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Fukushima Radiation Increasing In North American Waters … Detected Along a Stretch of More Than 1,000 Miles

George Washington's picture




 

Painting by Jonathan Raddatz

 

Ken Buesseler – head scientist at Woods Hole in Massachusetts,  one of the world’s top ocean science institutions – has been measuring Fukushima radiation off of the coasts of Japan and North America.

Because governments ditched their radiation testing programs after the Fukushima nuclear accident, Buesseler has to crowdfund his monitoring efforts.

Woods Hole announced last week:

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. [Fukushima is a little more than 5,000 miles from San Francisco. So this bit of radiation has already made it some 68% of the way from Fukushima to the West Coast of California] The level of radioactive cesium isotopes in the sample, 11 Becquerel’s 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. [However, the government raised allowable radiation levels after Fukushima … “moving the goalposts” on what is safe.  A well-developed body of science actually says that no amount of radiation exposure is safe.]
 

 

***

 

Through a citizen science sampling effort, Our Radioactive Ocean, that [Buesseler] 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.

 

***

 

The recent findings reported by Buesseler agree with those reported by scientists who are part of the group Kelp Watch and by the team of Canadian scientists working under the InFORM umbrella. While Buesseler’s work focuses on ocean chemistry and does not involve sampling of biological organisms, the InFORM scientists have done sampling of fish and have not seen any Fukushima cesium in fish collected in British Columbia.

Reuters points out:

Radiation from Japan nuclear disaster spreads off U.S. shores… and contamination is increasing at previously identified sites… Tests of hundreds of samples of Pacific Ocean water confirmed that Japan’s Fukushima nuclear power plant continues to leak… The latest readings measured the highest radiation levels outside Japanese waters to date some 1,600 miles (2,574 km) west of San Francisco. The figures also confirm that the spread of radiation to North American waters is not isolated to a handful of locations, but can be detected along a stretch of more than 1,000 miles (1,600 km) offshore.

Indeed, the West Coast of North American could be slammed by Fukushima radiation in the near future.

 

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Mon, 12/07/2015 - 14:25 | 6888734 malek
malek's picture

 contamination is increasing at previously identified sites

A nice non-statement.
By definition the contamination from Fukushima will be increasing at every single site everywhere around the world - just the rate and the level will vary.

Mon, 12/07/2015 - 13:21 | 6888406 tongue.stan
tongue.stan's picture

3 china syndromes ongoing for 4 years.

My feet hurt the last few times I walked the beach, so I stopped doing that.

No more eating fish either. Bioaccumulation and all that.

Mon, 12/07/2015 - 12:38 | 6888166 the grateful un...
the grateful unemployed's picture

Bernanke sterilized that, not to worry

Mon, 12/07/2015 - 11:56 | 6887953 _SILENCER
_SILENCER's picture

Might not want to order the Filet o Fish at the golden arches until 2045

Mon, 12/07/2015 - 12:16 | 6888039 BullyBearish
BullyBearish's picture

More like 3045...

Mon, 12/07/2015 - 11:52 | 6887937 Gerold
Gerold's picture

It's worse than reported. There's a major cover-up that the Pacific Ocean is dying.
.
http://geroldblog.com/2015/04/11/fukushima-forever-the-pacific-ocean-is-...
.

Mon, 12/07/2015 - 14:02 | 6888633 cheech_wizard
cheech_wizard's picture

See, I really like to read the links you fucking thundercunts posts, because it generally takes only the most casual skimming of the article to find out that the author doesn't know shit and you are a gullible sap for sucking at the teat of fear.

>Fukushima’s weapons-grade radioactive aerial fall-out 

Since September 2010, Unit 3 has been fueled by a small fraction (6%)[8] of plutoniumcontaining mixed-oxide (MOX) fuel, rather than the low enriched uranium (LEU) used in the other reactors. 

Standard Disclaimer: So low enriched uranium produces weapons grade radioactive fallout? Like I said, "fucking thundercunts..."

Mon, 12/07/2015 - 14:53 | 6888891 SILVERGEDDON
SILVERGEDDON's picture

Please, do some research for us.

Shove a spent fuel rod up your ass for as long as you can stand the burn.

Let us know what happens next.

Mon, 12/07/2015 - 15:06 | 6888948 cheech_wizard
cheech_wizard's picture

Dear thundercunt, 

Don't you have a nuclear disaster link that you just have an overwhelming desire to post? I'll wait.

