Marine Life Faces Threat From Runoff

[highplainsdem]

Source: NY Times via Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Marine Life Faces Threat From Runoff
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
By ELISABETH ROSENTHAL and WILLIAM J. BROAD, The New York Times

-snip-

Cesium 137 levels were 20 times the normal level about 1,000 feet from the effluent at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. That is far less than the level of the other main radioactive isotope spilling from the plant, iodine 131. It was found in concentrations of more than 1,150 times the maximum allowable for a seawater sample a mile north of the plant.

Still, scientists say, cesium 137 poses the greater long-term danger to the marine food chain.

-snip-

Cesium 137, on the other hand, has a half-life of 30 years. Worse still, it is absorbed by marine plants, which are eaten by fish and -- like mercury -- tends to become concentrated as it moves up the food chain.

"It's worrisome in that CS 137 is leaking, although the levels are still low," said Paul G. Falkowski, a professor at Rutgers University's Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences. "At some point this water that is pooling in various places is ultimately going to make its way out to the sea." And if there is a lot of cesium 137 over an extended period "then you'll have to worry."

-snip-


Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11088/1135523-82.stm

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I'm using the Post-Gazette link for this story originally from the Times because of the Times' paywall, which went into effect today.

[suffragette]

1. K&R

[PearliePoo2]

2. Gee...I just read another article that said that radiation amounts

detected in the U. S. were not of any concern.(course, we were also told that they'd never make it over here)
Those darn, 'ole, pesky, OCEAN CURRENTS (and every living thing within) better quit circulating the planet as they're used to doing!

[Paradoxical]

5. Anyone with any experience in this subject did not say that no radiation would reach us.

[defendandprotect]

3. kr

[Paradoxical]

4. I'm not convinced this poses such a great threat to the ocean.

To the people? Absolutely. But the ocean will dilute the byproducts fairly quickly. 1,000 feet of coastline is minuscule.

[PearliePoo2]

6. That's nice that you're certain the ocean WILL dilute the byproducts fairly quickly....

I'm happy for you.
BTW...nowhere in the article does it refer to 1000' of coastline.
What it DOES say is: 20 times the normal level about 1,000 feet FROM the effluent at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.