Did Fukushima affect California?
After a two-and-a-half year ocean journey, radioactive contamination from the Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan has drifted to within 160 kilometers of the California coast, according to a new study. But the radiation levels are minuscule and do not pose a threat, researchers say.
Can you still live in Fukushima?
Nearly 165,000 residents were evacuated at its peak in 2012. Decontamination efforts have meant most areas have been reopened and people allowed to return to their homes. But there are still nearly 37,000 people listed as Fukushima evacuees and many of them say they have no intention of going back.
What happened at Fukushima?
The Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant experienced a meltdown following the earthquake that hit Japan in March 2011, dumping cesium-134 into the Pacific Ocean and causing spectacular concern about what would happen when the radiation made its way over to North America.
Is the radiation from Fukushima safe to drink water?
WHOI states that the Fukushima radiation found near California exists in levels lower than 2 Becquerels per cubic meter. The EPA has deemed that levels as high as 7400 becquerels per cubic meter are perfectly safe for drinking water.
Is there radiation off the coast of Northern California?
Traces of the radiation have been detected 160 km (100 miles) off the coast of Northern California, but the levels are far too low to present any immediate health risks. Ken Buesseler is a marine chemist from WHOI and is heading up the monitoring project.
Was there cesium in the Pacific prior to Fukushima?
“Most people don’t realize that there was already cesium in Pacific waters prior to Fukushima, but only the cesium-137 isotope,” Buesseler said in a press release. “Cesium-137 undergoes radioactive decay with a 30-year half-life and was introduced to the environment during atmospheric weapons testing in the 1950s and ’60s.