Kelp off Southern California was contaminated with radioisotopes after Japan’s Fukushima accident

Kelp off Southern California became contaminated with short-lived radioisotopes a month after Japan’s Fukushima accident, a sign that the spilled radiation reached the state’s coastline, according to a new study.

Scientists from California State University, Long Beach tested giant kelp collected in the ocean off Orange County and other locations after the March, 2011 accident, and detected radioactive iodine, which was released from the damaged nuclear reactor. The largest concentration was about 250-fold higher than levels found in kelp before the accident. The radioactivity had no known effects on the giant kelp, or on fish and other marine life, and it was undetectable a month later.

Spread in large, dense, brown forests across the ocean off California, Macrocystis pyrifera, known as giant kelp, is the largest of all algae and grows faster than virtually any other life on Earth. It accumulates iodine so Manley realized it would be a useful dosimeter to check how far radioactive material spreads. In addition, giant kelp concentrates radioactive iodine 10,000-fold – for every one molecule in the water there would be 10,000 in its tissues.

The level of radioactive iodine found there – 2.5 becquerel per gram of dry weight -- was well above levels sampled in kelps prior to the Fukushima release, according to the paper, published this month in the journal Environmental Science & Technology.The scientists estimated that the entire kelp tissue on the surface at Corona del Mar contained about one millicurie.

                                                      

 Kelp

Water containing radioactive substances leaked again from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant into the ocean

Water containing radioactive substances may have leaked into the ocean from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant on April 5, 2012. The leakage was at a pipeline carrying concentrated radioactive water from a desalination device to a storage tank. The leak was contained after 30 minutes when valves were closed.

Tokyo electric Power Company (TEPCO) estimates roughly 12 tons of contaminated water may have escaped into the ocean. High levels of cesium 134 and 137 were confirmed at the point of the leak roughly 300 yards from the ocean, but no detectable amounts of radioactive contamination have been found in the sea water.

The company will further investigate the possible spread of contamination and its potential impact in the ocean, including the existence of beta radiation that could contain harmful strontium, company spokesman Yoshikazu Nagai said.

The amount of water reportedly released was tiny compared with the amount Tepco dumped into the ocean during the early weeks of the accident. The Japanese government alarmed neighboring countries in April last year when it approved the discharge of 10,000 tons of low-level radioactive water from the plant as Tepco ran out of space to store the water used to cool reactors.

A leakage incident near the desalination facility similar to the occurring on April 5, 2012 one was also reported March 26. Such problems have cast doubts about the plant's stability long after the government declared in late December the reactors had been brought under control.

New Leak at Japan Reactor Threatens Ocean 

Reheating concern in the Fukushima reactor in Japan

Concern is growing that the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant is no longer stable after temperature readings indicated that one of its damaged reactors was reheating.

The temperature inside No 2 reactor may have reached 82C on today.

Tepco increased the amount of cooling water injected into the reactor along with a boric acid solution, which is used to prevent the fuel from undergoing sustained nuclear reactions.

The reheating may force the government to reverse its declaration two months ago that the crippled plant was in a safe state known as cold shutdown.

Tepco stated that the cause of the t temperature rise is unkown, and might be due to problems with the supply of coolant or a faulty thermometer.

Tepco was previously forced to inject additional cooling water into the same reactor last week after the temperature started rising.

  

 Fukushima reactor in Japan before the earthquack 

A Probe of the radiation leak and threat of Cesium continues in Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant

      Japan's nuclear agency has recently ordered the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant operator to explain the cause of the latest leakage of radioactive water into the ocean, and what preventive measures will be taken in the future.The new leak was discovered only after 21 hours according to TEPCO. The contaminated water contained radioactive cesium and strontium according to TEPCO.  According to the utility it will take at least two weeks to analyze the strontium level in the water.

The continued leak is of great concern as information about cesium found in baby milk powder continues to be a threat. According to experts even though the dose is small it may be necessary to ban milk products from the effected area.

Despite protest from the milk industry and milk distributors in Japan, Chiyoda-ku, one of the 23 Special Wards in Tokyo, conducted the analysis of the food served in the school lunches at elementary schools, middle schools, kindergartens and nursery schools in the ward., 17.9 becquerels/kg of radioactive cesium was detected at one private nursery school.

      Japan's nuclear agency has recently ordered the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant operator to explain the cause of the latest leakage of radioactive water into the ocean, and what preventive measures will be taken in the future.The new leak was discovered only after 21 hours according to TEPCO. The contaminated water contained radioactive cesium and strontium according to TEPCO.  According to the utility it will take at least two weeks to analyze the strontium level in the water.

The continued leak is of great concern as information about cesium found in baby milk powder continues to be a threat. According to experts even though the dose is small it may be necessary to ban milk products from the effected area. The Japanese milk powder maker Meiji has recalled its baby formula after discovering radioactive cesium in the product. 

Despite protest from the milk industry and milk distributors in Japan, Chiyoda-ku, one of the 23 Special Wards in Tokyo, conducted the analysis of the food served in the school lunches at elementary schools, middle schools, kindergartens and nursery schools in the ward., 17.9 becquerels/kg of radioactive cesium was detected at one private nursery school.

The recalled baby formula

New Survey Shows Radiation Spread Over a Wide Area

The first thorough soil survey from areas around the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant found extensive ground contamination. Another evaluation warned of the continued threat to Japan's food chain, underscoring the major challenges Japan still faces in its radioactive cleanup efforts.

Half a year after the nuclear accident, the country’s education ministry released the first comprehensive survey of soil contamination within a 62-mile radius, showing that more than 30 locations extending over a wide area have been contaminated with long-lasting radioactive cesium.

The extent of reported contamination raises concerns about how quickly can these locations can be cleaned up, and the dangers of radioactive materials spreading to a wider area through wind or rain as well as the food chain..

A worker from the Japan Atomic Energy Agency measures radiation levels in Fukushima

Wildfire surrounds the nuclear lab in Los Alamos, New Mexico

The wildfire that surrounds the nuclear lab in Los Alamos, N.M., has increased to at least 61,000 acres amid growing concerns about radiation spread from nuclear waste that is stored at the facilityty. Most of Los Alamos 12,000 residents were evacuated.
The Los Alamos facility which is the birthplace of the atomic bomb contains approximately 20,000 barrels of nuclear waste which is not contained within a concrete, brick-and-mortar-type building, but are stored in a  fabric-type building that a fire could easily consume.
The fear of radiation spread has prompted fire crews to set their own fires along the perimeter of the lab. So far, the strategy is working as the first air samples show lots of smoke, but no signs of elevated radiation.

 Los Alamos, New Mexico fire

Attempts to prevent further explosions at Japan nuclear plants

After stopping highly radioactive water from flowing into the Pacific Ocean, workers at Japan's nuclear power complex are attempting to prevent more hydrogen explosions. Workers are cooling down the plant's reactors, which have been overheating since March 11. Because they are unable to restore normal cooling systems workers have resorted to pumping water into the reactors and letting it gush wherever it can. Technicians were expected to start pumping nitrogen into an area around one of the plant's six reactors to counteract the hydrogen. The injection could release radioactive vapor into the environment. They want to prevent hydrogen explosions at all costs because they could spew radiation and damage the reactors.