Japan Earthquake

Japan Earthquake | Page 2148

@elainekirk My wife has a copy of the Asahi Journal which went on sale May 24th. It was a special edition on the Fukushima nuclear crisis. Starting on p.126 there is a piece by Yamashita Shunichi of Nagasaki University. One thing he seems to be saying (at the bottom of p.129) is that as Japan is a "blessed rainy country" (megumi no ame no kuni) the radiation in the soil, specifically Cesium 137, will wash away. Strangely he seems to question whether a 30 year half life for cesium 137 is accurate in the case of Fukushima instead suggesting that half of this (i.e. 15 years?!) might be closer. It is a bit ambiguous, but still it's a bit weird.
by Will 8/14/2011 7:54:39 PM

@Will it does sound strange what do you think @dean
by elainekirk 8/14/2011 7:56:12 PM

@Will is there an online version?
by elainekirk 8/14/2011 8:00:04 PM

www.living-intentionally.com @ elaine.. for reading.. I will but now i have to go out for the daily 40 mile training ride.. will return..
by dean 8/14/2011 8:00:42 PM

@dean I hope so I will read I need to learn I dont understand it as well as you do
by elainekirk 8/14/2011 8:02:10 PM

@elainekirk @Will The Radioactive halflife is 30 years. When exposed in the enviornment, it will decay by radioactive halflife and ALSO wash away and dilute. Not a preferred solution, but I think the guy means the Effective halflife for the purposes of exposing people will be more like 15 years.
by RBeaner 8/14/2011 8:02:41 PM

@elainekirk I don't imagine so.
by Will 8/14/2011 8:03:29 PM

@elainekirk @lillymunster As far as milk goes: It IS a concentrator of I131 so early on can be a serious threat to drinkers thyroids (escpecially kids). But it is NOT a cesium concentrater. Now that I131 levels have gone down, milk should be a good protein source. Have you seen levels for Cs in the milk? I assume some sam,pling has been done of the milk, not just the cow. If a cow eats CS contaminated food in mar-may, The meat will STAY contaminated with Cs, but the milk will clense after a few days on clean food and water.
by RBeaner 8/14/2011 8:09:45 PM

this makes interesing reading it may not be up to date but it is certainly written in an understandable language www.tenorm.com
by elainekirk 8/14/2011 8:10:31 PM

@RBeaner how do we know they have clean food an water though?
by elainekirk 8/14/2011 8:11:30 PM

@elainekirk Only through testing, no other way. My point is even the Fuku cows that were contaminated, can be moved to clean graze and water and the milk would shortly be healthy. I131 half life is only 8 days. I would drink milk and not eat the meat.
by RBeaner 8/14/2011 8:14:19 PM

@RBeaner interesting , got me thinking about how badly this is being managed
by elainekirk 8/14/2011 8:22:18 PM

www3.nhk.or.jp
If the device that can read radiation through packages works it will be a bonus
translate.google.com
by elainekirk 8/14/2011 8:26:24 PM

interesting article on food limits from EPA vs FDA and why they differ. Interesting and good response at the end from the FDA (US). www.forbes.com
by RBeaner 8/14/2011 8:28:05 PM

@elainekirk radiation that causes significant hazard EXTernally is easily detected through most packaging (plastic and cardboard). The problem is the level of radiation you are trying to detect inside food products is very small. It requires good shielding (lead/concrete) around the counter and long count times of the sample. The are trying to get a LOW Minimum Detectable Activity (MDA). Low MDA means you can see a very small amount of radioactivity.
by RBeaner 8/14/2011 8:40:23 PM

@RBeaner it says in the article they now have them using lead they should be buying all production and ensuring that as many are spread around as possible for people to use as they see fit not having to depend on some iffy figures from lala land
by elainekirk 8/14/2011 8:51:10 PM

Back, a bit more awake now. :-)

I made a page so anyone can drop a link to a report, study or article related to the radiation exposure and Yamashita mess. If you have blog edit access you can add into the main body or leave information in comments. We can categorize it as needed. wp.me
by lillymunster 8/14/2011 8:55:57 PM

@Elaine, do you have author access to the group site?
by lillymunster 8/14/2011 8:56:20 PM

no @Lilly
by elainekirk 8/14/2011 9:09:03 PM

or I dont know if ?I have
by elainekirk 8/14/2011 9:09:33 PM

did you save the two papers from mr raadiation is safe?
by elainekirk 8/14/2011 9:10:04 PM

just washing pots
by elainekirk 8/14/2011 9:10:14 PM

I think I have the papers. I have the belarus study from brazil and the other on hot thyroiditis page.
by lillymunster 8/14/2011 9:14:14 PM

