What happens if there is a large-scale release of radioactive material?
During a press briefing today, the Union of Concerned Scientists’ Lyman said the biggest concern is the spent fuel pools because of the lack of a containment barrier. If the radioactive cesium and iodine were released at a high rate, as happened at the Chernobyl accident, it would be a major problem. “If there were a large release of cesium, it could potentially create a zone that would be uninhabitable without extensive clean up,” Lyman said. Those fragments are energetic enough that they can be absorbed by the skin, not only by breathing, he said.
