Why are the nuclear authorities pouring seawater into the reactor? What effect does that have?
The seawater — the only water supply they have — hits the hot fuel rods, which are at risk of overheating and eventually melting, and acts as a cooling agent by steaming the water. Think of the rods as the element in a kettle that keeps on producing heat, said Rick Holt, professor of nuclear materials and NSERC Industrial Research Chair of Nuclear Materials at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ont. “It’s not something hot that you’re cooling down, it’s something that’s continually generating heat.” The water then boils and is released as steam, functioning much like your body does when it sweats. Energy is released through radioactive decay and the amount of energy released is reducing all the time, he said. “That’s one of the saving graces of the situation – every day there’s less heat to dispose of, so the amount of cooling is less every day.” Boric acid is also being used alongside the water to help prevent a nuclear chain reaction, Prof. Holt said.
