Alistair_Heaton
Mechanical
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independant newspaper. said:It is not immediately obvious why the recent reactions have taken place but one possibility is that a costly new shelter placed over the chamber five years ago could be to blame.
The original concrete and steel structure – hastily erected in the fallout of a calamity the Soviet Union tried in vain to hush up – was known to leak and it is possible that the rainwater allowed in through gaps in the canopy actually helped to cool the chamber and suppress fission reactions.
Without sufficient water in the chamber, there may be nothing to slow down the ricocheting neutrons, which are emitted by decaying uranium or plutonium fuel, meaning the fission reactions could intensify.
The situation has been likened by Neil Hyatt of the University of Sheffield, an expert in nuclear waste disposal, to “embers in a barbecue pit”.
“It’s a reminder to us that it’s not a problem solved, it’s a problem stabilised,” he said, moving to downplay the severity of the problem as it stands but warning against any escalation.
“We’re talking about very low rates of fission, so it’s not like a fizzing nuclear reactor,” he said.