Effects of Fukushima
On March 11, 201 the 9.0 magnitude Tohoku earthquake triggered a tsunami off the coast of Japan. This tsunami caused the failure of 3 nuclear reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi I plant, one of the biggest power plants in the world. Since the incident, 400 tons of radioactive water has been dumping daily into the ocean, contaminating sea life as well as the atmosphere.
As of 2013 at least 42 commercial fish species from around the area where the spill happened have been deemed contaminated and unsafe for consumption, with large meaty fish such as tuna and salmon being amongst the biggest carriers of radiation. Japan has stopped the export of all possibly contaminated ...view middle of the document...
“The presence of Cesium-137 two to three years after the Fukushima accident in test samples, shows that this situation is here to stay and is more than likely getting worse.” (Radiation News, 2014) Milk samples tested for radiation in California, Oregon, Washington and Hawaii all show increased levels of Cesium-137.
Continued consumption of cesium-contaminated food is dangerous. Cesium-134 and Cesium-137 are radioactive isotope elements, when ingested these elements “migrate to specific organs such as the thyroid, liver, bone, and brain, continuously irradiating small volumes of cells.” (Caldicott , 2011). This continuous irradiation of organs within the body causes many different ailments such as cancers of the breast, colon, liver, lung, stomach, small intestine and kidney - to name a few. Also diseases such as leukemia and lymphoma are a possible threat.
Currently, there have been no confirmed deaths from radiation exposure of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster. The United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation claims that the scientists have found no evidence to support the idea that the nuclear meltdown in Japan in 2011 will lead to an increase in cancer rates or birth defects. (UNSCEAR, 2014) However, Steve Manley, a professor of biological sciences at Cal State Long Beach, who has been studying and examining kelp for the last three years begs to differ as he has found traces of radioactive...