Japan PM: stop eating vegetables from near nuclear plant

[Viva_La_Revolution]

Source: Reuters

TOKYO (Reuters) – Japan's prime minister urged people on Wednesday to stop eating leafy vegetables grown near the country's quake-stricken nuclear plant after radiation levels exceeding safety standards were found in 11 types of vegetables, local media said.

The contaminated vegetables included broccoli, spinach, cabbage and cauliflower, the health ministry said.

Traces of radiation exceeding national safety standards have already been found in milk and vegetables from areas around the tsunami-damaged Fukushima Daiichi plant, in Fukushima prefecture, about 240 km (150 miles) north of Tokyo.

More than 160 times the safety standard of radioactive cesium had been detected in a leafy green known as "kukitatena," according to tests conducted on Monday.

Read more: http://news.asiaone.com/News/Latest%2BNews/Asia/Story/A1Story20110323-269539.html

[daleo]

1. A fair bit of land will be contaminated

Apparently this area was quite agriculturally productive before the disaster.

[subterranean]

2. The prime minister's advice is surely appreciated, but...

I suspect the Japanese people are ahead of him on that.

[jtuck004]

3. A hopeful sign for this is that there is steam rising from reactors 1-4.

My contribution to optimism.

That means there is water there. Most likely is serving steamed radiation as a main course, better than smoke.

Link -> http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/24_18.html

Won't carry as far, cooler temps, likely will go on till they get the fuel out or get circulating fresh water flowing in a pool. Those steam clouds are likely coming out of the spent fuel or the reactor, as a pressure relief, and would have to have water. Can't stop radiation releases for some time, and there is still a chance of explosions.

[avaistheone1]

4. k&r

[PoliticAverse]

5. Additional article: Food problems worsen

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T110323005308.htm

[noamnety]

6. What the hell?

"Radioactive levels in one turnip from the prefecture exceeded the legal limit, but since only one sample was tested, the ministry did not warn consumers against eating the product but only halted shipments of it."

[fasttense]

7. Thanks for posting the link.

Here is how they are identifying what vegetables are safe to eat: "Radioactive levels in one turnip from the prefecture exceeded the legal limit, but since only one sample was tested, the ministry did not warn consumers against eating the product but only halted shipments of it."

Now it would be very useful if our government would require country of origin labels on our processed foods. Did you know that recalled beef is used in processed foods like canned soup and chili. So, I imagine there is someone out there right now trying to figure out how to process radioactive food stuff so they can sell it in the US. I bet if they add enough ingredients to radioactive turnips they could bring the levels down to average through diluting it.

[PoliticAverse]

8. I foresee a huge increase in the personal geiger counter market.

And not just in Japan.

[dixiegrrrrl]

9. Personal geiger counters sold out, say several web sites that sell them.

They have been sold out for last 10 days, at least.
The cheapest of the models was around 279.00.