Reply #12: No Pam, you seek to falsely represent the danger associated with the contaminants from the meltdowns

[kristopher]

I asked you "Please discuss the deposition density of the contaminants around the various coastal marine food sources exploited by the Japanese and the process of bio-accumulation.


Here again is the EPA contradicting your assertions.

Exposure to Strontium-90

Strontium-90 is also found in waste from nuclear reactors. It is considered one of the more hazardous constituents of nuclear wastes. ...


How does strontium-90 change in the environment?
...The half-life of Sr-90 is 29.1 years, and that of Yttrium-90 is 64 hours. Sr-90 emits moderate energy beta particles, and Y-90 emits very strong (energetic) beta particles.
Strontium-90 can form many chemical compounds, including halides, oxides, and sulfides, and moves easily through the environment.

How do people come in contact with strontium-90?
Everyone is exposed to small amounts of strontium-90, since it is widely dispersed in the environment and the food chain. Dietary intake of Sr-90, however, has steadily fallen over the last 30 years with the suspension of nuclear weapons testing. People who live near or work in nuclear facilities may have increased exposure to Sr-90. The greatest concern would be the exposures from an accident at a nuclear reactor, or an accident involving high-level wastes.

How does strontium-90 get into the body?
People may inhale trace amounts of strontium-90 as a contaminant in dust. But, swallowing Sr-90 with food or water is the primary pathway of intake.

...How can strontium-90 affect people's health?
Strontium-90 is chemically similar to calcium, and tends to deposit in bone and blood-forming tissue (bone marrow). Thus, strontium-90 is referred to as a "bone seeker." Internal exposure to Sr-90 is linked to bone cancer, cancer of the soft tissue near the bone, and leukemia. Risk of cancer increases with increased exposure to Sr-90. The risk depends on the concentration of Sr-90 in the environment, and on the exposure conditions.

...EPA uses its Safe Drinking Water Act authority to establish maximum contaminant levels (MCLs) for beta emitters, such as strontium-90, in public drinking water. The MCL for beta emitters is 4 millirem per year or 8 picoCuries per liter of water.

http://epa.gov/radiation/radionuclides/strontium.html

Calculator for converting becquerels to picocuries
http://www.unitconversion.org/radiation-activity/becquerels-to-picocuries-conversion.html