Following earlier predictions of Fukushima radiation reaching US shores, scientists have released new information that indicates that the irradiated particles may reach the West Coast by April this year.
The nuclear facilities in Fukushima, Japan, were damaged in the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and the subsequent tsunami that occurred shortly after. Due to the damage sustained by the nuclear power plant, radioactive materials started leaking out into the surrounding waters. Many Pacific nations have been growing increasingly concerned regarding the threat of radiation.
Earlier this year, an international team of scientists from North and South America banded together to take samples of Kelp from the Pacific to determine whether the West Coast was at risk of contamination. The samples yielded promising results. New information regarding the spread of radiation from Fukushima shows that the earlier predictions may come to pass next month.
While scientists are pushing for more heavy handed monitoring and testing of water and biological samples from the Pacific, experts are saying there is currently no need to panic since the levels of radiation that will affect the West Coast will be very low. In fact, the expected radiation levels will be so low that it is unlikely to cause any harm to the marine life in the area. Moreover, scientists predict that the radiation will not be detrimental to the health of humans in the area.
"For Americans to worry about swimming on our beaches I think is overblown," said radiation specialist Ken Buesseler in a radio interview. Buesseler is an oceanographer and marine chemist from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.
While experts say that the coming situation will not be dangerous, increased monitoring may be advisable, especially in light of the fact that relevant US government agencies do not normally test water samples from the Pacific for radiation.
Given the lack of federal protocols involving the threat of radiation from the seas, many scientists and local residents have been gathering samples from various locations across the West Coast for analysis. When looking for traces of radiation in sea water and samples from marine life, scientists often look for traces of iodine 131 and cesium 137, which are radioactive isotope that can be found in irradiated wastes from nuclear power plants. However, these isotopes are also known to be present in ocean water. The key is to keep an eye on sudden increases in the concentrations of these isotopes in the waters of the West Coast.
