Japan Earthquake

Japan Earthquake | Page 2145

Issue of radiation-tainted food in Japan escalates: Mushrooms joined the threats to Japan’s food chain from radiation spewed by Tokyo Electric Power Co.’s Fukushima Dai-Ichi nuclear plant, as the country expands efforts to limit the effects of the disaster.
Japan is under pressure to enhance food inspections as it has no centralized system for detecting radiation contamination. About two-thirds of Japan’s prefectures now plan to check rice crops, the Mainichi newspaper said today, citing a survey. Half of Japan’s rice is grown within range of emissions from the crippled nuclear plant, and farmers are awaiting the results of tests before harvesting begins this month.

Read more: www.canada.com
by Majj 8/14/2011 2:02:03 PM

Hi Majj!
by lillymunster 8/14/2011 2:02:08 PM

Is this more PR from TEPCO ???? Now is the Radiation is because a virus and not because a TSUNAMI
by Majj 8/14/2011 2:22:01 PM

Cracking Stuxnet
Stuxnet malware is reportedly a contributing factor to the Fukushima nuclear disaster. Clue ... virtually every control system failed or reacted wrongly to emergency conditions.
How Digital Detectives Deciphered Stuxnet, the Most Menacing Malware in Histor
By Kim Zetter July 11, 2011 | www.nuc.berkeley.edu
by Majj 8/14/2011 2:27:42 PM

Can this be TRUE ?
Here is a nightmare scenario for you.
1. Israel and the US create Stuxnet.
2. Stuxnet is deployed to wreck Iran's nuclear power station.
3. But Stuxnet escapes from its intended target and spreads across Asia!
4. As article documents, Stuxnet was in Japan last October, presumably still spreading and intended to wreck nuclear power plants.
5. Stuxnet targets the Siemens controller.
6. Fukushima uses the Seimens controllers Stuxnet was designed interfere with!
So now the difficulty the Fukushima nuclear plant operators faced in recovering control over their runaway reactors takes on a darker significance. Remember that the first problem following the quake was that the automated shutdown systems failed to operate at some of the reactors, because pumps failed and valves would not open even while running on batteries; the very sorts of mischief Stuxnet supposedly was designed to cause at Iran's power station.
by Majj 8/14/2011 2:33:56 PM

No, it is a user who posted that not Berekeley. It was an early rumor going around.
by lillymunster 8/14/2011 2:34:37 PM

by Majj 8/14/2011 3:07:46 PM

@Majj , the stuxnet angle is totally unwarranted because the worm targeted specific pieces of equpiment, that is the speed controller of certain ultra centrifuges. Even if Fukushima used the Siemens software, tepco does not run ultracentrifuges. Read more here: brainmindinstrev.blogspot.com
by Peter Melzer 8/14/2011 3:32:51 PM

We are going on a trip. I check back in later, internet permitting. Have a great day!
by Peter Melzer 8/14/2011 3:34:27 PM

@Peter Melzer have fun!
by lillymunster 8/14/2011 3:35:21 PM

@lillymunster did you get rockhoppers translation that I sent you?
by elainekirk 8/14/2011 3:37:56 PM

Yes have not read it yet.
by lillymunster 8/14/2011 3:45:36 PM

@elainekirk if you have any time to do digging today or tomorrow I need to find the WHO radiation standards and wasn't immediately finding them.
by lillymunster 8/14/2011 3:57:49 PM

@lillymunster ooo right I will do it now needed something to do
by elainekirk 8/14/2011 4:08:46 PM

@elainekirk thanks, I have piles of stuff on my laptop that need doing or reading.
by lillymunster 8/14/2011 4:09:28 PM

@Peter Melzer Thanks for the explanatory
by Majj 8/14/2011 4:11:43 PM

@Elaine, check the translation document. There is a screen shot of the original document and a chart over the text
by lillymunster 8/14/2011 4:14:45 PM

WTH? the initial screening of the children will be an ultrasound? Maybe that is a translation oddity? A typical thyroid ultrasound would show nothing that early! If it actually means a type of thyroid scan to count radiation in the thyroid that would make sense. We should ask Edano about the technical implication and Rockhopper about the translation to find out if the ultrasound was literal. I didn't think the radiation scan used ultrasound so a bit confused.
by lillymunster 8/14/2011 4:18:45 PM

@lillymunster ok just going to leave this here as it is enlightening but not your doc have a look and I will go look translate imperialtwilight.wordpress.com
by elainekirk 8/14/2011 4:26:04 PM

@lillymunster
this web addy has the same ending as the screen shot www.pref.fukushima.jp
by elainekirk 8/14/2011 4:30:08 PM

@lillymunster maybe they made an initial ulttrasound to make sure that the thyroid is healthy.
by Edano 8/14/2011 4:44:04 PM

well, in fact, ultrasound id the first thing you do with the thyroid. of course you cannot see hotspots at this stage.
by Edano 8/14/2011 4:45:16 PM

I have uploaded a copy of
.Codex General Standard for Contaminants and Toxins in Food and Feed
.
docs.google.com
.
In the WHO doc - FAQs: Japan nuclear concerns www.who.int
under the section- Are there rules for radioactivity in foods for international trade?- the above doc is referenced
I will continue to look for further info
by elainekirk 8/14/2011 4:46:04 PM

the radiation counter is not ultrasound, it is a gammacounter.
by Edano 8/14/2011 4:47:22 PM

