Strontium at 240 times legal limit found in seawater near stricken Fukushima plant

Tokyo, June 12 (DPA) – Radioactive contamination from the stricken nuclear power facility Fukushima has worsened, the operators TEPCO warned Sunday, with probes of groundwater seawater turning up traces of strontium that were 240 times above the allowable maximum limit. Nuclear regulatory authorities reported finding the dangerously radioactive element near the damaged reactors 1 and 2. The Kyodo news agency said it was the first discovery of strontium in the groundwater and was possibly caused by leakage resulting from pipelines being stopped up. …

Strontium found in groundwater near stricken Fukushima plant

[Update – Corrects story: “seawater” vs. “groundwater”.] June 13 (Kyodo) Radioactive strontium up to 240 times the legal concentration limit has been detected in seawater samples collected near an intake at the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, Tokyo Electric Power Co. said Sunday. The utility said the substance was also found in groundwater near the plant’s Nos. 1 and 2 reactors. The government’s Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency said it is the first time that the substance has been found in groundwater. The agency said it is necessary to carefully monitor the possible effects of the strontium on fishery products near the plant.

High level of strontium found at Fukushima plant

[Update 2: Corrects story again: “seawater” and “groundwater”.] Highly radioactive strontium was detected in the groundwater at the crippled Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant for the first time, Tokyo Electric Power Co. said June 12. TEPCO said strontium was also found at five locations in the sea around the plant. Although strontium had previously been detected in soil on the plant’s premises, a sample collected on May 18 from groundwater around the No. 1 reactor showed 0.078 and 0.022 becquerel of strontium-89 and strontium-90, respectively, per cubic centimeter. Another sample from groundwater near the No. 2 reactor showed 19 and 6.3 becquerels of strontium-89 and strontium-90, respectively, per cubic centimeter. The substance, leaked from the plant’s reactors, is believed to have seeped into the groundwater via rainfall. The radiation level of strontium detected in the sea areas was measured at up to 240 times the safety standard. A seawater sample gathered on May 16 from around an intake outlet of the No. 1 through No. 4 reactors contained 26 times the safety standard for strontium-89 and 53 times the standard for strontium-90. The radiation levels of strontium-89 and strontium-90 were also measured at 67 times and 117 times their safety standards, respectively, at an intake outlet of the No. 2 reactor. At an outlet of the No. 3 reactor, the levels were 80 times the standard for strontium-89 and 240 times the strontium-90 standard. …

Strontium detected in groundwater and sea around Fukushima plant