Japan: Radioactive elements found in certain foods

For the past two days, media reports have been circulating that the cascade of accidents at Japan's Fukushima-Daiichi 1 nuclear power plant has reportedly generated radioactive pollution that has affected certain foods, including samples of milk, spinach, and kakina (a local green leafy vegetable). Contamination appears to be highest in Hitachi, Ibaraki Prefecture.

The situation was deemed serious enough to warrant the suspension of distribution of these products in four northeastern prefectures. Traces of radioactivity were found not only in the immediate vicinity of the Fukushima nuclear power plant, but also north of Ibaraki Prefecture, between 80 and 120 kilometers away. Iodine levels there are also abnormally high.

No cause for alarm

For now, the Japanese government maintains that the detected levels do not pose a danger to human health. The World Health Organization (WHO) shares this opinion: "Short-term exposure to the radiation levels found in contaminated spinach does not pose a short-term health risk." The CRIIRAD (Independent Research and Information Commission on Radioactivity) also acknowledges that consuming contaminated food does not represent an "immediate risk." It is the repeated ingestion of food polluted by radioactivity that could cause cancer, explains Jean-Luc Godet, director at the Directorate of Ionizing Radiation and Health at the ASN (French Nuclear Safety Authority).

But in the long run…

According to the ASN, extremely strict controls on agricultural products will have to be carried out for years and years to avoid any risks. It is important to know that once in the soil, certain radionuclides contaminate it for very long periods. For example, cesium 137, which settles in tubers and roots, could affect certain vegetables underground for several years.