Low-level radiation found in Bay State rainwater [Massachusetts]

[PoliticAverse]

Source: Boston Herald

This just in to the City Desk … the state Department of Public Health announced today they have detected low levels of radiation in Massachusetts rainwater, likely from the nuclear fallout from Japan’s crippled Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant.

<...>

The concentration of I-131 was 79 pCi/L (picocuries per liter). The precipitation sample was taken during the past week, with results available today following analysis and confirmatory testing by the DPH Radiation Control Program. Similar testing in other states, including California, Pennsylvania and Washington, has shown comparable levels of I-131 in precipitation samples. Federal officials have indicated that such findings would likely be found in multiple locations across the country, with some variation due to weather patterns.

DPH Commissioner John Auerbach emphasized that the sampling results show no risk to state drinking water supplies. “The drinking water supply in Massachusetts is unaffected by this short-term, slight elevation in radiation. However, we will carefully monitor the drinking water as we exercise an abundance of caution.” he said.



Read more: http://bostonherald.com/blogs/news/city_desk_wired/?p=2878

---

Note that 79 picoCuries is about 3 Becquerels (2.923).

[TheWraith]

1. Much more likely to be a local source, actually.

I'd check to see if anyone's been dumping mine tailings lately. Those can contain natural uranium which can become suspended in water.

[truthisfreedom]

2. They detected iodine. Radioactive iodine is a byproduct of fission.

Fission is happening in Fukushima right now.

[TheWraith]

3. Then check local plants.

Despite what people think, radiation isn't magic--it doesn't teleport around the planet.

[DLnyc]

9. I don't think mine tailings contain iodine-131. It doesn't occur naturally.

[AndyTiedye]

14. There are No Uranium Mines in Massachusetts or Anywhere Else in New England AFAIK

[enough]

4. There are five functioning nuclear power reactors at 4 sites within 100 miles of Boston.

I would like to know why they assume this stuff is coming from Japan.

Good interactive map for locating nukes in the US and getting basic information about them:

http://money.cnn.com/news/specials/nuclear_power_plants_locations/index.html

[avaistheone1]

5. Perhaps because these elements are not normally in this concentration in the water in Massachusetts.

[pam4water]

6. Iodine is the isotope the decays that fastest. It could be from Japan but they should check local

sources anyway. Maybe a local plant is using the Japan incident as a cover.

[caraher]

8. The half-life of I-131 is about 8 days

That means less two half-lives have passed since any release from Japan, so you'd expect at least 1/4 the original radioactivity still to be present. Occam's razor says look to Japan, not New England, for your source.

[pam4water]

11. "after both World Trade Center towers had been hit in the attacks, but before either tower had colla

collapsed, Moore sent an email to the press office of her department which read:

"It's now a very good day to get out anything we want to bury. Councillors' expenses?'"

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


The Jo Moore principle as release you radiation while everyone is looking at Japan :P

[caraher]

16. If they have that kind of control over releasing I-131...

then they have no reason to release it.

In other words, you really can't have it both ways. Either nuclear plants are sieves belching radioactive poison all the time, or in normal operation they're pretty leak-tight and... what, they decided to burp one just for kicks? It's not like I-131 poses any waste disposal challenge if you can just bottle it up for a few months.

Seriously, I don't trust the utilities much, either, but this stuff is from Japan.

[freshwest]

13. Good point about covering up.

[caraher]

7. It's overwhelmingly likely to be from Japan

It can't be tailings as I-131 is a fission product with essentially zero natural abundance.

It could be from a local reactor in theory, but this is a new discovery and if a nearby plant were leaking fission products it seems hard to believe that they would suddenly be detected now.

And there's no magic involved in transporting I-131 on the wind... we know it's leaving the plants, we know there's steam and sometimes fires and explosions, and all these processes put some particles in the atmosphere. The rest is wind and diffusion.

