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EPA: Radioactive Iodine Exceeding Maximum Contaminant Levels for Drinking Water Found in Pennsylvania and Massachusetts (And Other States) ... But It's Safe
As I noted Tuesday, the
government is responding to the Japanese nuclear accident by trying to
raise acceptable radiation levels and pretending that radiation is good
for us.
Forbes' blogger Jeff McMahon points out:
The
Environmental Protection Agency yesterday reported finding elevated
levels of iodine-131, a product of nuclear fission, in rainwater in
Pennsylvania and Massachusetts. The levels exceed the maximum contaminant level (MCL) permitted in drinking water, but EPA continues to assure the public there is no need for alarm:
“It
is important to note that the corresponding MCL for iodine-131 was
calculated based on long-term chronic exposures over the course of a
lifetime – 70 years. The levels seen in rainwater are expected to be
relatively short in duration,” the agency states in a FAQ that accompanied yesterday’s brief news release.
“In both cases these are levels above the normal background levels historically reported in these areas.”
EPA
said it is receiving “verbal reports” of higher levels of radiation in
rainwater samples from other states as well, and that Americans should
continue to expect short-term contamination of rainwater as
radioactive isotopes spread through the atmosphere from Japan.
“We
continue to expect similar reports from state agencies and others
across the nation given the nature and duration of the Japanese nuclear
incident.”
The EPA also found radioactive iodine in milk in Washington State.
Fortunately. the half life of radioactive iodine is only 8.02 days. That means that the iodine loses half of its radioactivity within 8 days.
If you trust the EPA to tell you if radiation levels are unsafe, then carry on.
But
if you do not trust the government to tell you the truth, and if you
are afraid of radioactive exposure, you might consider stocking up on a
little extra milk and water, and then letting each container of fluids
sit for a couple of weeks on a shelf or in your refrigerator before
drinking. That will greatly reduce the radioactivity caused by the
iodine 131.
Specifically, every 8 days, the amount of radioactivity in the iodine 131 is reduced by half according to the general rule of radioactive half lives:
You'll
have to find out current radioactive iodine levels to determine how
long your beverages have to sit before the radioactive iodine falls to a
level you consider safe.
Obviously, beverages packed before the Japanese earthquake are safe.
(Because radioactive cesium has a much longer half-life, a couple of weeks of storing fluids before drinking them obviously wouldn't do much for that material).
In addition, if you're still worried about exposure to radiation, you might want to note that some vitamins and herbs have been shown to be radioprotective.
Disclaimer: I am not a doctor or a health professional, and this should not be taken as medical advice.
Nothing contained herein is intended to diagnose or treat any
condition. You should consult your doctor before making any decisions
about whether or not to take any of the foods, herbs, supplements or
substances mentioned herein.
- advertisements -
So when should we start taking our KI pills?
I just got over my appetizers of Sr 90 from the bomb tests of the 1960s. Sure am looking forward to some I 131 and Cs entrees........yum, yum, munch, munch.....
You're all overreacting...it'll be fine, he said so: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/03/31/fukushima_panic_breaks_completely_free_of_facts/
And now for something completely different: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jMGZMoENjcU&feature=player_embedded
If you can watch the above and keep a straight face during either one, junk away!
The author of the Register article linked by krispkritter does not have an author bio.
In contrast, Arnie Gunderson, who has considerable industry experience, describes this scenario as worse than Chernobyl in many respects.
http://www.fairewinds.com/content/what-we-do
Arnie Gundersen, nuclear industry executive for many years before blowing the whistle on the company he worked for in 1990, when he found inappropriately stored radioactive material. He is now chief engineer at Fairewinds AssociatesApparently you cannot read and do not understand 'sarcasm'. You're reposting what has already hit ZH many times, me, I went for the full-on 'retard' treatment, mostly for levity's sake...
Sorry for being so thick--I'm so tired of people saying there is nothing to worry about--that level of radiation is fine--etc, etc. etc.
Astroturfing is sickening on this one...
:(
I believe the first map GW posts in his comments was altered so that the red was replaced with other colors. I've been following this maps for days and the red disappeared over the weekend...
Can anyone explain?????
But wait, Antartica, isn't that where Dr. Manhattan left some rads before goin' celestial?
