Fukushima radiation seen in tuna off California

[WiccanLiberal]

Reuters is reporting that 15 of 15 tuna caught off California in 2011 showed radiation from cesium isotopes discharged by the Fukushima disaster. They go on to say that the levels have likely declined even further since then but I question what effect may be evident in fish spawned since then.



http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/05/28/us-japan-nuclear-tuna-idUSBRE84R0MF20120528

[Thunderknuckles]

Reuters is reporting that 15 of 15 tuna caught off California in 2011 showed radiation from cesium isotopes discharged by the Fukushima disaster. They go on to say that the levels have likely declined even further since then but I question what effect may be evident in fish spawned since then.



http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/05/28/us-japan-nuclear-tuna-idUSBRE84R0MF20120528
"15 of 15 tuna caught off California in 2011 showed radiation..."?
That's a bid misleading. It's like saying 100% of Tuna caught off Cali had radiation.
All the article states is that radiation was detected in 15 fish caught off of San Diego.

Yeah, I'm pulling a Conhog on you :p

[WiccanLiberal]

I wasn't terribly concerned about the numbers quoted in this article. i still enjoy tuna. The concern I am having is if this occurred in a small sample size at a time when researchers were not expecting such changes so soon after the disaster, what might be occurring in the interim. There hasn't been enough data as far as I can see for anyone to make a well-founded judgement. In the case of possible cesium contamination, more info is always better.

[Nukeman]

I wasn't terribly concerned about the numbers quoted in this article. i still enjoy tuna. The concern I am having is if this occurred in a small sample size at a time when researchers were not expecting such changes so soon after the disaster, what might be occurring in the interim. There hasn't been enough data as far as I can see for anyone to make a well-founded judgement. In the case of possible cesium contamination, more info is always better.Cs-137 is a primary beta emitter. As a whole Cs-137 is very dangerous if ingested in quantities that being said the amount they are talking about is 10bq per kilogram of tuna. To put that into perspective the usual measurement for radiation is is Curie or milicuries. 10 bq = 0.00000027 mCi, in a typical nuclear medicine exam the dose is over 20 mCi of radiation (that is a short half life isotope but high dose) that equals a total of 740000000 bq so the media likes to list things in bq becasue it "seems" like more.

This amount is SO small I really have a hard time understanding how they even measured it. To measure 0.00000027 mCi of radiation adn seperate it out of background takes a VERY sensitive piece of equipment that is specifically looking just for that....

i wouldn't have the slightest reservation about eating any of that tuna YOU will get more radiation from flying to japan or having a CT scan than you would by eating the WHOLE freaking 300lb tuna!!!!!