[glinda]

10. radiation tracking map

http://www.epa.gov/radiation/rert/radnet-data-map.html

[pam4water]

12. That is not very many fix radiation detectors. :(

[PatrynXX]

15. any geeks here?

get more radiation either by shining yer partner on with a laser pointer or taking the dvd player apart and turn it on and look at the red laser go thru the dvd :P oh but don't look directly at the beam... another trick. get a hammer, and smash that nice sign on your smoke alarm :P Got radioactive material in almost every room in the house. Lets get paranoid. Now Japan well thats a whole nother problem. or anyone like me who lives within an hours drive from a nuclear plant. espcially the Mark 1's

[James48]

17. Radiation in Massachusetts rainwater likely from Japan

Source: Detroit Free Press

Radiation in Massachusetts rainwater likely from Japan

BOSTON — Health officials said Sunday that one sample of Massachusetts rainwater has registered very low concentrations of radiation, most likely from the Japanese nuclear power plant damaged earlier this month by an earthquake and tsunami.

John Auerbach, the Massachusetts commissioner of public health, said that radioiodine-131 found in the sample — one of more than 100 that have been taken around the country — is short lived. He said the drinking water supply in the state was unaffected and officials do not expect any health concerns.

Nevada and other Western states also have reported minuscule amounts of radiation, but scientists say those presented no health risks.




Read more: http://www.freep.com/article/20110327/NEWS07/110327019/Radiation-Massachusetts-rainwater-likely-from-Japan-

---

It's gonna get a whole lot worse before things get better.

I have a feeling we're going to see major damage to crops around the globe as radiation drops into rainwater over the next few months.

[Teaser]

18. how much damage is "major"?

.

[TheWraith]

19. Suddenly everyone is a physicist.

Again: this is FAR more likely to be contamination from a LOCAL SOURCE. Check your local plants. Unless one assumes that radiation is going to cross 12,000 miles, and show up in only one sample out of 100 that have been taken. Possible? Vaguely, but highly unlikely.

In any event, the talk about global crop destruction is simply not true.

[James48]

21. Yes.

Yes, radiation IS going to travel 12000 miles, and drop into/onto plants growing all over the world.

If you don't understand global wind currents, you are missing how weather travels around this planet.

Balloonists have used the prevailing winds across the Pacific to cross in balloons several times.
http://www.amazon.com/Pacific-Flyer-crossing-balloon-adventure/dp/B0006P872W

the Japanese used the prevailing winds to launch balloon attacks against our nation in the Second World War.

It doesn't take a great deal of radiation to contaminate milk cows, or leafy vegatables such as spinich or lettuce, or any number of farm products.

You'll see.

[Teaser]

24. "It doesn't take a great deal of radiation to contaminate milk cows,"

how much does it take?

[flamingdem]

35. It was also found in Maryland last weekend - coincidence?

State officials say radiation traces detected in air no concern
Monitoring finds very low levels in air, but none in water or milk
March 27, 2011|By Timothy B. Wheeler, The Baltimore Sun

Maryland officials say they've detected little or no trace of radiation in the state from the Japanese nuclear reactor accident, though federal agencies are reporting slightly elevated levels of radioactive iodine in rainwater in Pennsylvania and Massachusetts.

Dr. Joshua M. Sharfstein, Maryland secretary of health and mental hygiene, said that monitoring by state agencies of air, water and food supplies has found "no reason for public health concern."

The Environmental Protection Agency and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Sunday that "very small amounts" of radioactive materials might be detected in air and precipitation across the country using very sensitive equipment.

[plumbob]

20. Miniscule, but measurable, right?

Seems like if these numbers don't matter, they wouldn't scale instruments to detect these amounts.

Well, I'm sure the authorities know what they're doing, in any case. Look at the bang-up they did on New Orleans and Katrina, Haiti and the earthquake, and the rebuilding of the infrastructure in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Hey! Don't even be thinkin' that those folks would lie to ya. Only for $$$$$$$$$$$$, and no way is anyone gonna make $$$$$$$$$$$ off disas- hmm? What'd you say?

[unkachuck]

23. "What'd you say?"....I said, "...you're 100% correct!"....n/t

[Teaser]

25. "Seems like if these numbers don't matter, they wouldn't scale instruments to detect"

You really think that? Really?

