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Sky-high levels of radioactivity in fish from Fukushima means inedible seafood for at least a decade

sky-high-levels-of-radioactivity-in-fish-from-fukushima-means-inedible-seafood-for-at-least-a-decade

Scientists were shocked to learn recently that levels of ionizing radiation in sea life living off the eastern coast of Japan are still exceptionally high following the devastating earthquake and tsunami that struck the region back in March 2011. And according to a new paper published in the journal Science, which draws on a myriad of data collected by the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF), the discovery could mean that seafood from Japan will be inedible for at least the next decade.

Since the disaster first occurred, researchers from Japan have been routinely catching and analyzing sample fish from the waters near the Fukushima Prefecture, which became tainted by radioactive runoff from damaged cooling pools and failed reactors following the disaster. The goal has been to continually test fish in the area to see whether or not levels of radioactive isotopes have fallen since the time earlier tests were conducted, which were verified at the time to be in excess of federal limits.

Much to the team’s surprise, radiation levels were found to still be about the same as they were before, indicating that either the Fukushima plant is still leaking radioactive materials, or that these radioactive materials have been accumulating at the ocean’s bottom, where fish continue to become exposed to them. In either case, cod, flounder, halibut, pollock, skate, sole, and various other bottom-feeding fish living in the area are likely unsafe for human consumption for at least the next ten years.

“These fish could have to be banned for a ling time,” said Ken Buesseler, a senior scientist at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Massachusetts, and author of the new paper. “The most surprising thing for me was that the levels in the fish were not going down. There should have been much lower numbers.”

Among roughly 9,000 fish sampled, Buesseler observed that levels of cesium-134, the half-life of which is about two years, are generally the same as they were a year ago. Cesium-134, of course, is the same toxic substance that was found in U.S. soil samples collected just months after the Fukushima disaster (naturalnews.com), as well as in the U.S. milk supply. (naturalnews.com/)

“There’s no doubt there’s a continued source of contamination,” added Buesseler, noting that contamination could be coming from either the Fukushima plant, the sea floor, or both. “There is the on-going leakage into the ocean of polluted ground water from under Fukushima, and there is the contamination that’s already in the sediments just offshore,” he told BBC News.(bbc.co.uk/)

Sources for this article include:

http://www.guardian.co.uk
http://www.newscientist.com

NaturalNews
By Ethan A. Huff

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5 Comments

  1. Who writes this shit !!! Like who believes that the Scientists are SHOCKED !!! LOL

    Scientists were shocked to learn recently that levels of ionizing radiation in sea life living off the eastern coast of Japan are still exceptionally high following the devastating earthquake and tsunami that struck the region back in March 2011.

    Please gimme a BREAK!!!! Of course it’s inedible – Media so irresponsible – they act like a bunch of 5 year old kids with the power of gods.

  2. Well, all I know is I am not eating fish anymore. No Thank you! There are so many ” going on” in my opinion.

    I am not waiting for the government to declare “Not Safe to Eat Fish” .

    No fish, no corn, no soy. So far so good.

    Not missing any of it!

  3. Thankfully someone has some sense, from the New Scientist write-up –

    “Surprisingly, perhaps, Buesseler doesn’t think his finding should alarm consumers. New Japanese regulations are so stringent that many fish consumed around the world naturally contain much higher levels of other radioactive isotopes.

    “You hear people saying ‘any caesium is bad’. Well, you can’t really say that when we’re eating fish that have natural levels of potassium-40 in them that are 10 times higher and not considered a health risk,” says Buesseler.”
    and
    “It doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be concerned about these man-made radionuclides but we should put it in the context of these [other] sources of man-made and natural isotopes we are exposed to,” says Buesseler.

  4. Maybe they should also examine the area where the supposed Nuke was set off,causing the tsunami in the first place,conspiracy theory or not ,one should not leave a stone unturned. Should be a fairly procedure,even from a Satellite,however those in control are unlikely going to release that Data. Greenpeace could go to that area and take readings.I’d have no problem accepting their findings. I know Fukushima is a mess and no one can or have the political will to do anything about it.
    God help us all when #4 collapses.

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