Standard Disclaimer: Unlike you, I've actually reconfigured a nuclear research reactor, so my proximity to a fuel rod, spent or otherwise, will be far closer than you will ever get in your life. And yet here I am walking around to tell the tale of my remarkable exposure to multiple nuclear fuel rods. By your hysteria, as well as many others here, we should all be fucking dead by now. And given your metrics, I should have died years ago from my exposure.

The simple truth is you have absolutely nothing to contribute to the conversation, not now, nor any time in the near future. I certainly can keep this up all day, and you know what, sometimes you simply have to accept the fact that others might possibly know more about a topic than yourself, or have access to the people that do know more. 

Mon, 12/07/2015 - 17:38 | 6889780 SILVERGEDDON
SILVERGEDDON's picture

Thank you for explaining your nuclear industry bias, and confirming the reasons why your intellect is ranked slightly below that of a sun fucked onion.

Mon, 12/07/2015 - 19:19 | 6890388 MSimon
MSimon's picture

So any one who has ever worked in any industry is thus disqualified as a person of knowledge because of interest?

 

I hope you get your plumbing installed by roofers who have no interest in plumbing.

 

Ya know. Some one who actually works with the stuff might have an interest in their own safety.

 

 

 

Tue, 12/08/2015 - 22:02 | 6897285 MalteseFalcon
MalteseFalcon's picture

"Unlike you, I've actually reconfigured a nuclear research reactor, so my proximity to a fuel rod, spent or otherwise, will be far closer than you will ever get in your life."

We had nook-kooks like you in here when Fukashima was melting down talking all kinds of nonsense about how the safeguards would prevent a meltdown.

Sure you have handled a fuel rod.

So what?

What do you know about the health impact of what is now clearly a meltdown of three reactors, a unique event that nobody knows how to stop?

Exactly nothing.

Mon, 12/07/2015 - 11:36 | 6887840 MSimon
MSimon's picture

Radiation hormesis says that small amounts of radiation potentiates the immune system. It is the "secret" of some "waters"/spas in Europe.

 

 

Mon, 12/07/2015 - 11:32 | 6887814 InnVestuhrr
InnVestuhrr's picture

The radiation levels are still irrelevantly low, so the enviro-contemptuous face-saving-obsessed humans have plenty of ocean radiation absorbing capacity for them to pollute with more nuclear waste (intended and unintended), nuclear bomb tests, nuclear reactor melt-downs, etc - plus all the non-radioactive garbage.

AFTER the radiation levels in the ocean become lethal, THEN humans will hold decades of crisis meetings and conferences to decide IF it might be a problem, WHEN it might be a problem, WHO is responsible for causing the problem, WHO is responsible for paying to fix the problem, etc etc.

Pathetic species. Every time I hear some religious moron claim that humans were created by a god I puke in disgust.

Mon, 12/07/2015 - 11:48 | 6887914 xavi1951
xavi1951's picture

WOW!  Based your rant about humans being a "Pathetic species", I surmise that you are; 1) From another planet, or 2) Suffering from a VERY LOW SELF-ESTEEM since you are of the species.  I recommend you seek help before you hurt yourself. 

Mon, 12/07/2015 - 11:09 | 6887654 xavi1951
xavi1951's picture

GW, I remember reading about nuke waste dumping by the Farallon Islands.  There were even pictures of rusting 50 gallon drums on the ocean floor.  The whole story just, went away.............almost.

http://www.pornhub.com/view_video.php?viewkey=1717841924

 

Mon, 12/07/2015 - 10:37 | 6887490 sTls7
sTls7's picture

WEll... what did they expect... nothing!!!!  stupid!

Mon, 12/07/2015 - 10:36 | 6887486 Zero-Hegemon
Zero-Hegemon's picture

Amazing the news media won't call Fukushima what it is, a fucking nuclear meltdown

Mon, 12/07/2015 - 10:25 | 6887415 yellowsub
yellowsub's picture

Didn't the radiation eating bacteria consume it up like the oil in Gulf?

Mon, 12/07/2015 - 14:11 | 6888680 Bastiat
Bastiat's picture

Yes!  Then the particles went up into the atmosphere and, interacting with the ionospheric plamsa, and were propelled into space. Problem solved!

Mon, 12/07/2015 - 09:54 | 6887271 Ban KKiller
Ban KKiller's picture

"Background" radiation. Do you know what that means and when the phrase first showed up? Hint: no such thing prior to nukes in the desert. 

