would be far more worrying ...


Kind regards,

Richard

[Vaughn]

So far it's been very overblown, the radiation seems to be minimal. If it was enough to damage film, we'd be worrying about more important things.

Actually, our man at Kodak (ex-Kodakian, actually) says the opposite. The factories in Rochester had to install extra filters, etc due to radioactive dust from the A bomb testings in Nevada, way back when. It does not take much to upset the manufacturing of film.

But if you are referring only to the film in our fridges, you are correct.

To quote him (Ron):

Film is hyper sensitive to all radiation. If there is any present, they will have to introduce draconian methods at the Fuji plant in Ashigara to eliminate the problem.

Kodak had to introduce radiation protection in the 40s and 50s just due to the testing of nuclear weapons in the US and Pacific oceans. Radiation has a far reach even if it is near or below allowed limits. This equipment is still in place at Kodak Park, but has not been in operation in recent years AFAIK. If they have been maintained, and if Kodak were to see any problem, it would be just a matter of turning a few switches and the scrubbers would be reactivated.

[Frank Petronio]

Great, I know where to go when the wind blows it here!

I wonder if it was installed in case of nuclear attack during the Cold War, when photographic film was vital to national security? Had we actually been nuked they would have needed all that....

[Vaughn]

Russia tested their first A bomb in 1949 -- so it sounds like some of the work in NY may pre-dated the Atomic portion of the Cold War.

[Drew Wiley]

There was far more radiation put into the upper atmosphere and scattered around the
globe during the Cold War above-ground bomb testing days. If you think film mfg had
a problem, that was also the time when carbon 14 dating began, and the tests would
totally screw up the atmospheric balance of radiation which they had to null out. Not
a good time to live in Vegas. Maybe Bugsy got knocked off so easily one nite because
the gunmen could see him glowing in the dark!

[domaz]

If Kodak had to introduce scrubbers because of the Pacific tests it's quite possible Japan had to as well. Maybe Fuji already has scrubbers ready to go as well..

[Richard Raymond]

The major radiation problem for Fuji at any plant in Japan will be with the use of water in the production of the film. This is where they will first see increased levels of radiation. I do not know what their tolerance limits are for this in their production runs.
By the by, because the winds are prevailing to the east from the Pacific island tests Japan was less effected than the US.
Ric

[Vaughn]

The water will be (probably always has been) highly filtered. Since it is not the H2O that is actually radioactive, but instead the particles in it, it might be able to be filtered/distilled enough to use in film manufacture. Of course this will concentrate the radioactive particles.

The drinking water in Tokyo has been declared unsafe for babies to drink due to radioactivity, and thus already contains enough radioactive particles to cause problems in making the film.

[Sevo]

The Fujifilm plant is quite near Mt. Fuji - besides being 100km off the opposite end of Tokyo, the water around there will contain elevated levels of natural radioactivity from recent volcanic activity, so they probably are already de-mineralizing their process water.

[Jim Michael]

You can't assume that all radioactivice contamination is particulate in nature since a substance could dissolve in water. For example (and not to be confused with the current situation) in the positron lab we used a solution of Na 22 chloride in water in order to create positron sources for experiments.


The water will be (probably always has been) highly filtered. Since it is not the H2O that is actually radioactive, but instead the particles in it, it might be able to be filtered/distilled enough to use in film manufacture. Of course this will concentrate the radioactive particles.

[Drew Wiley]

Can't imagine them using tap water for anything but industrial effluent.

[Vaughn]

Thanks, Jim...did not know that. And since it is a radioactive iodine that is the problem, perhaps this is dissolved in the water and not particulate in nature.

[Sevo]

Likely, but any filtration used for such a purpose will have a demineralization/desalination stage which would catch that.

[Vaughn]

On another forum it was mentioned that the iodine would have to be precipitated out.

[Ole Tjugen]

I-131, the radioactive isotope in question, has a half life of 8 days. It decays to Xe-131, which is both stable and non reactive. That means that after a month there will only be 1/16th of the radioactivity left.

That means that this is a temporary problem which will go away on its own in a (relatively) short time.

[Drew Wiley]

What is a relatively short time? The disaster in question isn't even resolved yet. How
this will impact production of sesitized materials is one kind of problem, how it will
disrupt mfg in Japan in general due to energy and logistic issues is another. I just
bought enough Fuji paper to tide be over awhile.

[Kirk Keyes]

in order to create positron sources for experiments.

Cool - I love antimatter!