You must be thinking of a different alternate timeline. ;)
Antartico: That MAY be the only safe place left...awfully cold though.
Not cold at all when safely ensconced inside an Antarctica Corporation Fuller Dome heated by a 3rd generation Vari-Volt cold fusion plant. The Shoggoths can be a bit of a bother at times, but outside of the occasional terrified geologist, really nothing at all to be concerned about.
Good stuff -- thanks for continuing to keep us updated!
On a personal note, my municipal water supply is drawn from the Potomac river, so ultimately everything that falls out of the air on to it, or drains into it, is going to end up coming out my freaking tap. Somehow, I don't think my little Brita filter is going to be up to the job, and I don't even want to think what those long, hot showers are going to be doing to me. Fun times.
Actually, under the FAQ section is where they've referenced it incorrectly. They're half-right in keeping with the half-life.
what's the half life of the bernank? anyone?
I'm no scientist but I looked up PiC/L (which is referenced on the EPA website) and it doesn't seem to exist. There is such a thing as pCi/L though; picocuries/L. PLEEZ tell me it ain't so that the EPA can't even get the measurement nomenclature right?!
I'm sure Iodine is the only isotope in the water.
It would be pretty shitty if they told us they found plutonium isotopes that only have a half life of 24,000 years
How much money are we wasting every year on the unconstitutional EPA? Shut it down, along with the FDA.
The EPA and FDA could be a tad more effective.
Can't shut the cabals down; they are welfare for regulators. Like NASA; welfare for geeks.
Ahh, so this is what it is to be the guinea pig?!
Mr Washington,
Thank you for the effort to provide good information, which I can use.
SS
But the midget Sarkosi, who is not a psycopath without any need to solve personal issues due to his physical shortcomings has just announced that nuclear power is OK. He said this...wait for it...in Tokyo!
the length of the half life will correlate exponentially with the time needed to wait for the stuff to decay to an acceptable level.
100% -8/days-> 50% of original -8/days-> 25% of original -8/days-> 12.5% of original 'and so on and so forth'.
lets not forget the original level of radiation (which has nothing to do with the half life) is most relevant.
Yes exactly.
But for some reason (stupidity), everybody who thinks they know anything keeps spouting "it only has a half-life or x or y"...the implication is that all we have to do is wait and that it will then be somehow "safe" post half life...and ignoring the level of contamination and the type.
Right, and apply halflife to continued daily accumulation.
OK, dumb question here, it's my understanding that Iodine 131 (or any iodine) is taken up by the thyroid gland. If one was to take iodine to flood the thyroid, is the radioactive iodine still a threat in some way? I left out some issues for brevity but hopefully that is understood by whomever responds. Thanks in advance.
The theory goes that after taking the I, the I-137 would not be taken up by the thyroid and then would be pissed out after the kidneys dumped it into the bladder. Somehow, that just doesn't make me feel warm and fuzzy. I mean, it still would have hit both my kidneys, my bladder, and passed through my urethra (Franklin!) which traverses my most private of places. I think that bottomline (pun intended) it is best to AVOID I-131 and all the other nuclear radioisotopes coming out of Japan these days. Don't let anybody try to tell you about "safe" exposure. I liken it to a box of .38's...all are safe, even loaded into the Saturday Night Special, except for the one that some asshole nuclear plant CEO puts through your head....and yes, it only takes one.
A fun way to shut these people up is to ask them "o.k. then if there is a safe level of exposure, then tell me exactly which of my DNA nucleotides can be safely irradiated. Tell me the chromosome(s) and position(s)." You will find them totally silent and with no reply. There is no such thing as "safe" irradiation with radioactive nuclear isotopes. They are all ---down to the last atom--- poison to human DNA.
Yeah, but "it's only a little leak."
As your prostate becomes compromised, so does it "leak little".
At this pace we will all be in radioactive weener heaven. Even if we weren't born with one.
NO! Not you anus cuntsler, you are in the reptile family.
Your prostate is already comprimised. Every old man in the US dies with some level of prostate cancer.
Thanks for that. Really, thanks. Makes me feel so much better.
