Radioactive iodine found in (Tokyo) Japan tap water

[Turborama]

Source: AFP Via Channel News Asia

OSAKA - Traces of radioactive iodine have been detected in tap water in Tokyo in the wake of an emergency at a quake-hit Japanese nuclear power plant, the government said Saturday.

Abnormal levels of radioactive iodine were also found in the water supply in the central prefectures of Gunma, Tochigi, Saitama, Chiba and Niigata, said an official at Japan's science ministry, which is monitoring radiation levels.

But the levels were far below Japan's legal limit, said the official, who did not want to be named.

Earlier the government said it had discovered abnormal levels of radiation that exceeded the legal limit in milk and spinach from areas near the stricken plant, but they posed no immediate threat to humans.


Read more: http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_asiapacific/view/1117553/1/.html

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Earlier article as the OP.

NEWS ADVISORY: Traces of radioactive iodine found in tap water in Tokyo, other areas: gov't
Kyodo News
It was on their front page but has gone. It's here now: http://english.kyodonews.jp/news/

[Art_from_Ark]

1. Interesting that the article does not mention Ibaraki

which is the prefecture (state) that borders Fukushima on the south and lies between Fukushima on one side and Saitama and Chiba (both of which the article does mention) on the other.

[nc4bo]

2. The radiation map of Japan shows Ibaraki radiation levels extremely high..

I guess someone forgot to turn off the monitoring for that perfecture as the did for other "under survey" or "n/d" areas.

http://www.targetmap.com/viewer.aspx?reportId=4870

[Art_from_Ark]

4. Great

How long will it be before I start glowing in the dark?

[Raschel]

5. How are you holding up? Are you staying inside? Can you or do you plan on leaving Japan?

:hug:

[Art_from_Ark]

13. I'm holding up pretty well (so far)

I really appreciate your concern :hug:

I'm staying inside as much as possible, and checking the latest atmospheric radiation reports from the High-Energy Physics Laboratory ( http://rcwww.kek.jp/norm/ ). Right now, the wind is blowing most of the radiation out to sea. Current radiation level here is 0.16 micro-sieverts per hour, which is higher than the average for here, but supposedly comparable to the US national average.

At this stage, I don't know if I will stay or leave. Right now, things are holding up. The US Embassy in Tokyo is offering American citizens and their dependents travel to "safe havens" elsewhere in East Asia (and I would have to make further travel arrangements at the destination) so that is one option. I could also go to a somewhat safer area of Japan much farther from Ground Zero. I've also checked flights to the US on the Internet and see that there are quite a few seats available for the coming week, at regular prices. So I'm not going to panic just yet.

[girl gone mad]

8. Are you in Tokyo, Art?

I wanted to ask you something last week, but now I forgot what it was.

[Art_from_Ark]

10. I'm between Tokyo and the Daiichi complex

about 100 miles or so south of the nukes.

[girl gone mad]

16. I hope the worst of it is behind you all.

Stay safe and warm.

:hug:

[nc4bo]

12. Stay safe and know there are many who are thinking of you all! nt

[Art_from_Ark]

14. Thanks

I really appreciate the emotional support. :hi:

[BumRushDaShow]

6. That's a cool map.

Thanks for posting! :)

[nc4bo]

11. Thanks for the thanks but I can't take the credit. Another DUer posted and I

found myself using it more and more.

Glad you can use the info there!

[ensho]

3. Tokyo is only 140 miles from the hell

not far enough to escape danger

[somone]

7. Tokyo's number is 1.5 Bq/kg - the tolerable limit is 300 Bq/kg

according to http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/03/19/us-japan-water-idUSTRE72I29J20110319

300 Bq/kg is widely considered to be the safe limit for human consumption. I wouldn't worry about Tokyo just yet.

[ikri]

9. One question

Is the radioactivity from the nuclear plants or has it been there, unnoticed, for a while now but they've not tested for it until now?

[defendandprotect]

15. If you want to befoul the land, water and poupulation, build nuclear reactors -- !!

[nc4bo]

17. OMG poor Ibaraki. What I'd like to know is

if everything's coming under control, why in the hell are these radiation levels increasing and we're not talking little increases? http://www.targetmap.com/viewer.aspx?reportId=4870





ETA link.

[suffragette]

18. They've found cesium, too.

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/world/51468953-68/japan-plant-nuclear-fukushima.html.csp

Tokyo’s tap water, where iodine turned up Friday, now has cesium.Th Rain and dust are also tainted. The Health Ministry also advised Iitate, a village of 6,000 people about 19 miles northwest of the Fukushima plant, not to drink tap water due to elevated levels of iodine.

In all cases, the government said the radiation levels were too small to pose an immediate health risk. But Taiwan seized a batch of fava beans from Japan found with faint — and legal — amounts of iodine and cesium.




Some specific amounts per district in this article and looks like more info on levels coming soon:

http://english.kyodonews.jp/news/2011/03/79673.html
The education ministry plans to compile data on levels of radioactive materials in tap water from all prefectures once a day in principle. In addition, the ministry will start to announce levels in atmospheric fallout such as rain and dust.