Calling All Nuke Experts: 'Tepco Finds Extreme Levels Of Radioactivity In Fukushima Fish'

[WillyT]

Tepco Finds Extreme Levels Of Radioactivity In Fukushima Fish
By Tsuyoshi Inajima and Yasumasa Song - Bloomberg
Aug 21, 2012 11:19 PM PT

<snip>

Tokyo Electric Power Co. found record high levels of radioactive cesium in fish it caught for tests within 20 kilometers of the coast from the crippled Fukushima Dai-Ichi nuclear plant.

The utility detected a combined 25,800 becquerels per kilogram of cesium 134 and cesium 137 in a greenling caught on Aug. 1, it said yesterday in a statement. That beat the previous high of 18,700 becquerels per kilogram found in cherry salmon and is 258 times the level of cesium Japan’s government considers safe for consumption, Kyodo News reported.

The government banned shipments of fish from waters off Fukushima since May last year, with the exception of two types of octopus and one type of shellfish that have shown to be within cesium safety levels, said Noriyuki Mizobe, a group manager in the resources and environment research division of Japan’s Fisheries Agency.

Neighboring Ibaraki and Miyagi prefectures have introduced voluntary restrictions on certain fish shipments and radiation testing of catches. Other prefectures, including all bordering the Pacific coast, are testing fish catches for radiation, he said.

<snip>

Link: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-08-22/tepco-finds-extreme-levels-of-radioactivity-in-fukushima-fish.html

[Wednesdays]

1. Oh, man. The nightmare never ends

Let's just hope this is the worst of it, and that any contamination dissipates quickly.

[longship]

2. Cs 137 has 30+ year half life.

And Cs is absorbed into bones (AFAIK). It doesn't go away.

There should be a fishing exclusion zone within a certain distance from Fukushima. Even then, there will be fish with exposures. But those will likely be below a critical level where health is affected. The secret it to set the exclusion zone so that it is below that level.

For this, it requires oversight by science and government enforcement. One thing we can be sure of, TEPCO should not be trusted on these matters.

[Sirveri]

15. Biological half life of Cs is I believe 7 years.

So you'll lose half of all your Cesium every 7 years. I believe you're correct about the uptake site for Cesium, though that one might target the GI system (I often confuse radio strontium and radio cesium biological uptake pathways).

Cs 134 only has a half life of 2.0652 years. Decays to Barium 134 which is stable. More Data: http://www.nndc.bnl.gov/chart/decaysearchdirect.jsp?nuc=134CS&unc=nds
Cs 137 has a half life of 30.08 years, decays to Barium 137 which is stable. More Data: http://www.nndc.bnl.gov/chart/decaysearchdirect.jsp?nuc=137CS&unc=nds

Both particles has similar intensity emissions for beta making them equally harmful in relation to consumption.

Without specific % of occurance between 134 and 137 contamination it is impossible to determine ecological recovery time, that said they can attain that information with the passage of time since they have the fish and can simply scan it again at a future known date and check the drop and computer percentages that way. Other factors such as dispersion and currents will cause levels to dissipate at varying rates. I'm not an oceanography expert so I can't comment on that.

The issue is not exposure but contamination. Exposure without contamination actually makes the fish theoretically safer to eat, as in high enough doses it will kill harmful entities inside the fish (and the fish as well).

But I agree with the general thrust of your message.

[robinlynne]

3. the poor animals had absolutley nothing to do with it. We humansmake all the other species suffer.

[upi402]

4. That small country sure fucks up a lot of fish

& Whales etc...

Just saying

[Blackhatjack]

5. I knew we could count on TEPCO to tell the truth on radiation exposure

Anyone who believes anything TEPCO says about the radiation levels emanating from the Fukushima nuclear power plants is ignoring the plain reality .... this is a much bigger problem and much more dangerous problem than the official line has led people to believe.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

6. Net the area to prevent fish from entering the hot zone...

...assuming the radiation isn't drifting in the current.

I know after the Baker blast the water itself was radiated.

[img][/img]

[Hydra]

7. *shudder*

They say a picture is worth a thousand words- that picture is worth a thousand shudders!

So. Much. Wrong. in one photo...

[Spitfire of ATJ]

12. There were THREE shots scheduled during Crossroads...

...Able was an airburst over the target. Baker was an underwater test and Charley was to be a deep water test but after the unexpected radioactive steam of Baker Charley was canceled.

A deep water test was finally done years later off the coast of San Diego.

The really weird thing is that one solution to the Fukushima problem is to target it with a nuke. Disintegrate the whole thing in a fireball with a rapid half life. The Russians considered that with Chernobyl too. The question would be if the fuel at the plant would boost the power of the blast.

The idea being to make it so the area is usable in a single lifetime instead of 30 of them.

[Hydra]

14. Ya, all of the sane options were out as soon as the plant was in place

We'll just have to see what else is in pandora's box.

[DonRedwood]

8. The pronuc nuckleheads will say they are not connected

The ocean is full of weird looking fish. We are so sure these fish are safe we serve them to our orphans and seniors!

[Spitfire of ATJ]

13. Three eyes are better than two.

[img][/img]

[Junkdrawer]

9. As you move up the food-chain, those levels will be concentrated...

It's going to get hard to find pacific tuna that are not contaminated. Question will be HOW contaminated. From what I hear, US authorities are only saying "within acceptable limits" and refusing to give numbers.

[Octafish]

10. This isn't on my television screen anymore.

Problem solved.

Not.

Until they stop the unmitigated release of radioactive substances into the air, land and sea, things will only get worse for Humanity.

For instance:

A Public Service Announcement Regarding PLUTONIUM

Like germs, because we don't see radiation, that doesn't mean it isn't there.

[nadinbrzezinski]

11. Eat your banannas

(It is called bio-concentration by the way)