After the Russian attack that caused a fire at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine, the biggest fear is that the heat generated by the fire could break the containment structure of the reactor. This is the opinion of nuclear weapons expert Jeffrey Lewis, who spoke to CNN this Friday (4th).
So far, radiation monitoring conditions, which were updated a few hours after the fire started, appear “normal,” according to Lewis, director of the East Asian Non-Proliferation Program at the James Martin Center for Non-Proliferation Studies.
He explains that near the plant, there are radiation detectors “everywhere” that can detect any spike in radiation. “The reactors are large sealed concrete structures. They must not catch fire.”
James Acton, co-director of the Nuclear Policy Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, said the biggest concern is whether the fire disrupted the reactor’s cooling systems. If they cannot cool, the fuel inside can overheat and melt.
“I’m sure the reactor was shut down. But the fuel inside it is still radioactive and still needs to be cooled. You must keep the reactor cool while the fuel is inside. The reactor must be kept cold continuously,” he added.
If the cooling stops, a meltdown can happen in a few hours or days, depending on the radioactivity in the reactor, says the expert.
Source: CNN Brasil
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