Fukushima: Over 100 New Radioactive Contamination Sites Found Off North Americas West CoastBy Star Fox From the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution: Scientists monitoring the spread of radiation in the ocean from the Fukushima nuclear accident report finding an increased number of sites off the US West Coast showing signs of contamination from Fukushima. This includes the highest detected level to date from a sample collected about 1,600 miles west of San Francisco. The level of radioactive cesium isotopes in the sample, 11 Becquerels per cubic meter of seawater (about 264 gallons), is 50 percent higher than other samples collected along the West Coast so far, but is still more than 500 times lower than US government safety limits for drinking water, and well below limits of concern for direct exposure while swimming, boating, or other recreational activities. Ken Buesseler, a marine radiochemist with the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) and director of the WHOI Center for Marine and Environmental Radioactivity, was among the first to begin monitoring radiation in the Pacific, organizing a research expedition to the Northwest Pacific near Japan just three months after the accident that started in March 2011. Through a citizen science sampling effort, Our Radioactive Ocean, that he launched in 2014, as well as research funded by the National Science Foundation, Buesseler and his colleagues are using sophisticated sensors to look for minute levels of ocean-borne radioactivity from Fukushima. In 2015, they have added more than 110 new samples in the Pacific to the more than 135 previously collected and posted on the Our Radioactive Ocean web site. These new data are important for two reasons, said lead researcher Ken Buesseler from the WHOI. First, despite the fact that the levels of contamination off our shores remain well below government-established safety limits for human health or to marine life, the changing values underscore the need to more closely monitor contamination levels across the Pacific. Second, these long-lived radioisotopes will serve as markers for years to come for scientists studying ocean currents and mixing in coastal and offshore waters, he added. Brusseler plans to present his latest findings on the spread of Fukushima radiation at the American Geophysical Union conference in San Francisco on Monday. Although Brusseler makes the point that radiation levels are far belowgovernment safety limits, it is interesting to note that shortly after the 2011 meltdown of the Fukushima nuclear plant governments around the world, includingthe United States, raised the level of permissible radiation exposure to humans. Read here and here. In October, scientists admitted that Fukushima Daiichi Power Plant No. 2 nuclear reactor fuel is missing from the core containment vessel. This has led some to believe a meltdown could be underway or that potentially a full-blown meltdown has already occurred in the reactor. Image Credit: Dees Illustration As soon as I see Woods Hole, I know Im reading a government-sponsored propaganda piece. but is still more than 500 times lower than US government safety limits for drinking water Im with youI stopped eating seafood about 3 years ago, and not only did I stop going to the beach I stopped surfing, which had been my favorite hobby for over 30 years. They have killed usdead men walking They use conservative values for dose limits. I wouldnt worry if I were you ESPECIALLY since 11 becquerels is simply 11 gamma emissions due to decay. Cesium is also a single decay chain meaning that one emission is all to expect from a given atom. Any dose would be insanely insignificant, especially compared to simply being out in the sun while going for a dip. Overall, its truly not a problem in terms of exposure. Next youll be telling us radiation is good for us. Yes, the impact from Fukushima in the ocean is completely insignificant at those levels. But the impact of the associated fearmongering is not. Between BP poisoning the Gulf with COREXIT, and Fukushima, all fish and seafood is off the menu for good. Russia also raised safety limits right after Chernobyl. I read that over one million early deaths across Europe have been attributed to the Chernobyl fallout. Hundreds of thousands of Americans were expected to die early deaths when US atom bomb testing was actively being done. It adds up. No. The limits for radioactive materials in the drinking water are are the same now as they were before 2011. 11 Becquerels per cubic meter in the English language, one does not form a plural with an apostrophe. Dont mean to be petty, but if you want to be credible, best to use the language properly. Here is that extra apostrophe for you. I think you know where to put it. Priggish snoot! I did not mean it as an ad hominem comment, but advice to whomever wrote or (didnt) edit this. I see now that its form Woods Hole, not selfnews Post, so unnecessary. As is your immature response. Immature responsePfffffffffff! If you dont mean to be petty, then dont be petty. And did you really mean form Woods Hole or did you intend to type from Woods Hole? If you want to be credible, best to use the language properly seems like I heard that somewhere. not to mention the confusion between radiation and radioactive material. All that man is is because of his wisdom. Man is essentially a permanent and immortal principle; only his bodies pass through the cycle of birth and death. The immortal is the reality; the mortal is the unreality. During each period of earth life, reality thus dwells in unreality, to be liberated from it temporarily by death and permanently by illumination. The NRC safety standards are off by a factor of 100x to 1000x depending on the isotope in question. This fact was revealed by AEC scientists Drs. Gofman and Tamplin; however when concerned citizens from Shippingsport, PA (home of the first nuclear power plant) tried to petition the government for open hearings with the NRC to revise the standards; Ronald Reagan as president removed the possibility of this venue of citizens right to action. To this day we are stuck with an obsolete standard and view of safe limits for human exposure. In reality there is no known safe limit or safe distants; we are 93.000,000 miles away from the Sun and people can still get radiation poisoning from our life giving star. If there was a safe dose, 11 Bq from Cs wouldnt even come close to delivering it. Also, I believe a paper will be presented to the NRC in the next couple of months suggesting a curve on which doses of radiation may cause beneficial effects. That said, the average individual is already exposed to 620 mRem annually. This is insignificant. Truly the most hazardous thing is a lack of information, and not understanding that the no safe levels is also a method of administrative protocol to encourage greater safety in all fields pertaining the use of radiation either medical, nuclear, or other. There is an old parable about a deep-sea fish that finds its way into a very small pond. When it gets to the pond, it strikes up a conversation with the pond fish. This pond fish has never left his pond before. The pond fish is very excited to have a new friend, and says to the ocean fish, You wouldnt believe how deep my pond is. Just watch as I swim to the bottom. Whenever there are explosive revelations about government/corporate crimes, blather like this appears in the comments to distract citizens. MODERATOR: Can we get these nonsense comments removed? Nonsense such as what you just posted? I liked the parable and thought it was apt for the topic. It was the least nonsensical of the three comments this spammer posted. The Moderator has removed the other two (thanks Moderator!). I disagree it was apt for the topic. It had the word ocean in it, but thats the limit of its alleged relevance. This topic is about an emerging health threat to the U.S. and the world and has nothing to do with religion or expanding ones frame of reference. You may be that spammer. it wont matter much longer jesus is comeing back and all this will be remade.. People actually believe that horseshit too. here are some photos of the cleanup ssshhhhh Given the relationship of Wood Hole Oceanographic Institution with the US Navy I perceive that there is more radioactive contamination than reported.What was reported was for the value of the radioisotopes for the study of marine currents and their effects on the coasts,purely in the field of physical oceanography. Cynically the US Navy is taking advantage of the Fukoshma global disaster to study the North Pacific. That is just a dumb comment. TRUTHS often hurt DIPSHIT! Okay, what am I missing here? This includes the highest detected level to date from a sample collected about 1,600 miles west of San Francisco. 1,600 miles west of San Francisco is out in the middle of the North Pacific Ocean! I would not consider that part of the West Coast of America. 