Will radiation in crops ring bad news for farmers in Japan?

Fukushima, Mar 20: If the recent tsunami and massive earthquake hasn't scarred the Japanese yet, the nuclear fallout will. The blazing Fukushima nuclear power plant seems to be under control with international aid flowing to avoid any long-standing effects of the radiation leaks, the damage is slowly starting to show. There are reports that considerable amounts of contamination have seeped into the food chain.

Traces of radioactive material were found in milk, spinach and tap water acquired near the Fukushima plant. The traces have also been found to exceed government safety limits. The news spread and is causing distress to the large number of Japanese citizens who are still reeling under the deadly impact of the tsunami and earthquake that has robbed everything they have worked for in their lifetime.

State Secretary of Health Minister Yoko Komiyama confirming the fears said that consuming the tainted milk for a year would mean consuming enough radiation that would come forth from a CT scan. Extremely small traces were also detected in tap water and fears of any health risks from them were ruled out.

The samples for testing were collected from farms in and around the nuclear power plant that also produce rice, melons and peaches. The fears could impact food supplies within Japan as well as foof exports with many nations in the process of checking for radioactive traces in Japan food imports.

Especially worrisome was the iodine levels in spinach that exceeded safety limits by 7 times according to a food safety official. The excessive iodine levels could increase chances of thyroid cancer. The other possibility is detecting traces of Cesium that also poses hazardous health risks.

Farmers are especially worried since the crops will have less takers over contamination fears.

OneIndia News

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TCS, Infosys to fly back staff over radiation fears in Japan

Tuesday, March 15, 2011, 14:00 [IST]Bangalore, Mar 15: It seems the Japanese tsunami is having a domino effect on IT professionals in India. With the looming nuclear fears shrouding tsunami-devastated Japan, software giants having a formidable presence in the country are taking efforts to fly back their staff. The companies taking the initiative include industry bigwigs like Infosys and Tata Consultancy Services (TCS).

A TCS statement said, “We are ready to relocate our Indian employees and their families back to India as well as move our local Japanese employees and their families to other locations of safety. The safety of our employees is our top priority. We are in close touch with our team in Japan around the clock. We have set up a communications system to provide all employees in Japan with frequent updates and stay in touch with them."

Infosys is also doing everything in their capacity to fly back their employees to safety. Infosys has around 500 employees in Japan, out of which 350 people are Indian natives and has offices in Tokyo, Fukuoka and Nagoya.

Advisories have been issued by many nations urging citizens to leave the affected areas in Japan. These include tourists on holidays and multinational companies who have staff working there. With Tokyo remaining safe until now, latest reports have revealed that radioactive winds seem to be blowing towards Tokyo, putting the capital on high alert.

OneIndia News

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Radiation levels in Japan now high enough to endanger humans

Tokyo, Mar 15: Japan's nuclear crisis veered towards a catastrophe today (Mar 15) after explosions at two more reactors and a fire rocked the quake-stricken nuclear power plants at Fukushima and Prime Minister Naoto Kan warned that radiation levels were now high enough to endanger humans.

The blast and fire have turned the nuclear plants "critical", the country's chief spokesman announced as the melting reactors spewed large amounts of radioactive materials triggering fear of widespread contamination.

Kan in his address to the nation at 11 am local time warned that the radiation had already spread from the crippled reactors and there was "a very high risk of further leakage" as the French embassy here said that low-level radioactive could reach the capital Tokyo within hours.

The Japanese Prime Minister asked an estimated 140,000 people living within 30 kms of the facility north of capital to remain indoors and to conserve power as threat loomed large of Japan''s crisis turning into a Chernobyl-like disaster.

Kyodo quoting nuclear experts said radiation equivalent to 400 times the level to which people can be exposed in one year was detected near the Fukushima No 3 reactor.

Residents within a 20-km radius of the plant have already been ordered to vacate the area following Saturday''s hydrogen blast at the plant's No 1 reactor.

The Japanese news agency quoting Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano said the high radiation level detected at 10:22 am local time after the explosions at the No 2 and No 4 reactors "would certainly have negative effects on the human body".

PTI

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