Radiation found in Tokyo tap water, infants shouldn't drink

Radiation found in Tokyo water, infants shouldn't drink

Radiation exceeding health limits for infants was found in a Tokyo city water purifier and authorities are advising that the water not be given to babies, a Tokyo Metropolitan Government official said, confirming an earlier report by NHK public TV.

This is obviously not a good development. Does this mean everyone with small children in Tokyo needs access to bottled water?

It that even possible?

More:

Tokyo water 'unfit for babies' due to high radiation

Officials in Toyko say that radiation levels in the city's tap water make the water unfit for babies to drink.

Iodine levels in some areas are twice the recommended safe level.

The authorities have also imposed new restrictions on food from areas affected by leaks from the Fukushima nuclear plant.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the United States also announced restrictions on certain food imports.

Levels of radioactive iodine-131 in some areas of Tokyo is 210 becquerels per litre; the safe level for infants in 100 becquerels per litre.

People have been warned not to give the water to infants, although there is no immediate health to adults.

And the markets are reacting too:

Asian Stocks Retreat on Iodine in Tokyo Tap Water

Asian stocks fell, with the regional benchmark index set for its first loss in four days, after levels of iodine unsafe for infants were reported in Tokyo tap water as worked struggled to reconnect power to a damaged nuclear reactor.

Tokyo Electric Power Co. slumped 6.4 percent after rising as much as 7 percent before a Tokyo official warned against allowing infants to drink tap water. Toyota Motor Corp., the world’s biggest carmaker, declined 2.1 percent after extending production halts. Virgin Blue Holdings Ltd. plunged 6.1 percent in Sydney after Australia’s second-largest airline forecast an annual loss. China Coal Energy Co. slumped 7.6 percent in Hong Kong after earnings missed estimates.

“Investor focus has moved to the medium-term consequences of the natural disaster to the Japanese and global economies,” said Tim Schroeders, a money manager in Melbourne at Sydney- based Pengana Capital Ltd., which manages about $1 billion.

The MSCI Asia Pacific Index fell 0.5 percent to 132.32 as of 2:47 p.m. in Tokyo. About five stocks dropped for every four that rose on the index. The gauge last week recorded its biggest weekly drop since the height of the European debt crisis in May, as Japan fought to prevent a nuclear disaster after the March 11 earthquake and tsunami, and as tensions escalated in Libya.

“There are still a lot of uncertainties surrounding the nuclear fallout, as well as aftershocks, and we won’t be seeing a stable market for a while,” said Yoshinori Nagano, a senior strategist in Tokyo at Daiwa Asset Management Co., which oversees about $104 billion. “No one thinks the nuclear crisis has ended completely.”

Excellent. We are efficiently making our environment unlivable, one step at a time. Thank you governments! You are clearly looking out for your citizens.

I think this crisis has moved into a whole new territory.

Goodness.

So how did the water become contaminated? Does someone know where Tokyo's water supply comes from?

Originally posted by loam
Does someone know where Tokyo's water supply comes from?

edit on 23-3-2011 by loam because: (no reason given)

Tokyo's water supply serves about 5 million m3 of water everyday to 12million citizens in Tokyo. The water is supplied by four rivers Tone, Ara, Tama and Sagami, which flow into the Metropolitan area. The untreated water is taken from these rivers and purified through three processes - coagulation, sedimentation and filtration at local plants. It is then pressurised and supplied to customers as tap water through underground pipelines.

reply to post by Hithe Merinos


So one or more of these rivers courses through the affected zone in the north?

Now this:

Radiation Scare Spreads To 11 Types Of Fukushima Vegetables

The Japanese government on Wednesday urged people not to eat 11 types of vegetable grown near the quake-hit Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in northeast Japan after levels of radioactivity in the produces, were found to have far exceeded legal limits, reported Jiji Press.

According to the Health, Labour and Welfare Ministry, 82,000 becquerels of radioactive cesium-134 was detected in one kilogramme of "kukitachina" leafy green vegetable grown in Motomiya, Fukushima Prefecture.

The figure is 164 times the 500-becquerel limit prescribed under the Food Sanitation Act.

The ministry said the consumers should avoid eating for time being some contaminated vegetables grown near the faltering power plant such as broccoli, spinach, cabbage and cauliflower.

The advisory which from the ministry came following consultations with the Nuclear Safety Commission of Japan, also said that the National Federation of Agricultural Cooperative Associations has stopped shipments of the contaminated vegetables as of Monday.

Health Ministry said consuming 100 grams of the most contaminated vegetable for 10 days, is the equivalent of ingesting half the amount of radiation a person would typically be exposed to in the natural environment in one year.

The prefecture has been instructed to refrain from consuming and shipping turnips and similar green leaf vegetables grown in the prefecture including, "shinobufuyuna," "santona," "chijirena," "kosaitai" and "aburana" rape vegetables.

Fukushima Prefecture previously received an official order from the government to halt all shipments of parsley and raw milk and on Wednesday neighbouring Ibaraki prefecture received the same order to halt its shipments of raw milk and parsley.

Meanwhile, radioactive iodine in excess of the safety limit was found in raw milk produced in two municipalities of Ibaraki Prefecture, which borders on Fukushima Prefecture.

Higher-than-allowed radioactive substances were also detected in parsley grown in two other cities of Ibaraki.

If we can trust the rich guy's thread, seems like bottled water is kind of touch-and-go. He said it was out for a while then back yesterday for the first time.

I'm pretty sure this news will put pressure on that and exacerbate the shortages again.

Seems like pregnant women and breast feeding moms should drink bottled water too.

