Current testing for Plutonium in air / water samples
Hello,
I am in interested in knowing more about what the Berkeley is doing to monitor possible Plutonium particles from the recent incident at the Fukushima Power Plant. The EPA and Berkeley websites have released detection levels for March 18th for Iodine, Cesium and Xenon, but have not mentioned Plutonium at all. As you are probably aware, Plutonium is a major concern because of the amount of MOX Fuel stored at Reactor #3 at the Fukushima site.
My questions are: Does your equipment allow for the detection of Plutonium in air and water samples?
If so, has any trace amount of Plutonium been detected so far in the US?
Under normal conditions (before the accident at Fukushima) is there any measurable amount of Plutonium in air / water tests.
What would be the expected health risk if Plutonium is seen in the US at similar levels to what we are seeing with Iodine and Cesium (as Plutonium only requires a fraction of the inhaled/ingested dosage that would be of concern)
When will this information be made available to the public? (as it is currently not addressed at all on the EPA or UC Berkeley websites)
Thank you for your all the data you have provided so far.
If Cs is here, then please test for Strontium-90 in water too.
Please test for Strontium-90 in drinking water and Cs in ground beef as well. I would start testing foods myself, but the Radiation Inspector devices are on back order everywhere for 7-11 months.
I have grown organic vegetables in the Sac area and have served them. So much for "organic". Plus, food companies have started refusing to disclose where their ingredients come from. I haven't fed my two young daughters milk for months, but we didn't find out about Cs in milk, Strawberries, & spinach until many months after Fukushima's reactor detonated into the jetstream. I only happened onto this website. I have learned that Cs can be incorporated into muscle tissue and Strontium-90 can be incorporated into bones. (I know it is small..but cummulative)
If radioactive Cs is in CA dairy cow milk, then Cs is most likely going to be incorporated into the muscle tissue of CA cattle as well.
Please test because EPA won't. I have given up on the EPA doing their job.
I have asked the EPA twice why did they stop testing water and milk after Fuku. One said it's not their job to test water & milk. The other sent me an email telling me not to worry even though there is Cs in the milk, she assumed I was un-educated & used the airplane analogy to shut me up. The email was so sicky sweet, illogical, and CYA, that I did not bother to refute her stupidity. She has to drink the same milk and water as us.
Since Yokohama city government had received report of the measurement of Strontium-90 in mid September
http://fukushima-diary.com/2011/10/breaking-news-yokohama-city-gov-decid...
Since MOX spewed all over Japan, please check for it here as well. I fully understand statistics...that one sample may have nothing. More testing is better than being in denial or afraid to hurt the CA agriculture business. It is what it is. There will be people who stick their head in the sand, industry trolls, and people who actually will be noble and do something. With info at least, I can take countermeasures to try protect the health of my daughters, their DNA, and future generations. Just look at how the Japanese government has bailed on it's own people...lifting the evacuations, etc. Shame. Fools.
Kyodo news re:Plutonium at plant in Japan
Meanwhile, Tokyo Electric, known as TEPCO, is studying whether highly toxic plutonium is contained in the soil of the plant. The No. 3 reactor was using plutonium-uranium mixed oxide fuel for so-called ''pluthermal'' power generation.
==Kyodo
Plutomium detection
Plutonium-239 is a very hazardous carcinogen which can also be used to make nuclear weapons. This combination of properties makes it one of the most dangerous substances. Plutonium-239, while present in only trace quantities in nature, has been made in large quantities in both military and commercial programs in the last 50 years. Other more radioactive carcinogens do exist, like radium-226, but unlike plutonium-239 cannot be used to make nuclear weapons, or are not available in quantity. Highly enriched uranium (HEU) can also be used to make nuclear weapons, but it is roughly one thousand times less radioactive than plutonium-239. The danger is aggravated by the fact that plutonium-239 is relatively difficult to detect once it is outside of secure, well-instrumented facilities, or once it has been incorporated into the body. This is because its gamma ray emissions, which provide the easiest method of detection of radionuclides, are relatively weak.
Respect and appreciation!
Thank you for providing the public with this information! I for one appreciate students and their efforts, ultimately you will be inheriting the resipults of this nuclear accident as will your children. I for one beleive you will be honesta and if they try to censor you, ithe truth will leak thru social meidia. Keep up the good work. Your a new generation that has a chance to bring change! Do all thats in your heart!