@Edano what can you see? My understanding of thyroid ultrasound is that it is only useful to see scarring, nodules and tumors? Do you think this is to establish a baseline? What would it tell about any actual radiation dose that early
by lillymunster 8/14/2011 4:47:47 PM

@Edano So unless this is a translation oddity it is off base from a radiation research or testing perspective?
by lillymunster 8/14/2011 4:48:11 PM

@lillymunster maybe they made an initial ulttrasound to make sure that the thyroid is healthy.
by Edano 8/14/2011 4:49:28 PM

@elainekirk I am a bit confused. The blogger talking about CODEX made it sound like it only refers to purposely irradiated food where processors do that to kill contaminants in food rather than things like contamination while being grown? I could be wrong? Does it cover both?
by lillymunster 8/14/2011 4:50:10 PM

@Edano gotcha. I will ask rockhopper for clarification on the translation and we can go from there. If all they are doing is establishing baseline of healthy thyroid that does nothing to catch whom had heavy thyroid exposure as a front line activity. The secondary activity is 2nd screening by cytoscreening, blood and urine tests. No mention of gammacounter. BTW, this study is being done by Dr. 100msv is ok Yamashita.
by lillymunster 8/14/2011 4:52:13 PM

@lillymunster I don't know I just thought you would find it interesting the nuclear doc is the one I have just posted sorry to confuse I only posted the initial blogger one as of interest to yourselves on the intentionally irradiated food level
by elainekirk 8/14/2011 4:52:21 PM

@lillymunster no gammacounter ???
by Edano 8/14/2011 4:55:05 PM

This is in the WHO doc
FAQs: Japan nuclear concerns
What general advice can be given to food consumers and producers in the event of a nuclear emergency?

The response to an emergency involving radioactivity should be the same as the response to any emergency involving any hazardous material contaminating food. In the early stages of an emergency, and if it is safe to do so, it is possible to take immediate actions to prevent or minimize the contamination of food by radiological materials. For example, it is possible to do the following:
protect food and animal fodder which is stored in the open; cover with plastic sheets or impermeable tarpaulins;
close the ventilation of greenhouses to protect growing vegetables;
bring livestock in from pastures and move animals into a shed or barn;
harvest any ripe crops and place under cover before any fallout has been recorded; and
don’t harvest after fallout – wait for further instructions after contamination has been recorded.
Many other short-, medium- and long-term actions need to be considered in areas confirmed to be seriously contaminated, such as:
avoid consumption of locally produced milk or vegetables;
avoid slaughtering animals;
avoid consumption and harvesting of aquatic animals and plants (including fish, shellfish, and algae); and
avoid hunting or gathering mushrooms or other wild or collected foods.
by elainekirk 8/14/2011 4:55:09 PM

@Edano no gammacounter mentioned so unless the ultrasound actually meant gammacounter it isn't mentioned at all. I emailed you a share access to the translation. Will get a copy-paste of the translation up as soon as I an figure out the picture/text issue.
by lillymunster 8/14/2011 4:59:05 PM

@lillymunster cytoscreening ? you cannot cytoscreen a thyroid. or maybe there is another meaning of cytoscreening in english.
by Edano 8/14/2011 4:59:47 PM

it is not possible to detect (thyroid) irradiation by ultrasound, cytoscreening nor blood and urine tests. this is BS.
by Edano 8/14/2011 5:01:38 PM

@Edano, I think I figured out the stupid risk of all those people jamming the expressway through Tohoku. Obon is like Christmas in the US. There is incredible pressure to go home and not doing so can cause major family problems. We have a similar issue in the US. Weather up here is deadly in the winter yet everyone jams the interstates to go home for Christmas. After spending 4 hours crawling along through an ice storm in bumper to bumper traffic we quit going to Hubby's home for Christmas and that caused all sorts of family problems. His mother didn't get it how dangerous it was and didn't care, she wanted him home. I think the same pressures may be in Japan thus the mass stupidity of driving through fuku :-)
by lillymunster 8/14/2011 5:02:00 PM

@Edano Thanks! This is what rockhopper was concerned about the study seems like BS and Yamashita is spreading bad information
by lillymunster 8/14/2011 5:02:52 PM

@lillymunster i know it's the day of worshipping the deads and it is important. but still i wonder....
by Edano 8/14/2011 5:04:20 PM

@Edano the english literal of cytoscreening is like a cell smear. Will double check that one also with Rockhopper
by lillymunster 8/14/2011 5:04:50 PM

@lillymunster yes cell smear. you cannot smear cells from the thyroid. it is in the body, around the throat.
by Edano 8/14/2011 5:05:33 PM

@Edano We have time to sort this out. Since Mon-Tues are sort of holidays we can figure it out and get something written to go as people are going back to work and reading online.
by lillymunster 8/14/2011 5:05:34 PM

@Edano can you do some sort of needle aspiration or only to a tumor?
by lillymunster 8/14/2011 5:06:08 PM

I had not heard of it as a normal thyroid diagnostic and I have had most of them done to me short of a biopsy
by lillymunster 8/14/2011 5:06:53 PM

What I worry about is that there is a mention in the study about referring people for treatment and more care. But will this study then become the gatekeeper to access related medical care?
by lillymunster 8/14/2011 5:09:26 PM