If babies shouldn't drink it what about the bath water? I wouldn't bathe a baby in radioactive tap water.

reply to post by loam


Tone River System and Ara River System

The source of the river is Mount Ōminakami which straddles the border between Gunma and Niigata Prefectures. It gathers tributaries and pours into the Pacific Ocean at Choshi city in Chiba Prefecture. The Edo River branches away from the river and flows into Tokyo Bay.

Major tributaries of the river include the Agatsuma, Watarase, Kinu, Omoi, and Kokai rivers.

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/1c779de0bbf7.gif[/atsimg]

If infants are susceptible, how could adults be safe? How much should an adult (or infant) drink before it's dangerous? If there's any "trace" amount of radiation in the tap water, then I don't see how it could be safe in any dosage.

Would boiling radiated water be a viable solution to removing the radiation? Would it just evaporate the radiation into your home? Would it remove it at all?
Take rice for example, it takes about twice as much water to the amount of rice. The water will be soaked into the rice, will the radiation be soaked into it? Will anything using water be taking in amounts of radiation?

reply to post by BeatSymphonic


Supposedly the official limits in Japan are 100 becquerels per kg for infants and 300 for adults. I'm hearing readings of 250 found in some drinking water.

Originally posted by silent thunder
reply to post by BeatSymphonic

 

Supposedly the official limits in Japan are 100 becquerels per kg for infants and 300 for adults. I'm hearing readings of 250 found in some drinking water.

edit on 3/23/11 by silent thunder because: (no reason given)

So how much is necessary to do damage for adults if the amount is 250? Is it the type of thing where you can guzzle as much water as you want and the radiation will build up in your body, or will the amount stay the same at 250?

It seems very hard to find any info on it by reading the news, as usual.. I don't think anybody is going to trust the "It's safe for adults, but not for babies." explanation. I'm on the verge of telling my family in Tokyo to stock up on bottled water.

wheres al gore now to save the day with his words...coward and liar*
i saw this on cn news about 3 hours aog,,they said the radiation was twice the minimum allowable level.

....and the nightmare continues, but, honestly, how many ATSers did not already anticipate this?

"There's no danger. "
"No cause for concern at this time."
"No reason to panic."
"There's little risk."
"As a precaution, we're..."
"In the best interest of...."

These insulting, inane platitudes are about as effective in allaying a thinking man's concerns as, hmm, say, trying to cool off a nuclear meltdown with a fire hose...

So the radiation that didn't initially leak out..., (umm, well, actually, just a tiny bit...a little...some...lots...oh, shoot...) made it to Tokyo's H2O & now it's unsafe for infants.

WOW !! Didn't see that one coming !! ...Let's see how the geniuses handle this.

"No problem. Don't give the babies bad water. Give them what every baby needs. Formula ! "
"...but formula is mixed with water."
"Well, then every mother must do her part in this crisis. They can breast feed. It is the natural way, after all."
"...and what shall mother drink when she's thirsty?"
"Water...."

My prayers go out to the Japanese people in their darkest hours.

(To allay possible misinterpretation or offense, the sarcasm deliberatlely expressed above is not directed at any specific person/official/representative/spokeperson/expert, public/private/corporate/commercial/financial business/institution/entity/panel/board, domestic/foreign/international government/agency/commission/bureau/department, god/deity/creator/supreme being...It was merely a means to vent a tiny bit...a little...some...lots of the frustration and despair that builds up.)

Thanks for letting me express my views...whew, boy...am I thirsty...hmm, maybe a glass of water before bed...

Originally posted by BeatSymphonic
I'm on the verge of telling my family in Tokyo to stock up on bottled water.

I'm guessing if they are in Tokyo they are acutely aware of the issue. Whether they can do something about it or not is something else entirely.

Just as people "buy on the dips," I think the best bet for your family might be to secure as much food and water as possible the next time the doom drumbeat subsides a tad. If it does.

Actually, IMHO, your famly's best bet may be to GTFO of there as soon as possible. Like *now.*

reply to post by silent thunder


Thanks for your concern. The news there is being very light on the subject. God forbid they make people concerned for their safety I guess (Which is by the fault of the government in the first place.) I'm trying to find as much info as I can to keep them updated. I'm also trying to work out how to get them here to the States till all this madness passes. I already sent them potassium iodine, though we don't know what kind of radiation is in the tap water of Tokyo..
Normally the tap water in Tokyo is very high quality, it's rated some of the best quality tap water in the world. Because of this, most people rely on tap water instead of purchasing bottled water. This makes a contamination situation a very bad situation indeed.

I'm also wondering now what other areas of Japan are contaminated with radiation now, and at what level the becquerels are in other areas of the country.

Is there any specific information as to why infants in particular? Aside from the fact that the water is contaminated? Is it because infants have a weaker (comparatively) immune system? Etc.

I ask because I'm wondering if the reason behind this advisory may also apply to other demographics--specifically, the elderly. And Japan has a large elderly population.

reply to post by Noscible


Infants and children in particular are extra susceptible to any kind of radiation because their cells are in the process of rapidly dividing and growing. Radiation causes a disruption in this and can cause much more severe issues than in adults.

Plus if you're in your 40s and the radiation levels will give you cancer in 30 years nobody cares... if you're a newborn and get cancer in 30 years it is a big deal...

Originally posted by Jinglelord
reply to post by Noscible

 

Infants and children in particular are extra susceptible to any kind of radiation because their cells are in the process of rapidly dividing and growing. Radiation causes a disruption in this and can cause much more severe issues than in adults.

Plus if you're in your 40s and the radiation levels will give you cancer in 30 years nobody cares... if you're a newborn and get cancer in 30 years it is a big deal...

Ahh, so it's the fact that infants and children are in critical developmental stages. I understand. Thanks for the heads up.