[caraher]

28. Bear in mind that these instruments are supposed to be hypersensitive

Their main function is generally looking for evidence of nuclear testing (which releases the same fission products). If you're a nation doing small underground tests trying to avoid international attention you're going to have limited fallout, which means instrumentation designed to catch you needs to be exquisitely sensitive.

Just because you can measure something doesn't mean it's present in incredibly alarming quantities.

[Teaser]

29. preaching to the choir here

as I told someone else today, they are built to be highly susceptible to type I error.

[plumbob]

31. No, I didn't say alarming quantities. I meant trivial quantities.

For example, I teach. My students are graded 0-100 on various assignments and tests, and we wind up with a reading using this instrument somewhere between 0 and 100. The arithmetic of assignments may lead to fractions, like a test average with 3 assignments, of grades 70, 87, and 13. 170/3=56.666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666666 and on.

All I need is 56.6, which rounds up to a 57. I have no need for the rest of the highly accurate answer, because it will not change the outcome in any way. It still rounds the same. So the calculator built into our gradebook allows for only one decimal place. It's all that matters. So why would we build a gradebook with room for 270 decimal places (in this example, still not enough)?

That's what I'm asking. Why all the tiny measurements if they are meaningless? Why are we measuring a meaningless thing?

[madrchsod]

22. what were the global effects of three mile island and chernobyl ?

what were the global effects of the above ground testing of atomic and hydrogen bombs?

i doubt there will be any world wide crop damage.

[James48]

26. ?

What were the global effects of Chernobyl, you ask?

Chernobyl was a SINGLE nuclear reaction catching fire.

In Japan, we have FOUR reactors that have overheated and burned.

Chernobyl's estimated number of additional cancers due to exposure to radiation is in the tens of thousands, and a hundred thousand people are currently
permanently disabled. That was Chernobyl.

http://www.euronuclear.org/e-news/e-news-12/presidents-contribution.htm

Where were you?

This event is on that same kind of scale as a possibility- thousands contaminated, and possibly tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands COULD be in the future.

[hayu_lol]

27. James...the only damage from the 'balloon bombs'...

was one school class out in the woods here near me(there is a marker)where some kids/teacher were wounded. Japanese intent was to start huge forest fires...and that didn't happen.

If the amount of radiation detected so far(one out of one hundred samples)on the east coast is considered miniscule, think miniscule and wait for further reports. We simply do not have all the info that is not yet available. The sky has not fallen yet.

[Raschel]

32. Neither of those leaked for weeks either.

[wordpix]

30. none of it would come for NE US reactors, would it? Just passed TMI today

it was spewing steam but I wondered what else was in the steamy brew.

[DearAbby]

33. No need for fear based predictions...

I don't see the need for it, let's just wait for the information, and go on from there.

[nyy1998]

34. Nice to know the dirty water there has a little extra flavor today

sorry, i couldn't resist

[flamingdem]

36. Radiation Plume Reaches U.S., but Is Said to Pose No Risk

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/19/science/19plume.html?_r=1&hp

Health experts said the plume’s radiation had been diluted enormously in its journey across thousands of miles and — at least for now, with concentrations very low — would have no health consequences in the United States. In a similar way, radiation from the Chernobyl disaster spread around the globe and reached the West Coast of the United States in 10 days, its levels detectable but minuscule.

Late Friday, the Department of Energy confirmed the European statements about the arrival of the radioactive plume in Sacramento, saying the federal station there detected “minuscule quantities” of radiation that posed no health hazard.

But the Obama administration’s initial reluctance to release its own radiation information and the haphazard way that thereadings came dribbling out of Europe first — not the United States — raised questions about whether American officials were being as forthcoming as they had pressed the Japanese to be.

[kpete]

37. Elevated radiation found in rainwater (in Massachusetts)

Source: Boston Globe

Elevated radiation found in rainwater
Iodine levels pose no risk, state says; linked to disaster at plant in Japan

Low levels of radioactive iodine linked to the nuclear disaster in Japan were detected in a sample of rainwater in Massachusetts, state health officials announced yesterday.


