Iodine radiation found in US milk
Source: Agencies |
April 1, 2011, Friday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
A TRACE amount of radioactive iodine, well below levels of public health concerns, has been detected in milk from the state of Washington, as the US monitors radiation levels amid the nuclear crisis in Japan, US regulators said.
"These types of findings are to be expected in the coming days and are far below levels of public health concern, including for infants and children," the Food and Drug Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency said in a joint statement on Wednesday.
Testing found 0.8 pCi/L of iodine-131 - a radioactive form of iodine - in the milk sample.
Although there are naturally occurring levels of radiation in milk, it does not usually include this isotope. But the agencies stressed it was 5,000 times lower than the FDA's standard.
"These findings are a minuscule amount compared to what people experience every day," FDA scientist Patricia Hansen said in a statement.
The EPA said it has increased radiation monitoring in US milk, precipitation and drinking water in response to radiation leaks at Japan's Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant, which was damaged by the huge tsunami that was followed by the massive 9.0 quake on March 11.
The agencies said iodine-131 has a very short half-life of approximately eight days, and the level detected in milk was expected to drop relatively quickly.
Contaminated milk is a worry after a nuclear accident because toxic levels of radioactive iodine can get into rainwater and feed that is ingested by cows and taken up in their milk. Contaminated milk was one of the biggest causes of thyroid cancers after the 1986 nuclear accident in Chernobyl because people near the plant kept drinking milk from local cows.
Experts say thyroid cancer is generally non-fatal.
"These types of findings are to be expected in the coming days and are far below levels of public health concern, including for infants and children," the Food and Drug Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency said in a joint statement on Wednesday.
Testing found 0.8 pCi/L of iodine-131 - a radioactive form of iodine - in the milk sample.
Although there are naturally occurring levels of radiation in milk, it does not usually include this isotope. But the agencies stressed it was 5,000 times lower than the FDA's standard.
"These findings are a minuscule amount compared to what people experience every day," FDA scientist Patricia Hansen said in a statement.
The EPA said it has increased radiation monitoring in US milk, precipitation and drinking water in response to radiation leaks at Japan's Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant, which was damaged by the huge tsunami that was followed by the massive 9.0 quake on March 11.
The agencies said iodine-131 has a very short half-life of approximately eight days, and the level detected in milk was expected to drop relatively quickly.
Contaminated milk is a worry after a nuclear accident because toxic levels of radioactive iodine can get into rainwater and feed that is ingested by cows and taken up in their milk. Contaminated milk was one of the biggest causes of thyroid cancers after the 1986 nuclear accident in Chernobyl because people near the plant kept drinking milk from local cows.
Experts say thyroid cancer is generally non-fatal.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
