gardening and farming in western us and the japanese nuclear crisis
I live in southwestern New Mexico on a small family farm. We are getting low to moderate radiation in this area at this time. The particles I know about include Cesium 137 and 138, Iodine 131, Xenon, and others.
My question is this. I think we might be better off not growing our usual large vegetable garden this year (which normally gives us 80 to 90% of our food for the year), and rather covering the garden ground to protect it from rainwater and even surface contamination until the Japan reactor leaks are stopped.
But what I need to understand is this. Will the particles remain in the atmosphere to be continually rained down on us even long after the leaks are resolved, or will they blow away and/or dissipate after a certain amount of time? And what is the amount of time involved, either way?
Also, will ground contamination surrounding the garden which is not covered be able to contaminate the ground which is covered from somehow spreading through the absorbed rainwater underground to the covered ground?
And one more question: Will the air contamination remain and be able to contaminate the ground once it is uncovered as well as the new plantings in the future? Do you know how long in the future, if this is the case?
I am in the Northeast and am wondering the same things
I think that the Berkeley folks will not be able to provide you many answers here other than to say, it depends.
I think covering the ground is a good idea (I live on an organic farm) for this season and expect that IF the plants are gotten under control with respect to atmospheric leaking (which is not yet the case as new steam releases are planned as well as leakage to the sea - some of which may evaporate and spread globally in the air as well as the sea water).
The iodine has a half life of 8 days and thus reduces by half every 8 days until in about 8-10 weeks it is almost completely gone (decayed) and no longer harmful. Cesium-137 , on the other hand, is here to stay with a half life of about 30 years.
The way I am looking at my garden and fresh food this year is that I am letting the land lay fallow. Hopefully the rains will become clean again and will wash some of the cesium out of the soil over the next year. Iodine should be only a one year problem (this years harvest would be affected), and if I could afford to cover it all, I would, but I think I have already gotten the worst of it, radionuclides, hopefully in recent rain the past two weeks, so it may be way too late for that (it makes me so sad).
The results of produce testing et nationally is crtitical to know what radionuclides and what amounts are in fresh produce. I plan to buy from the southern hemisphere or frozen/dried,canned before the plume and no milk.
That is to avoid as much as possible any potential bioaccumulation, especially since there is a new report that new major releases may occur which will be the result of the containment vessel exploding.
I expect that over time the radiocesium will disperse and stop being in the rain and you can uncover your fields and let the new clean rain replenish your soil. No way to completely protect it from all sources (unless you get a geiger counter perhaps as many restaurants and farmers are now doing across the US) but covering and maybe greenhouses are the way to go and filtering the water you use. This problme will not go away quickly but a year from now it will, I pray, be much better.
gardening this year
Many thanks for the thoughtful counsel.
It sounds like you have a good source for updated info on the Japan crisis and I wonder if you would tell me where I can get that kind of info. I have been watching a guy on Youtube, called Dutchsinse, who shows updates of European and other animated jetstream maps, which have been very helpful, but no info like steam about to be released which will spread here.
Also, I wondered if you would be open to sharing email addresses for future correspondence. I know I will have more questions.
How do you know so much about radioactivity?
My email is jdiener@dishmail.net. If you like, you can send your email address there.
In any case, I appreciate the help. At the least it's nice to know my idea of not growing this year and covering the area if possible is reasonable.