Wayne State Nuclear Expert Dr. Claude Pruneau Discusses Situation in Japan

DETROIT (WJBK) - Looking through the plumes coming out of the nuclear reactors in Japan from a distance, Wayne State Physicist Dr. Claude Pruneau will break down the headlines for you.  Reports of rods melting or overheating mean caesium and iodine are being released into the atmosphere.  The mix of radioactive materials does pose a threat.

"Near the power plant right now the level of twice what is considered legal.  And so is that a concern?  Yes.  It's a concern.  Is this something to go and panic?  Probably not," he said.

The U.S. uses partial nuclear, coal, oil and hydroelectric energy to produce power.  In Japan, 30-percent of the power comes from nuclear plants.  When the earthquake struck, the reactors heated up.

"I'm sure the Japanese authorities will monitor the ground and if there are significant deposits ... they will do a clean-up," said Pruneau.

The experts say this will likely be nothing like the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster in Russia.  Instead, the way the nuclear plants are handled in Japan seem to be a little bit safer.

"Because there wasn't a secondary containment vessel.  Here in this case ... as is the case of all U.S. power stations, there is a secondary containment vessel.  So, if the first vessel breaks down somehow, you still have containment within the secondary system," Pruneau said.

He explains the radioactive iodine's life cycle is eight days and it can cause cancer.  Caesium can survive for 30 years in the ground and water.  Since Japan is an island, plenty of it will be absorbed by the ocean eventually, the professor says, with minimal radioactivity.

"Even though it's bad that there is a release, much of that radioactivity will be mixed through the ocean and the ... impact on the marine life will probably be very, very small," said Pruneau.

One of the ways the Japanese government is trying to help control the damage is by giving citizens large volumes of iodine so they can ingest it and not absorb any of the radioactive iodine.  It's something they hope will help.