Japan planted radiation-resistant sunflowers

Last March earthquake and tsunami in Japan caused a nuclear disaster that made Cesi (Cs) radioactive material quite high in Fukushima prefecture and surrounding areas. In recent days Japan has launched a campaign to use sunflowers to clean up pollutants in radioactive areas.

Shinji Handa, director of the Radiation Reduction Project, said sunflower seeds are provided to people and volunteers, with the principle of growing in as many places as possible, especially radiation-affected areas.

Sunflower fields will help reduce radioactivity in the soil. Illustration.

Sunflower seeds that grow in the plant area and contaminated soil will be collected and disposed of safely, but the plants that grow and bloom will create a brilliant yellow landscape, dispelling mood mourning. The double earthquake claimed the lives of 23,000 people seriously damaging the Fukushima plant, causing radioactive leaks for several months.

The sunflower trees, in addition to being a hopeful lighthouse and a symbol of reconstruction, also work to absorb Cesi from contaminated soil. Sunflowers, rosemary leaves and similar plants, were previously used for this purpose in environmental treatment at Chernobyl, Ukraine.

There are now 30,000 people receiving sunflower seeds, especially the people of Yokohama City, to deploy in 200 areas.

Handa said: ' The person who will plant flowers, and the mother can tell me that planting sunflower is like praying for the reconstruction of the northeast. I hope this project will attract tourists back to Fukushima and will participate in planting sunflower with us. I want to make a maze with sunflowers so children can play in it . '