China: Excessive radiation in marine life near Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant
August 24 (Xinhua) – Biological samples taken from waters in the Western Pacific region east of Fukushima, Japan show excessive radiation levels, said a statement from China’s State Oceanic Administration on Wednesday. The administration suggested that government agencies intensify radiation testing of marine products from the targeted waters to protect public health in China. According to the statement, the levels of strontium-90, a radioactive isotope of strontium, found in squids are 29 times higher than the average background level of samples taken from China’s coastal waters. This indicates that these waters have been clearly affected by radioactive material that leaked from the crippled nuclear power plant in Fukushima during the massive earthquake and tsunami disaster on March 11, the statement said. The samples were also found to contain argentum-110m and cesium-134, which are normally difficult to detect in biological samples from China’s coastal waters, the statement said. The administration sent professional personnel to these waters in June to monitor the impact of the nuclear crisis at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, as well as its impact on China’s territorial waters. During their 18-day voyage ending on July 4, the monitoring team collected air, water and biological samples from the target areas. Radioactive cesium-137 and strontium-90 have been detected in all water samples while cesium-134 has been found in 94 percent of the samples, the statement said. The highest amounts of cesium-137 and strontium-90 in the samples were 300 times and 10 times, respectively, the amount of natural background radiation in China’s territorial waters.
Excessive Radiation Found in Sea Organisms Near Japan’s Nuke Plant
By arevamirpal::laprimavera
25 August 2011 Radioactive strontium found in firefly squid off Fukushima coast, plus cesium-134 (half-life of about 2 years) and silver-110m (half life about 250 days). Strontium-90’s half life is about 30 years. From Jiji Tsushin (8/24/2011):中国国家海洋局は24日までに、福島県沖でサンプルとして採取したホタルイカから中国沿海生物の29倍に当たる放射性物質ストロンチウム90を検出したと発表した。中国沿海生物では通常検出されないセシウム134や、ガンマ線を放出する銀110mも検出された。 China’s State Oceanic Administration announced on August 24 that strontium-90 was detected in the firefly squid caught off the coast of Fukushima Prefecture in the amount that was 29 times as high as the marine organisms along the coast of China. Cesium-134, which is normally never detected in the marine organisms along the coast of China, and silver-110m, a gamma-ray emitter, were also detected. 同局は「福島県の東から東南方向の西太平洋は明らかに原発事故の影響を受けている」として、この海域の水産物に対する放射性物質の検査を強化するよう関係部門に求めた。 The State Oceanic Administration considers that “the western Pacific Ocean to the east and southeast of Fukushima Prefecture has been clearly affected by the nuclear plant accident” and has ordered the related agencies to strengthen the inspection of the marine products off the coast of Fukushima for radioactive materials.
On August 15, China’s State Oceanic Administration announced that the evidence their survey ship had collected off the coast of Fukushima indicated a much wider contamination of the Pacific Ocean than the Japanese government had admitted so far. If the firefly squid was caught in this survey, they are talking about the Pacific Ocean 800 kilometers east of the Fukushima coast.
Radioactive Strontium in Firefly Squid Off Fukushima Coast, Says China