Regarding health impacts of
Regarding health impacts of plutonium on the population (or more specifically PoU2) I found this document regarding some Russian guidelines and estimates:
http://www.irpa.net/irpa10/cdrom/00839.pdf
Excerpt:
• 370 kBq - fatal cases during the first year after an accident
as a result of acute interstitial pneumonitis;
• 37 kBq…370 kBq - serious deterministic effects
(disability as a result of pneumosclerosis) and high risk of
stochastic effects (cancer of lungs);
• 3.7 kBq….37 kBq – long-term medical consequences in
a form of lung pathologies defined reliably as
compared to background;
• < 3.7 kBq - does not lead to reliable defined consequences.
• This scale was used for elaboration of intervention criteria.
*This is from Russia. I'm not sure how this would compare with similar US guidelines. Please share more info if you have it.
Any update from Mondays
Any update from Mondays results?
Our equipment would be able
Our equipment would be able to see plutonium particles by observing gamma-ray emissions. We do look for this signature and we do not have any evidence of plutonium at this point.
>>Under normal conditions (before the accident at Fukushima) is there any measurable amount of Plutonium in air / water tests
Normally, one should not see plutonium in the water or air.
>> What would be the expected health risk if Plutonium is seen in the US at similar levels to what we are seeing with Iodine and Cesium
This is a good question. We will try and get an answer soon.
>>When will this information be made available to the public? (as it is currently not addressed at all on the EPA or UC Berkeley websites)
We will post our results for plutonium (which at this point is below our sensitivity limits).
pu
do you know of any analysis from samples of the plume itself made by aircraft? i have to assume that's been done.
to poster worried about conspiracy and coverup -
these are college students not characters out of a "Dr No" movie.
you may apologize now, sir.
old jim
I don't have direct
I don't have direct knowledge of any aircraft plume measurements. I know the US government has assets for monitoring nuclear weapons tests but this data is rarely published.
Thank you for your quick
Thank you for your quick response.
Honesty
Curious.. why would you post it?
UCB is a part of UC. And UC runs Livermore Labs and receives massive grants from corporations.
What would make UCB remain neutral, independent and honest?
I hope that you would but I highly doubt it.
I agree...
I think that is a valid question. We would hope your reporting is honest but we've been lied too before...for example: EPA said the air was safe to breath on 911, that was on record as a huge lie and people died. All we want as citizens is an accurate, honest reporting which seems to be hard to come by these days.
C
Let me put this to rest.
Let me put this to rest. There is absolutely no one who controls our work here on campus. This campus relies upon academic freedom and our capital is held within the public trust. Please remain questioning and keep us honest.
honest
so, even though UCB-nuc eng school just received a large grant from the DOE, you shall remain nuetral? I LOVE that. people over dollars, that's the new world reality.
If there's ANY institution
If there's ANY institution in the U.S. that you can trust (in terms of not holding back information) it would have to be UCB, especially when students are involved in gathering the info.
We are, in fact, performing
We are, in fact, performing these measurements as a service to the SF Bay Area community and the scientific community at large. We are not funded for this work and we believe it to be important to keep the public informed.
To be honest, the funding agencies such as DOE and DHS have been extremely respectful of scientific freedom within our grants.
Kudos
I must say there is literally NO ONE ELSE doing studies of any significant kind besides these tireless CAL students (to my knowledge). The work the team is doing makes me very proud to be a CAL grad.
I'm sure there is a slight bias toward pro-NUKE stance, which is to be expected, since they are after all self-selected for the field. However, they are providing basic data and measurements and are very forthcoming. This is one of the greatest institutions of research and higher learning in the world, as well as independent thought.
The team should be commended for their efforts. I am not saying we should trust anyone 100%, however, being overly suspicious or snarky when it comes to their positions simply makes us all look bad.
Go Bears!
Thanks for your kind words!
Thanks for your kind words!
Mark [BRAWM Team Member]
Helen Caldicott
Helen Caldicott says Plutonium is over North America now. What are you finding at Cal?
Would you be so kind as to
Would you be so kind as to provide a link to that news story?
Thanks.
Thank you for all your work.
Thank you for all your work. We love you Cal Bears!
That's good to hear. All I'm
That's good to hear. All I'm interested in at the moment are the facts (which you guys have offered with your data). Any other philosophical debates can wait at this point.
well said.
well said.