ID :
170342
Wed, 03/23/2011 - 18:04
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https://oananews.org//node/170342
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Radioactive iodine exceeding limit for infants found in Tokyo water
TOKYO, March 23 Kyodo - The Tokyo metropolitan government warned Wednesday that infants should not drink tap water in Tokyo's 23 wards and five of its suburban cities as radioactive iodine exceeding the limit for them was detected in water at a purification plant.
The amount of the substance was 210 becquerels per 1 kilogram of water at the plant in the Kanamachi district of Katsushika Ward, which serves the cities of Musashino, Mitaka, Machida, Tama and Inagi as well as central Tokyo, above the limit of 100 becquerels for infants but below 300 becquerels for older people, the metropolitan government said.
The detection came amid the country's worst nuclear crisis that has led to radiation leaks at Tokyo Electric Power Co.'s Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, located about 220 kilometers northeast of Tokyo, triggered by the devastating earthquake and tsunami earlier this month.
The metropolitan government decided later in the day to distribute a total of 240,000 bottles of water, each containing 550 milliliters, to families with infants. Officials said three bottles will be provided per infant.
The central government said separately it had detected radioactive iodine in 12 prefectures in a survey of tap water Tuesday covering all but four of Japan's 47 prefectures, all at levels below the regulated limit, up from eight prefectures as of Monday.
Iwate, Akita, Yamagata and Shizuoka prefectures were added to the list Tuesday. Among the four prefectures not covered by the ministry's survey, Fukushima Prefecture announced that it had detected radioactive iodine in its own survey.
Cesium, another radioactive substance, was also found in four of the 12 prefectures where radioactive iodine was detected, including Tokyo and Gunma. Cesium measuring 5.3 becquerels was detected in Tochigi and 4.8 becqerels in Ibaraki against the limit of 200 becquerels, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology said.
While the Tokyo government also found 190 becquerels of radioactive iodine Wednesday at the Kanamachi plant, as well as 32 becquerels on Tuesday at a plant in Hamura in western Tokyo, none was detected at a plant in Asaka, Saitama Prefecture. The science ministry found 19 becquerels in tap water in Tokyo on Tuesday as well as 15 becquerels in Tochigi and 12 becquerels in Ibaraki.
The ministry also said it had detected 1.17 million becquerels of radioactive iodine and 163,000 becquerels of cesium per kg of soil in samples collected in Iidate, Fukushima Prefecture, 40 km from the nuclear plant, in a survey it conducted Sunday.
The amount of the substance was 210 becquerels per 1 kilogram of water at the plant in the Kanamachi district of Katsushika Ward, which serves the cities of Musashino, Mitaka, Machida, Tama and Inagi as well as central Tokyo, above the limit of 100 becquerels for infants but below 300 becquerels for older people, the metropolitan government said.
The detection came amid the country's worst nuclear crisis that has led to radiation leaks at Tokyo Electric Power Co.'s Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, located about 220 kilometers northeast of Tokyo, triggered by the devastating earthquake and tsunami earlier this month.
The metropolitan government decided later in the day to distribute a total of 240,000 bottles of water, each containing 550 milliliters, to families with infants. Officials said three bottles will be provided per infant.
The central government said separately it had detected radioactive iodine in 12 prefectures in a survey of tap water Tuesday covering all but four of Japan's 47 prefectures, all at levels below the regulated limit, up from eight prefectures as of Monday.
Iwate, Akita, Yamagata and Shizuoka prefectures were added to the list Tuesday. Among the four prefectures not covered by the ministry's survey, Fukushima Prefecture announced that it had detected radioactive iodine in its own survey.
Cesium, another radioactive substance, was also found in four of the 12 prefectures where radioactive iodine was detected, including Tokyo and Gunma. Cesium measuring 5.3 becquerels was detected in Tochigi and 4.8 becqerels in Ibaraki against the limit of 200 becquerels, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology said.
While the Tokyo government also found 190 becquerels of radioactive iodine Wednesday at the Kanamachi plant, as well as 32 becquerels on Tuesday at a plant in Hamura in western Tokyo, none was detected at a plant in Asaka, Saitama Prefecture. The science ministry found 19 becquerels in tap water in Tokyo on Tuesday as well as 15 becquerels in Tochigi and 12 becquerels in Ibaraki.
The ministry also said it had detected 1.17 million becquerels of radioactive iodine and 163,000 becquerels of cesium per kg of soil in samples collected in Iidate, Fukushima Prefecture, 40 km from the nuclear plant, in a survey it conducted Sunday.
