Articles on food contamination from Chernobyl, for comparison
I did some more reading, looking for radiation levels in food post-Chernobyl. Here's some of the articles I found.
The levels in UK sheep from Chernobyl, even now, are way higher than we're seeing in soil/produce here. I know there's bioaccumulation, but 1000Bq/kg in the Easter lamb? Wow! I'd be surprised to see that here.
Chernobyl accident still haunts UK (05/03-2003)
http://www.bellona.org/english_import_area/energy/nuclear/28808
This article gives #'s and levels of radiation in sheep. The sheep are monitored with a Geiger counter. They have to be under 1000Bq/kg before they can be sold to keep contaminated meat out of the food supply.
Post-Chernobyl Monitoring Reports Published (01.04.2011)
http://currentcancer.com/post-chernobyl-monitoring-reports-published.html
A more recent report on the contaminated sheep.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2281531
[A cytological study of plants growing under exposure to different radiation levels] (Sept/Oct 1990)
English translation of abstract. Article in Russian
Shkvarnikov PK.
Abstract
Genetically significant consequences of emergency at the Chernobyl Atomic Power Plant have been studied on wheat and rye plants. Plants grown in the 30-km zone of the plant after its emergency are determined to have high frequency of chromosome aberrations reaching 2.666% in rye and 1.075-2.572% in wheat and 2.235-3.187% as dependent on the variety, biotype (awnless, semi-awned and awned) and places of occurrence. These levels of aberrations are 5.34, 2.42-5.78 and 4.07-6.71 times higher than their frequency in control plants (0.499, 0.444 and 0.475%, respectively).
PMID: 2281531 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
Here's a study on fresh water fish (trout and Charr) caught between July 1986 and March 1988, in the UK, right after Chernobyl. Radioactivity was much higher on average in trout than in charr. Trout levels were occasionally higher than 1000bq/kg. Charr were all under 400bq/kg. There are some very nice graphs, including levels over time.
Sources of variation in post-Chernobyl radiocaesium in brown trout and Arctic charr from six Cumbrian lakes (northwest England)
http://journals.cambridge.org/download.php?file=%2FANL%2FANL29_01%2FS000...
Salmon and Radiation
Anyone know what might be the effects on salmon of Fukushima ocean contamination in the Pacific NW?
I told a commercial fisherman here that "all the fish are radioactive."
I do hope I'm right (or wrong, would be better, but ...).
Seaweed was measured near Vancouver, B.C. at 400% the normal level.
That's REALLY good info, EQP...
...I had NO IDEA contamination remained so high in the UK. Do folks actually EAT that meat? ...Makes me think maybe this is all a tempest in a tea kettle, after all... So far anyway.
Would LOVE to regain some peace of mind about all this. I'll look this over again tomorrow.
MANY thanks, EQP! I owe you one.
Rick Cromack.
Allen, Texas
RichardFCromackJr@gmail.com
No we don't eat the meat...
It has to be destroyed, as far as I know. Who pays the farmers to raise meat that has to be destroyed? The taxpayer. Guess they incinerate it, which probably spreads the radiation even further. It's mostly the upland areas of Wales that are affected, as they got the most rainfall after Chernobyl.
I don't think this is a storm in a teacup. Some studies (done by Busby and others) trace higher incidence of cancers in those same areas of Wales.
oops sorry the OP was me.
oops sorry the OP was me.
Thanks so much for posting this
I had been trying to gather this info myself. So many questions. Wondering how the levels in the UK in sheep and other food sources fared over time (to understand bioaccumulation). And of course the health effects that can be tied to the Chernobyl fallout as seen in the food chain. I will post anything I come across.