Japan’s nuclear plant’s radioactive plume reaches U.S., but experts assure no threat to Americans
March 19th, 2011 - 12:55 pm ICT by ANI
Washington, Mar 19 (ANI): A very low level radioactive plume from the earthquake-cum-tsunami affected nuclear complex in Japan has reportedly been detected in Sacramento, US, but health experts are of the opinion that the radiation carried by winds have been largely diluted on its way and poses no threat to people in America.
The readings, picked up by highly sensitive detectors set up to monitor clandestine nuclear blasts, were the first evidence of the feared radioactive plume that has gradually travelled across the Pacific with the prevailing winds over the past week and has now reached the continental United States, The New York Times reports.
Health experts, however, assured that the plume’s radiation had been diluted enormously in its journey across thousands of miles, adding that its very low concentrations would have no health consequences in the United States.
The paper quoted Lars-Erik De Geer, research director of the Swedish Defense Research Agency, a part of the monitoring system, as saying that: “What we can measure is almost a single atom, which has absolutely no danger” for human health.
“It has to be very sensitive because we are looking for people who are trying to hide the testing of weapons,” he added.
Another expert Mike Sicilia, a spokesperson in Sacramento for the California Department of Public Health, also emphasised that the danger of being affected by the radiation very low.
“We’re monitoring the situation. All data from state and federal sources show that harmful levels of radiation won’t reach California,” Sicilia added.
Environmental and watchdog groups, however, have cited a growing anxiety in the United States and complained of a lack of adequate information from American officials, adding: “The U.S. government clearly has information that the public has a right and need to know.”
President Barack Obama had said on Thursday that he was aware of American’s concern over the matter, but had assured his countrymen saying: I want to be very clear, we do not expect harmful levels of radiation to reach the United States, whether it’s the West Coast, Hawaii, Alaska or U.S. territories.” (ANI)
- Japan radiation plume reaches US, but poses no risk: Report - Mar 19, 2011
- Radioactive plume to reach Britain in two weeks, say experts - Mar 18, 2011
- Nuclear radiation from Japanese power plant reaches Pakistan: PAEC - Apr 09, 2011
- Will Japan's radiation leak reach India? - Mar 21, 2011
- Small amount of radiation found in Massachusetts' rain water - Mar 28, 2011
- Japan's nuke plant radiation traces detected in US - Mar 29, 2011
- UK's Sellafield nuke site blamed for 'death and cancer' cases in Cumbria's contaminated areas - Mar 19, 2011
- China detects 'extremely low level radiation' from Japan - Mar 29, 2011
- China says faces no immediate threat from Japan nuke plant's radioactive leaks - Mar 22, 2011
- Countries roll out preventive measures (To go with 'Will Japan's radiation leak reach India?') - Mar 21, 2011
- "Workers losing race to save quake-cum-tsunami hit Fukushima nuclear power plant": Expert - Mar 30, 2011
- Chinese fear radiation from Japan, buying iodine pills - Mar 17, 2011
- Harmful radiation won't reach US: Obama - Mar 18, 2011
- Japanese operator says it will "scrap" four reactors at tsunami hit nuke plant - Mar 30, 2011
- Radioactive materials' level found 1,250 times higher than legal limit in sea near Fukushima plant - Mar 26, 2011
Tags: american officials, barack obama, california department of public health, continental united states, department of public health, federal sources, first evidence, geer, health consequences, health experts, human health, lars erik, nuclear blasts, nuclear plant, plume, prevailing winds, research director, sensitive detectors, watchdog groups, york times reports