Japan: Radioactive water levels at Fukushima reach record levels after new typhoon
The amount of radioactive water near the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant has risen to record levels after Typhoon Vongfong passed through Japan last week, state media outlet NHK reported on Wednesday.
Below are some just amazing photos of this storm taken by NASA.
The new report states that levels of the radioactive isotope cesium are now at 251,000 becquerels per liter, three times higher than previously-recorded levels. Cesium, which is highly soluble and can spread easily, is known to be capable of causing cancer.
The other measurements also show remarkably high levels of tritium – another radioactive isotope of hydrogen.
Samples from October 9 indicate that there are 150,000 becquerels of tritium per liter in the groundwater near Fukushima, according to Japan’s JIJI agency. Compared to levels recorded last week, that’s an increase of more than 10 times.
Additionally, “materials that emit beta rays, such as strontium-90, which causes bone cancer, also shattered records with a reading of 1.2 million becquerels, the utility said of the sample,” JIJI reported.
NASA’s Aqua satellite passed over Typhoon Vongfong on Oct. 11 at 04:15 UTC (12:15 a.m. EDT) as it was approaching Japan’s big islands.
Image Credit: NASA Goddard MODIS Rapid Response Team
This is an astronaut photo of Supertyphoon Vongfong taken from the International Space Station on Oct. 9, 2014.
Image Credit: NASA JSC/ISS