Mon, 12/07/2015 - 11:40 | 6887864 MSimon
MSimon's picture

There were no cosmic rays before nukes in the desert? That is a big surprise. Have you written a paper?

 

 

Mon, 12/07/2015 - 10:30 | 6887455 Niall Of The Ni...
Niall Of The Nine Hostages's picture

Of course there was. There just wasn't a need to keep track of it.

Just because nobody kept precise records of hours of sunshine before a few decades ago doesn't mean the sun didn't shine. 

Mon, 12/07/2015 - 13:49 | 6888560 cheech_wizard
cheech_wizard's picture

This is what I truly love about George Washington's nuclear fear porn...

You have to give the sycophants about 3 to 4 pages of rants before they start letting their own knowledge levels start to truly show. UP until that point it's link after link, and the usual "the sky is falling, the sky is falling" rhetoric.

Standard Disclaimer: and then the following pops into your head..."What a dumb fuck"...

 

Mon, 12/07/2015 - 14:54 | 6888899 SILVERGEDDON
SILVERGEDDON's picture

Funnily enough, I came to that conclusion after reading your illuminating post of troll tripe.

Tue, 12/08/2015 - 21:52 | 6897251 MalteseFalcon
MalteseFalcon's picture

I've been fighting nookular kooks my whole life.

That are more rabid and stupider that Hitlery suppoters.

Mon, 12/07/2015 - 08:41 | 6887011 GCT
GCT's picture

Funny how visiting my son in Bremerton, we headed to the fish market and I saw alot of atlantic salmon and alot less local salmon on sale.

Mon, 12/07/2015 - 11:26 | 6887771 Bay Area Guy
Bay Area Guy's picture

If memory serves, both Washington and Oregon cancelled their salmon fishing seasons because of critically low numbers of fish coming to spawn. Most blame has been placed on the algae bloom and that's being attributed to El Niño. I've lived through quite a few major El Niño years and I don't recall toxic algae blooms being a big issue, nor do I recall mass die-offs at the levels being experienced. The recent uptick in all these things correlates to Fuku and, while correlation is not causation, it sure seems more than coincidental. I don't eat much seafood any longer, but when I do, I try to stick to supplies from the Southern Hemisphere, though I do realize pretty much the oceans of the entire world are pretty well screwed over.

Mon, 12/07/2015 - 13:44 | 6888527 cheech_wizard
cheech_wizard's picture

>nor do I recall mass die-offs at the levels being experienced.

Next you'll be telling me about the temperature.

Standard Disclaimer: Your recollection is hazy, perhaps it the radiation. 

Mon, 12/07/2015 - 08:25 | 6886989 Wow72
Wow72's picture

Fukushima seems like a new type of war on the worlds/ people's food supply... Its a direct assault on the worlds oceans... There are mass die-offs happening all over the world, its not a coincidence.. I believe I have read that we have lost almost half of our chickens in this country... Im sure everyone is laughing at this point.... Its a new type of silent war and when it starts it will be hard to find good food sources and clean water... because they will have already taken care of it... Its a squeeze... Destroy the food chain and you destroy large amounts of people who need it to survive..

Mon, 12/07/2015 - 10:39 | 6887494 sTls7
sTls7's picture

who's laughing, not funny!

Mon, 12/07/2015 - 10:26 | 6887427 yellowsub
yellowsub's picture

Not sure what country you're referring to but it seems the US had a recent bird flu hit the midwest driving up egg prices.  

Mon, 12/07/2015 - 11:14 | 6887660 Wow72
Wow72's picture

Im referring to USA, for the most part.  The mass die-offs seem to be spread across the globe, it feels like certain powers want their populations gone and they are working together towards a common goal.  Lots of natural food sources are disappearing quickly.  This country in particular is under an all out assault to consolidate and destroy any food sources so people have to be dependent.  Its a scary but seemingly very real possibility. The irony of starving a bunch of overweight Americans is a little too much to ignore.   It seems one of the only ways a very few could conquer the many.  This is the real terrorism we should be very wary of, In my opinion.  Think of how Walmart super groccery stores have put so many others out of bis? Its not in our national security interest at all.  Very narrow channels for food sources now.

Mon, 12/07/2015 - 08:14 | 6886970 l.kimbot
l.kimbot's picture

Wait for your first cancer diagnosis, it's going to arrive eventually.  Will it all be "alarmist claptrap" for "you" then?  Mine came this year.  The new normal.  But it's all good, right?

