Radiation levels detected on B.C. shores pose no danger to public, says expert
A nuclear scientist at Simon Fraser University has detected small quantities of radiation in local seaweed and rainwater, which he says originated from the earthquake-damaged Fukushima Dai-Ichi nuclear reactor in Japan.
Kris Starosta said researchers detected the radioisotope iodine-131 in samples collected in the Lower Mainland on March 19, 20 and 25.
However, he stressed the levels pose no threat to human health.
Starosta said this assessment is based on studies conducted following the Chernobyl incident in 1986, when levels of iodine-131 were four times higher than what has been detected in the Lower Mainland samples.
“There were studies like this performed after the Chernobyl incident, and the studies”¦ reported higher doses of radiation and concluded there was no impact on health,” he said at a news conference today.
The Fukushima nuclear power plant was damaged by the devastating tsunami off Japan’s northeast coast on March 11, triggered by a 9.0 earthquake.
Starosta said it’s unlikely there would be a full breakdown of the reactor.
“The fact that this reactor didn’t break down after the largest earthquake and a tsunami indicates that the designs are actually pretty good,” he said.
He said the jet stream is carrying the radiation from Japan to North America. While most of it disperses in the atmosphere, some has reached the west coast by mixing with rain and seawater, and accumulating in seaweed.
Rainwater samples were collected at the SFU campus at Burnaby Mountain and in downtown Vancouver, and seaweed samples were collected in North Vancouver. Seaweed samples taken from Vancouver Island’s west coast are also being tested.
Starosta said he and his team of researchers will continue to monitor iodine-131 levels. He predicted the radioisotope will be detected in B.C. three to four weeks after the Fukushima nuclear reactor stops releasing radioactivity.
Comments
6 Comments
glen p robbins
Mar 28, 2011 at 6:07pm
Apparently the radiation coming off the Nuclear facilities is already off the gauge it's so high. Harper says there is nothing to worry about -- why all the detection instruments here on BC's coast?
Perfect storm nuclear fall out--but people don't exhibit symptoms for 10-20 years---------------Harpers retired - while a Tanker goes down with a BP like oil spill on the coast Plenty of future news to talk about.
Homer
Mar 28, 2011 at 11:18pm
Curious, before all this cesium 137 and plutonium stuff causing cancer and lingering for thousands of years escaped, elaborate measures were in place to prevent cesium 137 and plutonium from coming into contact with the environment and people. Now that spinach and people are glowing florescent green like in that episode on “The Simpsons”, the nuclear industry says not to worry.
According to the nuclear industry, solar energy has no future because energy from the sun is free and the nuclear industry can't charge for it. It is much better for us to get our energy from nuclear reactors which can deliver the goods! I see ”¦ maybe people voting Green in Germany are onto something and maybe I’ll be voting Green this time, too. Hooper, Igswiglia and Loontn, scare me.
stylinred
Mar 29, 2011 at 4:44am
Why haven't we been told the mSv amount that has been detected? why are we just told "don't worry"
What is the mSv rating that is being detected? What sort of journalism is this?
pray if you believe in God
Mar 29, 2011 at 9:19am
With regards to the pending and/or ongoing Nuclear Meltdown in Japan, there seems to be a lack of "educational" reporting from which the public can absorb the actual disaster at hand (and for which future generations will be dealing with as well).
We're talking about a mass of a hundred tons of material at five-thousand degrees Farenheit, with water around there, with hydrogen being generated, burning explosively, melting through concrete into soil.
Plutonium is "the most fiend- ishIy toxic substance ever known." Three tablespoonfuls, could cause nine billion human cancers. But each nuclear plant creates thousands of pounds of waste plutonium, and there's no way to store it. The proliferation of nuclear power carries with it the obligation to guard the radioactive garbage . . .not only for our generation but for the next thousand or several thousand."
Plutonium has a half-life of 24,000 years and must be guarded "99.9999 percent perfectly, in peace and war, with human error and human malice, guerilla activities, psychotics, malfunction of equipment....Do you believe there's anything we can guarantee will be done 99.9999 percent perfectly for 100,000 years?"
It's easy to see why Nuclear power has over the years been noted as "A Deal with the Devil".... if there's a God out there we need Her help more than ever.
Sullivan
Mar 29, 2011 at 11:08pm
Radiaton has a shelf life. It has been raining on Vancouver Island in the COWICHAN VALLEY for 5 days and Cowichan lake collects rain water for an area more than 70 sq kms. The crisis in Japan continues and it now appears to be far worst than when Starosta did his testing. Is the radiation accumulating and growing more ... intense? A little hot soup on your skin wont hurt you but if you keep pouring the hot soup on it can do a lot of damage. So the question is is there an accummulation affect taking place? And what about the long term affect of exposure? 1 day, 10 days, 20 days ... 20 minutes in the sun is OK 1 hour in the same sun can really burn you? What does Starsota say about that?
Concerned citizen
Oct 8, 2013 at 10:21am
It appears we are in the thick of the New World Order Culling program which would like to reduce our population to the managable level of 500 million.
If you call me a conspiracy theorist, I will say to you "you have Stockholm syndrome and appathy". Quit being pathetic and get some courage and face the truth.
Many professors are writing about this; it is time to head over to www.globalresearch.ca and have a look at the truth.
Also many alternative news sites like www.infowars.com do not scrub the truth to sound like NPR, (we are all safe).
Be brave and go read these sites...