>you might consider stocking up on a little extra milk and water, and then letting each container of fluids sit for a couple of weeks before drinking.<
A couple of weeks? Your milk will be cottage cheese by then- you'll be able to eat it with a spoon. LOL!
wuss
There's a new invention called a R-e-f-r-i-g-e-r-a-t-o-r"
Stock up on powdered milk.
i like the tbtf cleanup crew idea. let them use protective suits made of crisp new dollars.
Clearly iodine 131 can travel around the world. What about cesium-137? How far does that travel, and what is the means by which it travels?
Chernobyl is the largest on-going laboratory.
And these two "accidents" are very different as are atmospherics and distances traveled.
There is still debate regarding the effects of Cesium 137 on Sweden following Chernobyl.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2004/11/041121220635.htm
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081001130000.htm
Both articles are worthwhile reading.
I seem to recall that in some parts of Wales sheepherders are still forbidden from selling their mutton. The wool must be OK, otherwise why would they bother at all?
I can't find the reference. IIRC Cesium 137 was the culprit there as well.
Bike Repairman, that is really an excellent question that I am also seeking an answer to. I know that Caesium, with an atomic number of 55 is considered a dense, heavy, atom. Radioactive Caesium, with total weight coming in at a whopping 137, is considered very dense and therefore really should not be dipsersing itself over large distances...it's just too fat and heavy to travel very far...unless of course it is dumped into the ocean whereby it can travel the world, then be evaporated and condensed into rainwater. I never thought of Iodine as a lightweight either, with an atomic number of 53, and radioactive weighing in at 131. But, once again...dumped into the ocean it will disperse through osmosis worldwide.
Before some psuedointellectial slams me on this, let me say that yes I am aware that Xenon's atomic number is 54, but it is a noble gas and therefore easily disperses through the air. Comparing I and Cs to Xe is apples to oranges.
I am coming to believe at this point that if rainwater in Pennsylvania is turning up I-131, then we are looking at a worldwide contamination issue. Fuck us all. There should be immediate international pressure to encase the entire complex in concrete. I'm not even sure if doing that will stop the mess from leaking into the ocean. In the meantime, I will be loading up water into available containers (starting today) before the shit gets worse.
"we are looking at a worldwide contamination issue."
I don't think that can be disputed anymore, so the next battles will be fought over things like:
1. How much is too much? The EPA has already fired a shot here apparently.
2. How long will this go on for?
I wrote this ago 2 weeks ago:
Cesium-137 is light enough to be carried by the wind a substantial distance.
I wrote this 2 days ago:
While Japan has been exposed to very high levels of cesium, so far, the levels of cesium in other parts of the world appear to be relatively low:
And see this.
Thanks. BTW I've been reading your stuff long before you came to ZH. Good stuff.
How many CEOs do you know who are serving long prison sentences for criminally negligent actions their corporations have been involved in? If none are responsible, where does that leave the public?
Remember, half of the mercury in our atmosphere comes from China. It's not hard for particles of heavy elements to make their way here...
I nominate the management of the TBTFs to be physically drafted to the job of cleaning up the mess at Fukushima.
They're too big to fail, after all, so it shouldn't be a problem, eh?
>>>Fortunately. the half life of radioactive iodine is only 8.02 days. That means that the iodine loses half of its radioactivity within 8 days.<<<
and
>>>(Because radioactive cesium has a much longer half-life, a couple of weeks of storing fluids before drinking them obviously wouldn't do much for that material).<<<
Consider that by making a statement like the two I copied above, you may be leading people to believe that consumption following the period beyond the end of the half like is somehow OK.
I have actually had people tell me that very thing.
They are so very wrong.
http://www.epa.gov/radiation/understand/halflife.html
whats the effect going to be on your swimming pool?
seriously...
how long befor it could be used again?
80 days til I-131 degraded to 1%....
or should i now avoid my pool for the next 30 odd years?
Not to mention that for people living anywhere near the Fukushima plant that when the "experts" quote the half life of iodine-137 as being 8 days (so don't worry) that makes little difference given more radioactive iodine is constantly leaking into the environment. I would say the half life onlt matters once you've contained the radioactive material (which doesn't look to be anytime soon).
Which means that whereas 8 days ago there was 10,000 times as much as normal, now therre's "only" 5,000 times as much. Thank god for that. We'll be "safe" Real Soon Now.
That only applies if you cease intake. Continue on a daily basis - and halflife "don't mean shit".