[ RadSafe ] Scientists: Test West Coast for Fukushima radiation

[Eric Goldin]

In addition to that excellent work by Woods Hole, the news out here was buzzing with the announcement recently that San Diego State (and maybe Long Beach State) biologists were going to be collecting and analyzing kelp from Southern California for evidence of Fukushima-related radioactivity.  Apparently, at least one radiation safety specialist from SDSU is going to be involved and I've pointed him to the annual radiological environmental operating reports for the two big nukes in California.  I know that for the San Diego and Orange County areas, kelp does show considerable amounts of I-131, all from medical administrations.  The highest levels are found in the immediate vicinity of the major sewage treatment outfalls.  Cs-137 is still detectable in many samples, including kelp, from weapons testing and Chernobyl.  Fukushima can only add a little to that.  Maybe Cs-134, if detectable, will prove Fukushima.  


As someone recently said - the good news is that we can detect radioactivity at extraordinarily low levels.  The bad news is that we can detect radioactivity at extraordinarily low levels.

It'll be interesting to see how the research project paints the picture of the expected kelp contamination.

Eric Goldin, Ph.D., CHP