[jiggawatts]

It's a relative statement.

In this case, leaking molten sodium merely causes a nontoxic metal fire. Definitely in the category of "not fun", but not the end of the world either. Just dump some sand on it and wait for it to cool down.

Leaks of molten salt nuclear fuels are an entirely different category of industrial disaster. A nuclear accident at best, and a large-scale disaster at worst.

It's like the difference between a water truck having an accident and spilling water on the road and a damn bursting and flooding a city.

One makes for a funny picture on Reddit, the other gets the national guard called up to deal with the emergency. Both involve spilled water.

[Gravityloss]

Salt can be extremely chemically inert. Very different from sodium. Also it has very low vapor pressure so different from water.

[jiggawatts]

Not the salts used in reactors. Toxic element are used like fluorine, not to mention the fuel that’s dissolved into it.

[Gravityloss]

I use fluoride tooth paste every day. I wouldn't put sodium in my mouth...

[jiggawatts]

You put sodium in your mouth every day. It's in salt!

Fluoride in toothpaste is toxic. You have to spit it out, not swallow it. The small quantities used are fine, but if ingested a significant amount, you'd get a "not fun" trip to hospital.

[Gravityloss]

Sodium in a sodium cooled reactor is not in salt form.

[irjustin]

I don't recommend continuing the thread. The parent commenter isn't talking about the science and closer to strawman/whatabout-isms.