SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
An aerial view shows the tsunami-crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Fukushima Prefecture, from over the Pacific off Minamisoma, in this photo taken by Kyodo September 11, 2012. (REUTERS/Kyodo)
Fukushima May Still Be Leaking Radiation Into Sea
Elevated levels of caesium in fish indicate radiation is still being released, according to a scientist's findings
Oct 26, 2012
The Fukushima nuclear plant may still be leaking radiation into the sea, according to an article published Friday in the journal Science.
According to the analysis from Ken Buesseler, senior scientist at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution of the United States, 40% of bottom feeding fish near the site of the nuclear disaster still show elevated levels of radiation.
"The fact that many fish are just as contaminated today with caesium 134 and caesium 137 as they were more than one year ago implies that caesium is still being released to the food chain," Buesseler wrote in "Fishing for Answers off Fukushima," which used a year's worth of data gathered by the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF).
"The (radioactivity) numbers aren't going down. Oceans usually cause the concentrations to decrease if the spigot is turned off," Buesseler told the Associated Press in an interview. "There has to be somewhere they're picking up the cesium."
"Option one is the seafloor is the source of the continued contamination. The other source could be the reactors themselves," he said.
TEPCO, the operator of the plant, also didn't rule out the possibility that there was still a leak, Reutersnotes:
Asked if Tokyo Electric, also known as Tepco, could confirm that the plant is not leaking radiation into the sea any more, a spokeswoman said: "Tepco cannot say such a thing, but we have confirmed that radiation levels are declining in both the sea water and seabed soil around the plant."
The findings could have a long-term impact on the Japanese diet and fishermen.
"These fish could have to be banned for a long time. The most surprising thing for me was that the levels [of radioactivity] in the fish were not going down. There should have been much lower numbers," said Ken Buesseler, told the Guardian in an interview.
He adds, the BBC reports: "At one level, there shouldn't be any surprises here but on another, people need to come to grips with the fact that for some species and for some areas this is going to be a long-term issue; and with these results it's hard to predict for how long some fisheries might have to be closed,"
Join Us: News for people demanding a better world
Common Dreams is powered by optimists who believe in the power of informed and engaged citizens to ignite and enact change to make the world a better place. We're hundreds of thousands strong, but every single supporter makes the difference. Your contribution supports this bold media model—free, independent, and dedicated to reporting the facts every day. Stand with us in the fight for economic equality, social justice, human rights, and a more sustainable future. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover the issues the corporate media never will. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
The Fukushima nuclear plant may still be leaking radiation into the sea, according to an article published Friday in the journal Science.
According to the analysis from Ken Buesseler, senior scientist at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution of the United States, 40% of bottom feeding fish near the site of the nuclear disaster still show elevated levels of radiation.
"The fact that many fish are just as contaminated today with caesium 134 and caesium 137 as they were more than one year ago implies that caesium is still being released to the food chain," Buesseler wrote in "Fishing for Answers off Fukushima," which used a year's worth of data gathered by the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF).
"The (radioactivity) numbers aren't going down. Oceans usually cause the concentrations to decrease if the spigot is turned off," Buesseler told the Associated Press in an interview. "There has to be somewhere they're picking up the cesium."
"Option one is the seafloor is the source of the continued contamination. The other source could be the reactors themselves," he said.
TEPCO, the operator of the plant, also didn't rule out the possibility that there was still a leak, Reutersnotes:
Asked if Tokyo Electric, also known as Tepco, could confirm that the plant is not leaking radiation into the sea any more, a spokeswoman said: "Tepco cannot say such a thing, but we have confirmed that radiation levels are declining in both the sea water and seabed soil around the plant."
The findings could have a long-term impact on the Japanese diet and fishermen.
"These fish could have to be banned for a long time. The most surprising thing for me was that the levels [of radioactivity] in the fish were not going down. There should have been much lower numbers," said Ken Buesseler, told the Guardian in an interview.
He adds, the BBC reports: "At one level, there shouldn't be any surprises here but on another, people need to come to grips with the fact that for some species and for some areas this is going to be a long-term issue; and with these results it's hard to predict for how long some fisheries might have to be closed,"
The Fukushima nuclear plant may still be leaking radiation into the sea, according to an article published Friday in the journal Science.
According to the analysis from Ken Buesseler, senior scientist at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution of the United States, 40% of bottom feeding fish near the site of the nuclear disaster still show elevated levels of radiation.
"The fact that many fish are just as contaminated today with caesium 134 and caesium 137 as they were more than one year ago implies that caesium is still being released to the food chain," Buesseler wrote in "Fishing for Answers off Fukushima," which used a year's worth of data gathered by the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF).
"The (radioactivity) numbers aren't going down. Oceans usually cause the concentrations to decrease if the spigot is turned off," Buesseler told the Associated Press in an interview. "There has to be somewhere they're picking up the cesium."
"Option one is the seafloor is the source of the continued contamination. The other source could be the reactors themselves," he said.
TEPCO, the operator of the plant, also didn't rule out the possibility that there was still a leak, Reutersnotes:
Asked if Tokyo Electric, also known as Tepco, could confirm that the plant is not leaking radiation into the sea any more, a spokeswoman said: "Tepco cannot say such a thing, but we have confirmed that radiation levels are declining in both the sea water and seabed soil around the plant."
The findings could have a long-term impact on the Japanese diet and fishermen.
"These fish could have to be banned for a long time. The most surprising thing for me was that the levels [of radioactivity] in the fish were not going down. There should have been much lower numbers," said Ken Buesseler, told the Guardian in an interview.
He adds, the BBC reports: "At one level, there shouldn't be any surprises here but on another, people need to come to grips with the fact that for some species and for some areas this is going to be a long-term issue; and with these results it's hard to predict for how long some fisheries might have to be closed,"
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.