Fukushima radiation found in BC

[The_Squid]

Now that radiation has been found in BC the federal government should be developing a comprehensive long-term testing program that assesses the radiation in the environment and the safety of seafood in this area.

He said recent federal government cutbacks have placed a greater burden of testing and monitoring for aquatic impacts on academics, non-governmental organizations and even private citizens.

“The Canadian government is the one that should be doing something, should be taking action to keep monitoring to see how these contaminants are behaving, what are the levels, and what is next.”

Read more: http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Troubled+waters+Nuclear+radiation+found+pose+health+concerns/9606269/story.html#ixzz2vlbgtWeR

[GostHacked]

Now that radiation has been found in BC the federal government should be developing a comprehensive long-term testing program that assesses the radiation in the environment and the safety of seafood in this area.

The radiation has been hitting the west coast for the last three years. Not just from the ocean, but from the air. Of course the seafood needs to be tested.

But here is the main reason you are just hearing about the radiation.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/canada-and-u-s-cut-back-radiation-reporting-1.1114828

Canadian and U.S. authorities have both cut back radiation reporting after detecting only minuscule increases following the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear crisis, despite ongoing clean-up efforts in Japan.

"The quantities of radiation reaching Canada are very small and do not pose any health risk to Canadians," said a statement posted by Health Canada online.

"We have seen very slight increases in radiation across the country, smaller than the normal day-to-day fluctuations," said the website.

As a result the daily reporting of radiation levels has been rolled back to weekly reporting by Health Canada.

"Health Canada will change the frequency of publishing the data from all monitoring networks on the website to once a week starting the first week in May," said the website.

[WestCoastRunner]

The radiation has been hitting the west coast for the last three years. Not just from the ocean, but from the air. Of course the seafood needs to be tested.

But here is the main reason you are just hearing about the radiation.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/canada-and-u-s-cut-back-radiation-reporting-1.1114828

This is an article dating back to 2011. Squid's article was just published today and is more up to date. It is very disconcerting to read that article in the Vancouver Sun. Here are some points from the article:

A radioactive metal from the Fukushima nuclear plant disaster in Japan has been discovered in the Fraser Valley, causing researchers to raise the alarm about the long-term impact of radiation on B.C.’s west coast.

Examination of a soil sample from Kilby Provincial Park, near Agassiz, has for the first time in this province found Cesium 134, further evidence of Fukushima radioactivity being transported to Canada by air and water.

“That was a surprise,” said Juan Jose Alava, an adjunct professor in the school of resource and environmental management at Simon Fraser University, in an interview on Tuesday. “It means there are still emissions ... and trans-Pacific air pollution. It’s a concern to us. This is an international issue.”

[TimG]

Now that radiation has been found in BC the federal government should be developing a comprehensive long-term testing program that assesses the radiation in the environment and the safety of seafood in this area.

For someone how claims to care about science you are quick to toss it out of the window whenever one of your pet neuroses is affected.

The is no scientific basis for the claim that radiation from Fukushima could have any measurable effect on the BC coast wildlife (detection of trace amounts of material does not mean it has an effect). People who claim it could are either scientists desperate for a research grant or conspiracy nuts who think Elvis collaborated with Area 51 aliens to bring down the twin towers.

Here is a little tidbit from the article:

Alava noted that there remain low background levels of Cesium 137 dating back to the 1960s due to the dumping of radioactive material into the Pacific Ocean from nuclear submarines and reactors.

i.e. they can't be sure it is even from Fukushima which makes this sound more and more like rent seeking scientists looking for money rather than a real risk the public should be concerned about. Edited March 12, 2014 by TimG

[GostHacked]

The is no chance that radiation from Fukushima could have any measurable effect on the BC coast (detection of trace amounts of material does not mean it has an effect). People who claim it could are either scientists desperate for a research grant or conspiracy nuts who think Elvis collaborated with Area 51 aliens to bring down the twin towers.

So how do you resolve a melt-through?

[Wilber]

This is one from yesterday.

http://globalnews.ca/news/1198391/is-fukushima-radiation-posing-a-threat-to-fish-caught-off-the-b-c-coast/

They are monitoring levels in fish, they have just cut back to weekly from daily because the levels they are finding are so low.

[WestCoastRunner]

People who claim it could are either scientists desperate for a research grant or conspiracy nuts who think Elvis collaborated with Area 51 aliens to bring down the twin towers.

Why am I not surprised for this comment.

[GostHacked]

This is one from yesterday.

http://globalnews.ca/news/1198391/is-fukushima-radiation-posing-a-threat-to-fish-caught-off-the-b-c-coast/

They are monitoring levels in fish, they have just cut back to weekly from daily because the levels they are finding are so low.