I will go check on if you have a login. Radioguy and I got so busy I don't know where we left off with that. Have you ever used Wordpress? It is pretty easy to get the hang of.
by lillymunster 8/14/2011 9:14:59 PM

Reading the second Yamashita study he cites 200000 children studied and 5000 of those will get thyroid cancer from chernobyl. If my math is right that is 1 in 40 kids. :-( I did 200,000 divided by 5000 to come up with 40. Writing it out since my head is foggy today. www.hotthyroidology.com
by lillymunster 8/14/2011 9:16:09 PM

@lillymunster many moons ago I tried a wordpress blog but couldnt get along with it . Chernobyl was a one off exposure not prolonged so those odds probably dont stand unforunately but they are actually I would think enough to make the parents want to take action without frightening them to the oint of panic
by elainekirk 8/14/2011 9:22:06 PM

@lillymunster the chernobyl children were evacuated and given iodine and yet the figure was still one in 40 so what does that make him and the Japanese government? and ignorance on the part of the authorities is no excuse as it took me only minutes to find those
by elainekirk 8/14/2011 9:24:30 PM

@elainekirk we also need iodine level maps for the regions involved over that first 1-2 weeks after Chernobyl. Those will give us a reference point for how much exposure chernobyl children got vs. Fukushima children.
by lillymunster 8/14/2011 9:26:33 PM

@lillymunster he also mentions lekaemia although it wasnt his subject so we need to find those figures for the 'argument' for proper health care . I do believe if rockhopper and her friends took those facts he published to the parents we can get him out of the picture
by elainekirk 8/14/2011 9:26:57 PM

@lillymunster ok I will go do that
by elainekirk 8/14/2011 9:27:15 PM

I think we found our new group project. This needs sorting out now.
by lillymunster 8/14/2011 9:27:21 PM

@lillymunster can I prove my ignorance and ask the technical term for the radioactive iodine for my searching is it 131? no you tell me dont want to make mistakes
by elainekirk 8/14/2011 9:28:35 PM

@elainekirk yes I think you are right that he is so easily contradticing himself. His study seemed to focus only on Iodine. Maybe that is why all the authorities are so focused on that and ignoring the other long term risks
by lillymunster 8/14/2011 9:28:53 PM

@lillymunster there were at least two major iodine dispersals a few weeks apart werent there am I remembering right?
by elainekirk 8/14/2011 9:29:58 PM

@elainekirk Yes Iodine 131 is the element in question. The protective iodine people take to prevent uptake of the radioactive stuff is potassium iodide. Iodine 131, the reactor generated stuff is what is used as a medical treatment. They use it to kill off parts of the thyroid in hyperthyroidism.
by lillymunster 8/14/2011 9:30:12 PM

@elainekirk Fuku or Chernobyl?
by lillymunster 8/14/2011 9:30:37 PM

@lillymunster fuku
by elainekirk 8/14/2011 9:34:15 PM

Ian sent me this. I think my head just exploded.
by lillymunster 8/14/2011 9:37:58 PM

@lillymunster This is not the iodine maps (though there is a 137 map) but I thought th site worth posting as it has a lot of official data ...I will go find 131 map
by elainekirk 8/14/2011 9:38:03 PM

@elainekirk I think fuku had the initial releases during meltdown and explosions. A second spike maybe when #3 started burning on mar 20th?
by lillymunster 8/14/2011 9:38:29 PM

@lillymunster ah yes I thought I recalled that happening
by elainekirk 8/14/2011 9:39:21 PM

I think we need a list of some hard numbers and may be able to construct them now. Total releases at Chernobyl vs. Fuku to date. Spread maps of the early weeks where radiation went. That could help people visualize the difference.
by lillymunster 8/14/2011 9:40:04 PM

@lillymunster yes, there was a spike.
by Edano 8/14/2011 9:42:45 PM

there are two chernobyl iodine 131 depositation maps here just trying to find better www.iaea.org
by elainekirk 8/14/2011 9:45:21 PM

will mentioned yamashita worked for the "Global Strategic Center for Radiation Health Risk Control" in nagasaki. that center is paid by the US department of energy.
by Edano 8/14/2011 9:45:38 PM