ID :
170990
Sat, 03/26/2011 - 19:36
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https://oananews.org//node/170990
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Radioactivity levels in Tokyo water safe for infants for 3rd day
TOKYO, March 27 Kyodo -
Radioactivity levels in tap water at Tokyo water purification plants continued to drop Saturday, remaining within the normal range for consumption for a third consecutive day, the Tokyo metropolitan government said.
It detected 34 becquerels of radioactive iodine per kilogram of water sampled in the morning at the Kanamachi facility in the capital's Katsushika Ward and 48 becquerels at the Asaka plant in Asaka, Saitama Prefecture, just outside of Tokyo. No radioactive iodine was detected at the Ozaku purification plant in Hamura in the suburbs of Tokyo.
The figures at the three facilities of the metropolitan government's Bureau of Waterworks were below the central government's limits of 100 becquerels for safe consumption by infants under 1 year old and 300 becquerels for adults.
At the Kanamachi plant, 210 becquerels of radioactive iodine was detected Tuesday, leading the metropolitan government to issue an advisory on Wednesday for people in Tokyo's 23 wards and five of its suburban cities -- Musashino, Mitaka, Machida, Tama and Inagi -- not to let infants drink tap water.
The metropolitan government lifted the advisory Thursday following a decline in radioactivity levels to 79 becquerels. The central government's safe limit for tap water consumption by infants is 100 becquerels per kg.
The detection follows the devastating earthquake and tsunami earlier this month that crippled Tokyo Electric Power Co.'s Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.
Among other areas where radioactivity levels in water have surpassed the range for safe consumption by infants, three of the five municipalities in Ibaraki Prefecture where an advisory had been issued lifted the restriction after the prefectural government found by Saturday that radioactive iodine levels had returned to the normal range in all five municipalities.
The advisory was lifted in Tokaimura, Hitachi and Hitachiota, while Kasama and Toride maintained the restriction as a precautionary measure.
In Tamura, Fukushima Prefecture, prefectural authorities on Saturday called on residents not to give tap water to infants as water samples taken Thursday showed 107 becquerels of radioactive iodine per kg.
The prefectural government had issued a similar advisory on Tuesday but lifted it after levels returned to normal.
Amid concern about radioactivity levels in tap water, the Chiba prefectural government said it has switched water supply from the Kashiwai water purification plant in the city of Chiba, where more than 100 becquerels of radioactive iodine was detected, to a different water intake facility.
The Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry said Saturday that radioactivity levels higher than the limit provisionally set by the government under the food sanitation law were detected in ''wasabi'' Japanese horseradish flowers produced in the prefecture.
A survey conducted by the prefecture found 2,500 becquerels of radioactive iodine per kg, compared with the provisional limit of 2,000 becquerels, in the wasabi flowers, the ministry said.
In the prefecture, radioactivity levels above set limits have been detected in a wide range of leafy vegetables, including broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower and spinach, and Prime Minister Naoto Kan has warned consumers not to eat them.
Releasing the results of surveys conducted by prefectures on radioactivity levels in farm products, the ministry said radioactive iodine was detected in nine kinds of vegetables in Gunma Prefecture, including spinach, and in sunny lettuce in Ibaraki Prefecture, but the levels were lower than set limits.
The city of Asahi in Chiba Prefecture said the same day that above-limit levels of radioactivity -- up to 8,300 becquerels of iodine per kg -- were detected in 11 kinds of vegetables, including sunny lettuce and ''mitsuba'' Japanese honewort, produced in the city.
Meanwhile, radiation levels in Yamagata Prefecture increased from Friday to Saturday, slightly surpassing normal levels seen before the March 11 quake and tsunami, while levels in prefectures such as Ibaraki and Tochigi have continued to decline.
The Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Ministry said the maximum radiation level detected in the 24 hours to 5 p.m. Saturday in Yamagata was 0.089 microsievert per hour, up from 0.082 observed between Thursday and Friday.
Radioactivity levels in tap water at Tokyo water purification plants continued to drop Saturday, remaining within the normal range for consumption for a third consecutive day, the Tokyo metropolitan government said.
It detected 34 becquerels of radioactive iodine per kilogram of water sampled in the morning at the Kanamachi facility in the capital's Katsushika Ward and 48 becquerels at the Asaka plant in Asaka, Saitama Prefecture, just outside of Tokyo. No radioactive iodine was detected at the Ozaku purification plant in Hamura in the suburbs of Tokyo.
The figures at the three facilities of the metropolitan government's Bureau of Waterworks were below the central government's limits of 100 becquerels for safe consumption by infants under 1 year old and 300 becquerels for adults.
At the Kanamachi plant, 210 becquerels of radioactive iodine was detected Tuesday, leading the metropolitan government to issue an advisory on Wednesday for people in Tokyo's 23 wards and five of its suburban cities -- Musashino, Mitaka, Machida, Tama and Inagi -- not to let infants drink tap water.
The metropolitan government lifted the advisory Thursday following a decline in radioactivity levels to 79 becquerels. The central government's safe limit for tap water consumption by infants is 100 becquerels per kg.
The detection follows the devastating earthquake and tsunami earlier this month that crippled Tokyo Electric Power Co.'s Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.
Among other areas where radioactivity levels in water have surpassed the range for safe consumption by infants, three of the five municipalities in Ibaraki Prefecture where an advisory had been issued lifted the restriction after the prefectural government found by Saturday that radioactive iodine levels had returned to the normal range in all five municipalities.
The advisory was lifted in Tokaimura, Hitachi and Hitachiota, while Kasama and Toride maintained the restriction as a precautionary measure.
In Tamura, Fukushima Prefecture, prefectural authorities on Saturday called on residents not to give tap water to infants as water samples taken Thursday showed 107 becquerels of radioactive iodine per kg.
The prefectural government had issued a similar advisory on Tuesday but lifted it after levels returned to normal.
Amid concern about radioactivity levels in tap water, the Chiba prefectural government said it has switched water supply from the Kashiwai water purification plant in the city of Chiba, where more than 100 becquerels of radioactive iodine was detected, to a different water intake facility.
The Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry said Saturday that radioactivity levels higher than the limit provisionally set by the government under the food sanitation law were detected in ''wasabi'' Japanese horseradish flowers produced in the prefecture.
A survey conducted by the prefecture found 2,500 becquerels of radioactive iodine per kg, compared with the provisional limit of 2,000 becquerels, in the wasabi flowers, the ministry said.
In the prefecture, radioactivity levels above set limits have been detected in a wide range of leafy vegetables, including broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower and spinach, and Prime Minister Naoto Kan has warned consumers not to eat them.
Releasing the results of surveys conducted by prefectures on radioactivity levels in farm products, the ministry said radioactive iodine was detected in nine kinds of vegetables in Gunma Prefecture, including spinach, and in sunny lettuce in Ibaraki Prefecture, but the levels were lower than set limits.
The city of Asahi in Chiba Prefecture said the same day that above-limit levels of radioactivity -- up to 8,300 becquerels of iodine per kg -- were detected in 11 kinds of vegetables, including sunny lettuce and ''mitsuba'' Japanese honewort, produced in the city.
Meanwhile, radiation levels in Yamagata Prefecture increased from Friday to Saturday, slightly surpassing normal levels seen before the March 11 quake and tsunami, while levels in prefectures such as Ibaraki and Tochigi have continued to decline.
The Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Ministry said the maximum radiation level detected in the 24 hours to 5 p.m. Saturday in Yamagata was 0.089 microsievert per hour, up from 0.082 observed between Thursday and Friday.
