Digital News Report – The Japan nuclear emergency is still a serious problem said the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The radiation has spread 40 km northwest from the nuclear facility which is farther than the evacuation area.
Local newspaer, The Japan Times Online, said that the radiation has been found in soil outside of the evacuated areas and Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano said at this time there wouldn’t be more evacuations at this time. Currently, residents living between 20km to 30 km are told to stay indoors, while anyone living within 20 km have been evacuated. However, Edano early said on the official government website that evacuations between 20km and 30km would be voluntary. Edano said that mandatory evacuation area may include further distances if the radiation levels increase.
According to the IAEA, the drinking water restricitions remain with only four villages and three of them are restrictions for infants only. Radiation tests in 76 different food samples was conducted by the Japanese government officials and they found that certain foods had iodine-131 and/or caesium-134 and caesium-137 which exceeded the Japanese regulatory values. Those foods that were found to have high amounts of these radioactive elements were broccoli, cabbage, rapeseed, spinach and other leafy vegetables.
Radiation in the ocean water was measured 330 meters south of the Fukushima Nuclear Plant Units 1 through 4 where discharging. They also measured for radiation at the Units 5 – 6 at 30 meters north of these units. The IAEA said readings showed 130 000 Bq/l of I-131, 32 000 Bq/l of Cs-137 and 31 000 Bq/l of Cs-134 at the Units 1 – 4 measurements.
By Victoria Brown