Fukushima radiation spreads further than most would like to think – but is it dangerous to you? Image by Decoded Science.
On March 11, 2011, a huge earthquake and subsequent tsunami hit the east coast of the northeast Island of Honshu, Japan. We have all heard the results; major radioactivity emissions occurred involving a particularly bad actor, Cs-137.
So what’s new? Dispersion across the Pacific ocean. At the time of the accident and after, Fukushima released huge amounts of radionuclides into the Earth’s atmosphere and the Pacific ocean.
As the currents carry this radioactive material across the Pacific to the shores of United States, there have been many opinions on its direct impact to life on the coastal communities and the fishing industry.
To understand what’s really going on, we must delve into how we measure radiation, safe limits of radiation, and how much Cs-137 will hit the U.S. when it finally gets here. Let’s start with measuring radiation.
How To Measure Radiation
To understand how much Cs – 137, which has a half-life of 30 years, is going to hit the Pacific Coast of the United States, you must understand the meaning of the measurements.
Radioactivity, simply put, is the amount of ionizing radiation a material releases, or the amount of radiation a material gives off. It’s the amount a radioactive material decays, by emitting gamma, alpha, beta, x-rays or neutrons.
- The units of measure for radioactivity are Curie (Ci) or Becquerel (Bq).
- One Curie is 3.7×1010 Bq (37 billion Becquerels), and has a decay rate of one disintegration per second; a very large number.
- Rad or Gray: For radiation a person absorbs, the standard unit is Rad or Gray.
- Rem or Sievert: For the biological risk of exposure, amount we absorb plus medical effects, the unit is Rem or Sievert.
- Remember that a Curie or Becquerel will tell you the amount of energy release, while a Rem or Sievert will tell you how much is deposited in living tissue.
Which system you use to measure radiation depends on whether you are a U.S. agency (Curie, Rad and Rem) or international (Becquerel, Sievert and Gray). Japan and other countries use the term Becquerel.
High Exposure Produces Death or Radiation Sickness
What we know, regardless of what units we use, is how high the exposure needs to be to produce death or radiation sickness. The lower the dosage, however, the less certain the data. There is tremendous variation in ocean flow, weather and just plain background information, and few have correlated these differences with radiation affect on health.
For example, 500 millisieverts (mSv) or more can begin to cause symptoms of radiation poisoning. The average background dose (the amount we’re exposed to just from living here) in the U.S. is 2.6 mSv and the legal limit for annual exposure in Japan for emergency nuclear workers is 250 mSV. A large dose at once is much worse than accumulated radiation over time.
Most sources use becquerels per cubic meter moving through the oceans and arriving at the Pacific coast.
The EPA-recommended level of Cesium-137 in drinking water to protect Human Health is 7400Bq/mtr3.
Click to Read Page Two: Radiation Plume Across Pacific Ocean
© Copyright 2013 Judy Haar, All rights Reserved. Written For: Decoded Science
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All this data relates to the initial discharge. The latest discharge from a ditch is over 30,000Bqs. So, what happens to the numbers from this? And if they mess up removing the rods?
I prefer neutral language be used in science articles.
Compare this early sentence in the article…
“Fukushima released huge amounts of radionuclides into the Earth’s atmosphere and the Pacific ocean.”
with the reality being that the amount is measured in Kilograms.
Even if we measure the amount using Becquerels, it is dwarfed by the amounts of natural radionuclides present on the planet.
Great objective, scientifically accurate explanation.
Judy Haar,
Thank you for an informative article. This adds to the radioecological understanding of the aftermath of Fukushima. What I would like to comment on is the following paragraph: “Which system you use to measure radiation depends on whether you are a U.S. agency (Curie, Rad and Rem) or international (Becquerel, Sievert and Gray). Japan and other countries use the term Becquerel.” I think you meant to put in the second parenthesis, (Becquerel, Gray, and Sievert), since a Gray=100 rad, and a Sv=100 rem. Thank you.
Here’s a couple thoughts.
1. Is it safe to drink water with a diluted toxic substance in it? Sure over time in low quantities it’s probably harmless. But these fish LIVE in the water, they breath the water. Over their lives they will accumulate these elements in their bodies.
2. It will take 30 years for these elements to decay, Have scientist thought about the hydrosphere and how water gets DEPOSITED into systems like aquifers and so on. Certainly where one radioactive isotope goes, another will follow. Where one radioactive isotope gets deposited, another will follow.
One small correction. Thirty years is the half life. It takes 10 half-lives for the material to essentially disappear to undetectable levels. In short…300 years for Cesium.
Some fish bio-accumulate Cesium, swim upstream, die and deposit their Cesium into the fresh waters or potentially into an animal who then deposits the Cesium onto land. We are stuck with the Cesium for a long time and it will spread very long distances.
With all the graphs and defined scientific terms, it’s disturbing that all these “positive” articles about Fukushima end with sentences like it “should dilute”, that things “should” be okay, indicating no scientist will say that it actually will be. And to quote the EPA who raised the acceptable levels of radiation right after the meltdown, and who work for the government who was put into office with funds provided by the Nuclear Industry, it reminds me of the nuclear bomb tests that went on in this country for so long contaminating so many people. If the Nuclear Industry wants to gain our trust, they obviously need to put all their resources towards cleaning up the radiation that’s pouring into our atmosphere from this nuclear plant before asking to build more plants.
The beginning of the end of humanity is on Novermber 18, 2013. Oh wait…that is tomorrow!