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March 15, 2011 in News
Experts say problems at Japanese reactors unlikely to affect Washington
It’s possible that nuclear products released as a result of problems facing Japanese reactors will be detected in Washington, but highly unlikely that levels could affect human health on this side of the Pacific – even if the situation gets worse, experts say.
“I don’t believe that there is any way we could get to the level where there would be a health concern to us,” said Dan Jaffe, environmental sciences professor at the Bothell campus of the University of Washington who has documented air pollution from Asia traveling to the United States.
Jaffe noted that by time the release crossed the ocean it would be at least 10,000 times – and perhaps 100,000 times – more diluted than what would be experienced on the ground in Japan.
Hamish Robertson, a University of Washington physics professor, has added equipment to a detector he was using for another study at the Seattle campus so that it can detect products of nuclear fission, such as cesium-137 and iodine-131, which if found would almost certainly be from the failing Japanese nuclear reactors.
“I don’t see that there’s much cause for concern, but we’re going to monitor this anyway,” Robertson said. “I don’t expect to detect any, unless basically the worst happens.”
The monitoring equipment became operational on Monday. Nothing’s been detected so far – though it would probably take 10 days or so before isotopes from the reactors would reach Seattle, he said.
Robertson said trace amounts of iodine-131 were detected at a University of Washington monitor after the Chernobyl nuclear crisis in Ukraine in 1986. He said it’s unlikely that the release of radiation from the Japanese nuclear plant could get worse than Chernobyl even though there are multiple reactors in trouble. That’s in large part, he said, because the reactors were successfully shut down before problems began.
Akira Tokuhiro, a University of Idaho mechanical and nuclear engineering professor, said it would take a series of highly unlikely events for the Japanese reactors to cause health problems on the other side of the Pacific and equated the chance to buying five lottery tickets and picking the winning numbers on all five.
But he added: “It’s really important to emphasize that the situation is ongoing, so we have to stay vigilant.”
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hawken on March 15 at 2:50 p.m.
No kidding. Let me quote:
Overreaction and panic sells papers and other forms of media.
Too bad they refuse to use Google for such basic information as did Teseract.
misjustice on March 15 at 4:26 p.m.
I can’t believe this is reportable here in Spokane. Must be a slow day.
Ninch on March 15 at 4:46 p.m.
Not really. We have experienced volcanic dust here in Eastern Washington from the far east. Many of us are also interested to know since we were victimized by our own government when they experimented on us without knowledge with radioactive releases from Hanford.
west on March 15 at 5:42 p.m.
Hey..down winders in Hanford were saturated!!! Remember??? Our back door!!
Bruce (aka thatoneguy) on March 15 at 6:02 p.m.
re headline on main page of website (Distance should dillute radiation): “Dilute” has only one L.
de3 on March 15 at 6:04 p.m.
A day ago their were 6,200 confirmed buildings destroyed and about 67,000 buildings severely damaged. Several tens of thousands of people are missing. Thousands are dead. Food and water are unavailable. Fuel and electricity are unavailable. Factories are shut down. Six sea ports may be closed for months due to damage.
The nuclear reactor problems are a frightening problem but a side show amongst the total annihilation suffered in north eastern Japan. Ignoring the genuine suffering going on there is disrespectful.
But with the saturation news coverage on the reactors, much of it nonsense, its not surprising that people are being frightened into buying MREs, geiger counters and iodine tablets - all stuff they don’t need.
west on March 15 at 6:55 p.m.
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2014504194_nukehealth16m.html
zelda on March 15 at 7:44 p.m.
This panic is totally uncalled for. Understandable, maybe, considering how little people know about science — but nontheless, people should save their money.
There’s a whole wide Pacific Ocean between the West Coast and Japan. Radioactivity will be dispersed over this vast expanse of ocean.
Even if it approached the Japan situation approaches the severity of Cherbobyl, the Ukraine, where the reactor was located, has land along 75% of its border. Most of the fallout from Chernobyl fell on neighboring Belarus. Japan is an island in case people frequenting the health-food stores are unfamiliar with maps.
This is an immense tragedy for Japan, but for the U.S. the radiation risk is minimal.
greenlibertarian on March 15 at 8:11 p.m.
They’re abandoning Fukushima Daiichi plant. Dose for those workers that were there is like 4000 chest X-rays a day.
They may have to go Chernobyl on this site, bury the beast in concrete and hope for the best.
maria on March 15 at 8:20 p.m.
Jeebus.
maria on March 15 at 8:22 p.m.
Be safe, MisJ.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aCbfMkh940Q
misjustice on March 15 at 8:31 p.m.
Maria, “it’s the ONLY way to be sure.” For sure!
; )
zelda on March 15 at 8:38 p.m.
They’re saying they temporarily suspended operations at the site but just now announced they’re letting the workers back in.
What is the IAEA doing on this? Hard to believe that the utility co. is letting this situation be handled by only 50 workers. IAEA needs to intervene.
Elkay on March 15 at 10:49 p.m.
Ever feel powerless with all this horrific news? I do. The Japanese are SO incredibly hard working and smart — but nature really took over, and severely damaged what humans built.
Tomorrow I’ll be going over to our local Red Cross with a check for what the Japanese may need right now. And prayers. Lots of ‘em.
terrymr on March 15 at 10:49 p.m.
Really ?! Why are we even wasting these guys time with such questions?
misjustice on March 16 at 9:08 p.m.
“History shows again and again how nature points out the folly of men, Gozilla!” ~ Blue Oyster Cult ~