Fukushima radiation spreads to the US coast

US scientists discovered traces of radiation leaking from the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster off the coast of California.

>>>Radioactivity Fukushima to the North American coast

The announcement of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute (WHOI) said radioactive isotopes related to Fukushima were discovered about 160km west of the city of Eureka, north of California.

During a study expedition from Alaska to California, volunteers collected research samples containing a small amount of isotope cesium-134, or traces of the Fukushima nuclear disaster.

Round dots indicate the location of seawater samples collected in the study.The green dot shows a low level of radiation, a white dot indicates the location of no radiation detection.(Photo: WHOI)

The level of radioactivity is about 1,000 times lower than the acceptable limit for drinking water according to the standards of the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). In other words, it is below the level that could endanger people or marine life. However, according to Ken Buesseler, WHO researcher, although he was reluctant to underestimate this, he did not think about swimming or eating fish caught here.

WHO experts believe that the current key issue is to continue monitoring the level of radiation in the oceans. Radioactivity in the Pacific Ocean can spread and requires close supervision.

According to RT, Canadian oceanographers discovered cesium-134 in the area off Vancouver Island in 2013. Meanwhile, research by the University of Oregon, USA, found no radioactive signs in seawater samples. Collect along the Pacific Northwest coast.

The March 2011 earthquake and tsunami disaster seriously affected the Fukushima nuclear power plant, leading to the leakage of three nuclear reactors. Contaminated water, which is the amount of groundwater pumped into the factory every day to cool the reactors, is leaking into the ocean. Decontamination can last for decades.