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A comment on Nuclear-fusion reactor doubles record for energy made from fusing atoms. Parent comment

Re:Nuclear-fusion reactor doubles record for energy made fro... by ncmncm on Thursday February 24, 2022 @04:07PM (#30460283)
Thousands of tons of radioactive molten lithium would be quite noticeable if spilled, especially since it would instantly burst into flame, and spraying water on that would make it explode.

On the plus side, it wouldn't be very radioactive, not like a nuke meltdown. Mostly molten and on fire.

[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Nuclear-fusion reactor doubles record for energy made fro... by ncmncm on Friday February 25, 2022 @05:56PM (#30473387)
... and emitting deadly lithium oxide fumes:

"Acute inhalation toxicopathology of lithium combustion aerosols in rats", A.H.Rebar, B.J.Greenspan, M.D.Allen

"Male and female F344/Lov rats were exposed to aerosols produced by burning lithium metal under conditions designed to simulate a fire in the containment building of a fusion reactor. ... 14-day LC50 values ... were 940 mg/m^3 ... necrotizing laryngitis and ulcerative rhinitis"

[0] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/3089861/

[1] https://sci-hub.se/10.1016/0272-0590(86)90197-1

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