Mon, 12/07/2015 - 13:40 | 6888509 cheech_wizard
cheech_wizard's picture

Clue for the terminally clueless... Was cancer around before nuclear power?

American Cancer Society was founded on May 23rd, 1913

Standard Disclaimer: http://www.uline.com/Product/AdvSearchResult?keywords=lead%20foil&pricod...

Just be careful not to wrap it too tightly.

Mon, 12/07/2015 - 07:10 | 6886903 Kyddyl
Kyddyl's picture

This is only Cesium 134 and 137, fairly "short lived". The really bad stuff isn't being published. Try Strontium and Plutonium...stuff that gets into you and your bones, said bones will have that radioactivity for thousands of years to come.

Mon, 12/07/2015 - 08:08 | 6886960 Cautiously Pess...
Cautiously Pessimistic's picture

This is a great point and one often glossed over by those who's job depends on not divulging the truth.  All that you need to know is that our government turned off the monitoring stations right after the event and then raised the levels of 'safe' radioactive exposures.  Hmmmm....why?  Why do all of that?  Knowledge is power....Ignorance is bliss.

Mon, 12/07/2015 - 06:03 | 6886839 Dodgy Geezer
Dodgy Geezer's picture

<i>... 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....</i>

 

Is 'slammed' quite the right word here?

 

Perhaps 'just detectabble above normal background variation with specialist instrumentation' is a better description...?

Mon, 12/07/2015 - 05:44 | 6886820 wafer_roll
wafer_roll's picture

Radiation is double plus   good for you. Drink up! 

Mon, 12/07/2015 - 06:06 | 6886844 Dodgy Geezer
Dodgy Geezer's picture

Funnily enough, it is. A lack of low levels of radiation is unhealthy.

Mon, 12/07/2015 - 09:16 | 6887100 Aaaarghh
Aaaarghh's picture

based on what credible science?

Mon, 12/07/2015 - 04:48 | 6886769 hendrik1730
hendrik1730's picture

Radioactive isotopes, pesticides, heavy metals .... all have a tendency to concentrate/accumulate as one moves up in the food chain. Guess who is at the top of the food chain .... yes, WE ARE. Even very low water concentrations of all this get concentrated by many orders of magnitude and cesium ( e.g. ) concentrates in our bones ( is chemically similar to calcium/magnesium ). If you turn out the lights in your bedroom and you still can read a book because of the light coming from your eyes, then you know LOL.

Mon, 12/07/2015 - 14:13 | 6888696 Bastiat
Bastiat's picture

Very top of the food chain:  nursing babies.  Cheers.

Mon, 12/07/2015 - 13:31 | 6888472 cheech_wizard
cheech_wizard's picture

Why aren't you dead yet? Just curious, given your current level of toxicity

Tue, 12/08/2015 - 21:47 | 6897228 MalteseFalcon
MalteseFalcon's picture

There is a long lag between exposure to radiation and the onset of detectable cancer.

Mon, 12/07/2015 - 04:02 | 6886720 roddy6667
roddy6667's picture

"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".
Wow! That's cause for alarm!

NOT!

Mon, 12/07/2015 - 14:56 | 6888907 SILVERGEDDON
SILVERGEDDON's picture

You drank way too much government Koolaid.

Mon, 12/07/2015 - 09:52 | 6887256 TheMerryPrankster
TheMerryPrankster's picture

feds raised llmits for safe level right after fukushima melt down. interesting timing, my understanding was the safe level of radiation per our dear government is now 1000% higher than it was before the meltdown.

If the gov declares all radiation is safe would you beleive them? What if they do it in 1000% increments over twenty years?

There is no safe level of radiation. its just die now or die later depending on direct dose.

Mon, 12/07/2015 - 11:41 | 6887867 Dr. Spin
Dr. Spin's picture

[If the gov declares all radiation is safe would you beleive them?]

Of course, .gov* is the paragon of integrity and they would never lie to me.

/s

Spoctor Din

* Never forget this:  What Morpheus said to Mr. Smith, "You all look the same to me."  .gov encompasses all levels, Fed, State, and Local...

Mon, 12/07/2015 - 03:09 | 6886662 Solio
Solio's picture

The wind and the ocean currents must be at an absolute standstill for those radionuclides to have moved so little.

 

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