The concentration of radioiodine-131 found in the sample is very low and did not affect the health of the state’s drinking-water supplies, said John Auerbach, commissioner of the Department of Public Health.

The rain sample was taken during the past week in Boston as part of regular monitoring by the US Environmental Protection Agency. No detectable increases in radiation were discovered in the air that was tested in the same location where the rainwater was collected, Auerbach said at a press conference yesterday at the William A. Hinton State Laboratory Institute in Jamaica Plain.

“In Massachusetts, none of the cities and towns rely on rainwater as their primary source of water,’’ Auerbach said. “That’s why we’re so comfortable in saying that the drinking-water supplies throughout the state are pretty safe.’’

Read more: http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2011/03/28/state_steps_up_monitoring_after_radioactivity_found_in_rainwater/

[gateley]

38. We'll all get it, it'd like one big ocean, one big sky, one atmosphere - we share

it all.

Thankfully it's not high levels (not that that's any consolation to the people of Japan) but there should be ZERO - there is no need for this, period.

It's like saying teeny levels of arsenic don't matter, but boy, keep adding to the total over a lifetime and you've OD'd! :(

[ginnyinWI]

39. a city near me has radium in its water naturally

I wonder if some of these detections are simply a case of looking for the first time for radiation?

[Yo_Mama]

47. No. This is standard

If anything, this has made the EPA tighten up on its own standards, because some of their air monitoring stations were out on the West Coast.

EPA sets standards for radiation in air, drinking water, effluent, etc. All medical facilities have to test their effluent to monitor radiation content.

But states do too.

You're right that radiation levels in drinking water in the US which could pose long-term health risks come from radon, but they didn't just suddenly start testing. Some water plants in the US have to treat their water to get the radon-sourced contamination below EPA standards. You can use activated charcoal or dilute with lesser contaminated sources to get levels down.

[Dont_Bogart_the_Pretzel]

40. I wonder how they know that the radiation came from Japan?

Is there a sigh on it saying "Made in Japan"?

[flamingdem]

42. Because it was found in PA, ME, WA, CA and many other states at the same time

with the same signature.

What they aren't saying is that cesium has been detected at least in California and Washington, half life 30 years

[FailureToCommunicate]

41. 'no towns rely on rainwater as their primary source of water...'

"...so we're safe" Wow I feel better. Too bad, too sad for all the losers that DO depend on rainwater: you know, birds, fish, wild animals, plants, trees, crops...
Hey, wait, CROPS?!?

[CoffeeCat]

43. I just want the full, story--the truth.

What does this mean?

Yes, the levels are low, but as you said--will this affect the food chain? What about cows that eat grass?
What about crops?

I no longer trust our government to tell us the truth. The same government that told us that magical sea plants would eat
all of the BP oil.

[Yo_Mama]

48. Try this release from MA gov

http://www.mass.gov/Eeohhs2/docs/dph/environmental/radiationcontrol/rad_rainwater_i131_ma.pdf

That will answer your questions. There is no possibility of lying about this, because so many different private organizations are required to test for radioisotopes, and face legal penalties if they do not and if they do not promptly report any unusual findings.

So the government couldn't suppress radiation contamination in the US. That link above will answer a lot of your questions.

[FailureToCommunicate]

49. Thanks. Too bad Repubs AND Obama want to cut funds for EPA

Who needs that meddlesome, wasteful agency anyway!

http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/677-e2-wire/143855-white-house-budget-plan-cuts-epa-but-gop-wants-more

[onehandle]

44. It's already world-wide and in all of us.

We all have a little of every nuclear accident in all of us.

It only takes days.

[Yo_Mama]

45. The title is misleading

They detected low levels of Iodine-131, not any significant increase in overall radioactivity.

The best way to track this is via nuclear plant operators, because they are required to test!
http://www.wect.com/Global/story.asp?S=14328600

These levels are all over the US. They are getting absolutely tiny levels.

