[ RadSafe ] Smithsonian - Low levels of radioactive cesium produced insect deformities at Fukushima

[Roger Helbig]

If this is not sound scientific research, the Smithsonian, a well
respected popular magazine, should be informed.

Roger Helbig

Christina MacPherson posted: "New study reveals deaths and mutations
"increased sharply' from exposure to Fukushima contamination,
"especially at low doses" -- 'Small' levels of cesium may be
'significantly toxic' -- Smithsonian: "In other words, things don't
look good for the animals l"


New post on nuclear-news

Low levels of radioactive cesium produced insect deformities at Fukushima

by Christina MacPherson

New study reveals deaths and mutations "increased sharply' from
exposure to Fukushima contamination, "especially at low doses" --
'Small' levels of cesium may be 'significantly toxic' -- Smithsonian:
"In other words, things don't look good for the animals living around
Fukushima" http://enenews.com/just-in-new-study-reveals-sharp-increase-in-deaths-and-mutations-from-exposure-to-fukushima-contamination-especially-at-low-doses-small-levels-of-cesium-may-be-significantly-toxic?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+ENENews+%28Energy+News%29

Smithsonian Magazine, May 14, 2014: Even Tiny Amounts of Radioactive
Food Made Caterpillars Become Abnormal Butterflies [...] Researchers
in Japan [...] discovered, even a small amount of radiation is too
much. [...] The scientists collected plant material from around
Fukushima and fed it to pale grass blue butterfly caterpillars. When
the caterpillars turned into butterflies, they suffered from mutations
and were more likely to die early [... even if they] had only eaten a
small amount of artificial caesium [...] In other words, things don't
look good for the animals living around Fukushima.

Nature -- Scientific Reports (pdf), Published May 15, 2014: [We]
examined possible relationships between the dose of ingested cesium
per larva and the mortality and abnormality rates. Both the mortality
and abnormality rates increased sharply, especially at low doses [...]
the mortality and abnormality rates increased sharply, especially at
low doses. Additionally, there seemed to be no threshold level below
which no biological response could be detected. [...] the
dose-response data suggests that the relatively small level of
artificial cesium from the Fukushima Dai-ichi NPP may be significantly
toxic to some individuals in butterfly populations [...] the half
lethal [i.e. LD50, amount that will kill 50% of a test subjects] dose
[is 1.9 Bq per larva] and the half abnormal dose [is 0.76 Bq per
larva] [...] relatively small [levels] of artificial cesium from the
Fukushima Dai-ichi NPP may be significantly toxic to some individuals
in butterfly populations [...] we assert that the half lethal and
abnormal doses we obtained were quite high. [...] it should be noted
that we sampled contaminated leaves from Fukushima City, which many
people inhabit as though nothing had happened [...] Implications of
the half lethal and abnormal doses we obtained in the present study
will impact future discussions on the effects of radioactive exposure
on other organisms, including humans. [...] In conclusion, it is
important to recognize the risk of internal radiation exposure due to
ingested radioactive cesium, at least for the pale grass blue
butterfly, and likely for certain other organisms living in the
polluted area, possibly including humans. [...]

View the study published by Nature here (pdf)

Christina MacPherson | May 17, 2014 at 7:32 am | Categories:
environment, Japan, radiation, Reference | URL: http://wp.me/phgse-hlE

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