Hot spot (radioactivity)

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A hot spot is a narrow, relatively heavily radioactively contaminated place. It can arise, for example, from radioactive particles that originate from a nuclear accident or a nuclear weapon explosion, are transported by the wind and are deposited unevenly in different places.

Hot spots are typical for all types of radioactive fallout , for example from nuclear weapon explosions and from the Chernobyl disaster in 1986. The security work in Chernobyl was made more difficult by hot spots.

During the Fukushima nuclear disaster , a noticeable hotspot arose in the Japanese village of Iitate , which was later completely evacuated . On the power plant site, the violent explosion of a reactor block created hotspots of radioactive waste with a radiation dose rate of up to 1000 millisieverts per hour . To protect the workers, the power plant operator created a site plan on which these points are drawn. Work in the reactor buildings was also hampered by hot spots. Attempts were made to cover them with lead mats.

When radioactive waste is transported by Castor, hot spots occasionally occur on the transport containers. It is true that no radioactive material escapes from the castors themselves. However, it happens that the cooling water causes small particles, e.g. B. from the spent fuel pool in which the fuel assemblies were previously stored, reach the container and thus cause external contamination. Hot spots are also repeatedly found on the means of transport of the castor containers .

Radioactive hot spots also arise - intentionally and to a safe extent - during scintigraphy . In this medical procedure, radioactive substances are introduced into the human body in order to find damaged tissue.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Radioactive precipitation . In: Atomwaffen AZ . January 2006. Archived from the original on April 12, 2011. Retrieved on April 12, 2011.
  2. ^ The Society for Radiation Protection warns: Fukushima catastrophe 1 . Society for Radiation Protection . March 23, 2011. Archived from the original on April 12, 2011. Retrieved on April 12, 2011.
  3. ↑ Earthquake Report - JAIF, No. 89 ( English , pdf; 203 kB) Japan Atomic Industrial Forum . May 22, 2011. Archived from the original on May 23, 2011. Retrieved on May 23, 2011.
  4. ↑ Survey map of Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station as of 17:20 on April 23, 2011 ( English , pdf; 620 kB) Tepco . March 23, 2011. Archived from the original on April 30, 2011. Retrieved on May 1, 2011.
  5. ↑ Earthquake Report - JAIF, No. 78 ( English , pdf; 120 kB) JAIF / NHK . May 10, 2011. Archived from the original on May 10, 2011. Retrieved on May 18, 2011.
  6. ↑ Radioactive hot spots from condensation water . World online . May 28, 1998. Archived from the original on April 12, 2011. Retrieved on April 12, 2011.