Even if they were able to resolve Fukushima tomorrow, you will be detecting the radiation for the next 3 years. The other concern with sea life is bio accumulation.

So as Tepco and Japan try for the next 40 years to clean up the site, you will see continued contamination. Levels will increase and will continue to increase for the next 10 years at least.

[TimG]

Even if they were able to resolve Fukushima tomorrow, you will be detecting the radiation for the next 3 years.

Detecting radiation. So what? Does not mean anything.

The other concern with sea life is bio accumulation.

Big scary sounding sciency words that try to generate fear. This cannot be a real concern given the size of pacific ocean and the amount of radiation that could have originated from Fukushima.

[TimG]

They are monitoring levels in fish, they have just cut back to weekly from daily because the levels they are finding are so low.

From your link:

Starosta says people need to remember that there is natural radiation already present in the water, so fish and other organisms will contain some radiation.

“Everything we are seeing is due to the natural sources,” he says.

[Wilber]

Even if they were able to resolve Fukushima tomorrow, you will be detecting the radiation for the next 3 years. The other concern with sea life is bio accumulation.

So as Tepco and Japan try for the next 40 years to clean up the site, you will see continued contamination. Levels will increase and will continue to increase for the next 10 years at least.

Quite probably but what can we do about it other than monitor and warn if necessary?

[GostHacked]

From your link:

What is being detected is NOT natural radiation.

[GostHacked]

Detecting radiation. So what? Does not mean anything.

Big scary sounding sciency words that try to generate fear. This cannot be a real concern given the size of pacific ocean and the amount of radiation that could have originated from Fukushima.

The dilution solution has not worked. This was a line trotted out by the nuclear industry when there was resistance to the hundreds of thousands of barrels of toxic waste simply dumped into the ocean. Now instead of dumping it, long pipes out to the ocean to dump.

Yes big scare words.

Bio accumulation.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bioaccumulation

Bioaccumulation refers to the accumulation of substances, such as pesticides, or other organic chemicals in an organism.[1] Bioaccumulation occurs when an organism absorbs a toxic substance at a rate greater than that at which the substance is lost. Thus, the longer the biological half-life of the substance the greater the risk of chronic poisoning, even if environmental levels of the toxin are not very high.[2] Bioaccumulation, for example in fish, can be predicted by models.[3] Hypotheses for molecular size cutoff criteria for use as bioaccumulation potential indicators are not supported by data.[4] Biotransformation can strongly modify bioaccumulation of chemicals in an organism.[5]

[GostHacked]

Quite probably but what can we do about it other than monitor and warn if necessary?

That is about all we can do at this point. But with some laws passed in Japan, we are not going to get as much information from Fukushima as we need. Then there is the issue with the USS Regan and the sailors with radiation poisoning.

[TimG]

Quite probably but what can we do about it other than monitor and warn if necessary?

The point is the is no chance that the levels will be a public health concern. Monitoring may sound like a prudent course of action but pretending is it necessary feeds into the mythology created by fearmongers. Edited March 12, 2014 by TimG

[TimG]

The dilution solution has not worked.

Do the math. It can't not work. You are peddling homeopathy.

[GostHacked]

The point is the is no chance that the levels will be a public health concern. Monitoring may sound like a prudent course of action but it feeds into the mythology created by fearmongers.

Right, absolutely NO risk from 3 full meltdowns. Not even you believe that.

[TimG]

Right, absolutely NO risk from 3 full meltdowns.

Absolutely no risk on the other side of the pacific ocean. The risk is minimal even right next to Fukushima.

[GostHacked]

Absolutely no risk on the other side of the pacific ocean. The risk is minimal even right next to Fukushima.

Absolutely no risk? Are you 100% sure?

[TimG]

Absolutely no risk? Are you 100% sure?

Yes. There is a greater risk from the sewage being dumped by Victoria and Vancouver. Edited March 12, 2014 by TimG

[Boges]

If they don't have 3 eyes then what's the harm.

[GostHacked]

Yes. There is a greater risk from the sewage being dumped by Victoria and Vancouver.

So what is being done about that?

[gunrutz]

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/what-to-worry-about-after-fukushima-nuclear-disaster/

[TimG]

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/what-to-worry-about-after-fukushima-nuclear-disaster/

Any radionuclides from Fukushima have been diluted by the vastness of the Pacific to insignificant quantities. The extra radionuclides from Fukushima are simply not enough to create a dose large enough to cause any human health effects outside the immediate vicinity of the stricken nuclear power plant.

[GostHacked]

Right and all that will just settle on the ocean floor too right?