Zeev
The contamination in the reactor core comes from leakage of radioactive gasses (Radon, etc.) produced during fission and also comes to some extent from imperfections in the rods which are sufficient to allow the escape of the medium weight radioactive byproducts. The fact that nuclear reactors have large emission towers gives you the hint that some emissions are taking place. But generally the emissions from a modern boiling water reactor are actually small compared to the emissions from coal fired plants.
The spent fuel rods themselves are highly radioactive with elements such as Strontium 90, etc. In addition, the plutonium itself is exremely poisonous material. If you even get a tiny speck of it on your skin your hair will likel fall out. If you ingest it it will kill you.
It takes a sophisticated reprocessing plant to handle these spent rods and extract the various radioactive and non radioactive residue. Thus it makes sense for Iran to ship these rods to Russia for reprocessing.
It also somewaht puzzling as to whther North Korea has spent the money neccessary on reprocessing facillities. If they don't have these facillities then how can they get the Plutonium???
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