Radiation found in Boston, Massachusetts rain water is linked to Japan’s nuclear crisis. Report released today.
Elevated radiation levels have been found in Massachusetts, which has been linked to the nuclear crisis going on in Japan today. This radiation traveled thousands of miles and is now showing up in this east coast state.
Reuters reports that the amount of radiation found in Massachusetts is comparable to the amounts found in Oregon, California, and Pennsylvania, all which cause no health threat to drinking water.
Officials are “carefully monitoring the Massachusetts drinking water supply and exercising an abundance of caution said,” Public Health Commissioner John Auerbach.
Massachusetts officials are saying today that the elevated amounts of radiation detected in the rain water will not pose a health risk. The radioiodine -131 has not affected the drinking supply and will quickly dissipate, says the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. The sample was taken on March 22 from the rainwater in the city of Boston, Mass.
Air samples above the locations of the radiation tainted rain water are not registering elevated radiation levels. The Quabbin and Wachusetts reservoirs, where some of the drinking water for the Boston area comes from is not showing any elevation in radiation.
“Until the Japan nuclear plant is stabilized, trace amounts of I-131 may continue to be detected in rain water in Massachusetts.” However, the levels are expected to remain low and not cause any risk to public health.
As far as kids playing out in the rain, dogs drinking from rain water puddles and vegetables from a garden, there is nothing to worry about, officials state. They did add that it is a good idea to wash the vegetables first.
Massachusetts is not the only state that is showing elevated radiation today. Some of the western states had elevated radiation found in their air samples. These have been trace amounts, and pose no health risks, according to the officials.
The US Environment Protection Agency Radiation Network monitoring system has been taking samples of air and water from 100 different sites around the country. The agency has accelerated its sampling due to the Japan nuclear crisis.
Today in breaking news, plutonium has been found in the soil outside the nuclear power plant. Japanese workers are pumping out the plant’s radioactive water which has been seeping into the ocean around the nuclear power plant. It has been seeping both into the seawater and the soil.
Reference: Reuters
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