The EPA has a very tight limit for Iodine 131 in drinking water:
http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/csem/iodine/standards_regulations.html

Four becquerels per liter, compared to Japan's new standard of 100 for infants, 300 for adults.

Because Iodine-131 is used for medical purposes, medical facilities have to test as well. The fact that the detected levels are below reporting levels means that this is truly a very trace contamination.

Here were detection reports from CA (air) as of the 24th. CA is getting more than the east coast:
http://www.cdph.ca.gov/programs/Documents/CDPH-RHB-PreLabAnalysis-2011-3-16-18.pdf

That shows you all the isotope detections. This page will explain why they are cataloging those results:
http://www.stoller-eser.com/FactSheet/beta.htm

And if you are still concerned, try Harvard:
http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/update-harmful-radiation-from-japan-is-not-reaching-the-united-states%E2%80%94no-need-for-americans-to-take-potassium-iodide-201103272138
Note that this is data about the detection itself. Rainwater isn't drinking water so any I-131 levels in actual drinking water would be way below what was found in the rainwater. If you did drink the rainwater you'd be fine.

The half life of Iodine 131 is eight days. It's not a health concern. In Japan, they have a potential problem that will have to be controlled and monitored closely. We don't.

[greyghost]

46. It would be nice if the US Navy released all of the data that it...

has been gathering since this unmitigated disaster began!

The truth is out there, the MSM is a joke.

[RedCloud]

51. They allowed BP to bully US citizens at beaches.

[valerief]

50. Crops aside, doesn't rainwater fall into reservoirs? How do we *not* get rainwater

into our drinking water?

[Keith Bee]

52. Radiation in Mass. rainwater likely from Japan

Source: AP/Yahoo News

BOSTON – Health officials said Sunday that one sample of Massachusetts rainwater has registered very low concentrations of radiation, most likely from the Japanese nuclear power plant damaged earlier this month by an earthquake and tsunami.

John Auerbach, the Massachusetts commissioner of public health, said that radioiodine-131 found in the sample — one of more than 100 that have been taken around the country — is short lived. He said the drinking water supply in the state was unaffected and officials do not expect any health concerns.

Nevada and other Western states also have reported minuscule amounts of radiation, but scientists say those presented no health risks.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110327/ap_on_re_us/us_japan_us_radiation;_ylt

---

Officials do not expect any health concerns, so RELAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAX...

[davepc]

53. It has a half life of 8 days

OMG!!@#!#!@#!@$!@$@#%

[trud]

54. half life of 8 days, we're doomed :-)

Glad to see a little rationality around here.

Plus they have no idea where the radiation bump is coming from. Could be mine tailings.

Actually, skip your potassium supplement this morning or omit the banana from your lunch, and it'll probably even out.

[Xipe Totec]

55. Mine tailings? Massachusetts? Really?

If we're going to talk about rationality, lets keep it real, shall we?

Mine tailings are large piles of crushed rock that are left over after the metals of interest like lead, zinc, copper, silver, gold and others, have been extracted from the mineral rocks that contained them.

The only thing you're going to mine for in Massachusetts, is the rocks themselves; clay, lime, marble, granite, gravel and quartz.

[trud]

63. yes, really, there are mines in Massachusetts. n/t

[fasttense]

56. Don't worry be happy.

Just a little radiation for your water. It wont hurt you, drink up. Trust the corporate media and our fascist government. They wouldn't lie to you.

[defendandprotect]

61. +1000% --

[Keith Bee]

57. Sorry

But I really was saying, "relax." Heck, you're probably getting more rads from your screen.

[flamingdem]

59. Cesium 137 however has a halflife of 30 years and was in California samples nt

[raouldukelives]

58. Ann Coulter recommends a daily dose

[avaistheone1]

60. So it must be good!

:spray:

[RedCloud]

62. And so it came to pass...

[Taverner]

64. "...rainwater has registered very low concentrations of radiation"

How low, that's all I want to know.

Not freaking out, not saying the coast is clear

Just want data