Fukushima radiation to the North American coast

US scientists recently reported that radiation leaked from the Fukushima plant in Japan will spread to North American coasts this year.

According to the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute (WHOI), radioactive nucleus will drift to Alaska and British Columbia in the coming months. The first radioactive traces are expected to be recorded in April. The WHOI said the level of radionuclides will be within the safety limits of the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Map of radiation simulation from Japan to the coasts of North America.(Photo: NY Times)

Business Insider quoted Ken Buesseler, a member of WHOI, during the study, the team of experts examined and collected water samples from 24 different locations on the Canadian and US coasts.

According to the team, samples of water collected from the coast of Vancouver, British Columbia, with radioactive nucleus content related to the leak of nuclear reactors in Fukushima in 2011.

Radioactive isotopes leaked from Fukushima including cesium-137, cesium-134 and Iodine-131. Cesium-137 has a longer half-life than cesium-134 and can be found in oceans, the result of historical nuclear tests. Live Science said that, at 8 out of 24 study sites, the team discovered radioisotope cesium-137.

Experts are looking for signs of cesium-134 because this radioactive isotope can provide clear evidence that Fukushima's nuclear radiation has reached the coasts of North America.