Tepco Says Freshwater Injections Start at Two Fukushima Reactors

Tokyo Electric Power Co. said Friday it began injecting freshwater into reactors No. 1 and No. 3 at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant to improve cooling efficiency, according to a report.

Workers had previously injected seawater into the reactors, creating a risk that a crust of crystallized salt could form on the nuclear fuel rods in the reactor. Such an event would diminish the cooling effect, TEPCO said, according to Kyodo News.

The company is also preparing to inject freshwater into the No. 2 reactor core.

Meanwhile, highly radioactive water was found in the turbine buildings of the No. 1 and No. 2 reactors, according to the report.

On Thursday, three workers were injured when they were exposed to highly radioactive water at the No. 3 reactor building.

The International Atomic Energy Agency said Friday in a report that Unit 1 has electricity in it central room with offsite power and some of its instrumentation. Unit 3 has lighting in the central room but no power to its instrumentation.

Meanwhile, reactor pressure was decreasing at 1, as well as seawater injection.

The IAEA said the three subcontracting workers exposed at Unit 3 were working in the basement with water on the floor. Two were taken to a hospital with contamination to their feet.