High radiation levels found in fish caught off Japan's east coast could mean the Fukushima nuclear plant is still leaking, according to research.
Marine chemist Ken Buesseler reviewed official data on atomic caesium levels in fish, shellfish and seaweed collected near the crippled plant.
He concluded lingering contamination may be due to low-level leaks from the facility or contaminated sediment on the ocean floor.
The research was published on Thursday in the American journal Science.
Mr Buesseler found, while the vast majority of the catch off Japan's northeast coast is well within safety limits, some fish caught near Fukushima are considered unfit for consumption under Japanese regulations.
"To predict how the patterns of contamination will change over time will take more than just studies of fish," he said.
"What we really need is a better understanding of the sources and sinks of caesium and other radionuclides that continue to drive what we're seeing in the ocean off Fukushima."
Contamination levels vary across fish species and are not declining.
Bottom-dwelling fish such as cod and skate consistently show the highest caesium counts from the damaged plant.
A huge tsunami, sparked by a massive 9.0-magnitude undersea earthquake, swamped the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant in March 2011.
Reactors went into meltdown, spewing radiation over a large swathe of Japan's agriculture-heavy north east, in the world's worst atomic disaster for a generation.
Around 19,000 people were killed or remain missing.
Scientists estimate that the vast bulk of the plant's radiation found its way into the ocean, either by direct releases of contaminated cooling water in the early weeks of the disaster, or through the water cycle.
Anda sedang membaca artikel tentang
Fukushima Nuclear Plant 'Is Still Leaking'
Dengan url
http://jidatlancip.blogspot.com/2012/10/fukushima-nuclear-plant-is-still-leaking.html
Anda boleh menyebar luaskannya atau mengcopy paste-nya
Fukushima Nuclear Plant 'Is Still Leaking'
namun jangan lupa untuk meletakkan link
Fukushima Nuclear Plant 'Is Still Leaking'
sebagai sumbernya
0 komentar:
Posting Komentar