Radioactive cesium may be brought back by Ocean in 20-30 years

[bananas]

http://www.tokyotimes.jp/post/en/2397/Radioactive+cesium+may+be+brought+back+by+Ocean+in+20-30+years.html

Radioactive cesium may be brought back by Ocean in 20-30 years
Sat 2011/09/17 02:10 JST

Radioactive substances from the Fukushima nuclear facility which spilled into the ocean in the aftermath of the March quake and tsunami may reach the Japanese coasts again in 20-30 years, according to a new research.

The Meteorological Research Institute and the Central Research Institute of Electric Power Industry compiled a study indicating that the leaked radioactive cesium may travel clockwise through the northern Pacific Ocean and return to the Japanese coast in two or three decades.

Cesium-137, which can cause cancer, could be brought back to Japan by the current from around Philippines. The substance can easily last for 30 years. For the moment, the substance is dispersed eastward and into the northern Pacific Ocean.

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[binarysunrise]

1. Radioactive cesium may be brought back by Ocean in 20-30 years

Not understanding too much about radiation, but how much cesium are they talking about? Wouldn't the cesium level (parts per million, or whatever) be quite low after floating through the Pacific Ocean for three decades? And then it would be about half that amount, if the half life is 30 years?

[CJvR]

2. By then...

...it should be so dissolved and diluted that only a homeopath would be threatened by it.

[kristopher]

3. You are so far ahead of the science you really should publish your findings.

As far as I know there are substantial concerns regarding accumulation in the food chain. Since you've apparently disproved that, it would be wonderful if you could have your research on the topic published.

[NickB79]

4. Don't worry. 30 yr from now, there won't be any top-tier ocean fish left to bio-accumulate it

Our choices of seafood will consist of krill, jellyfish and algae.

[kristopher]

5. In Japan algae is a very important part of everyone's diet.

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2310.html

http://www.seaweed.ie/

[NickB79]

9. I doubt we're talking about the same kind of algae

http://www.businessinsider.com/not-what-youd-expect-on-a-topless-french-beach-2011-7

[kristopher]

11. That isn't caused by the type of algae

It is caused by the process of decomposition that releases hydrogen sulfide gas, which is toxic. Under the same circumstance of algae decomposing on the beach but where the seaweed grew in water "rich" in cesium, the decomposition would also produce an abundant crop of itty bitty 'cesium-ated' critters to feed the local wildlife and eventually, the local people.

[CJvR]

6. Hardly.

Pointing out what is obvious to everyone makes for poor scientific papers.

[FBaggins]

7. You just don't understand, do you?

Cesium is just like salmon. It all returns to the place of its birth to spawn a new generation of cesium.

All that nonsense about dilution is a scam. The reason cesium levels in sea water have long since fallen below their standard detection levels is because the stuff is smart enough to hide from the sensors.

:sarcasm:

[The Croquist]

8. Stealth cesium?

Oh the humanity!

I'll have to hold off judgment on this until the SyFy channel makes a movie on this. If the scientist * discovering this has two or three buxom coed grad students working for him that have to get into bikinis to dive for samples and he ends up teamed up with an ex-girlfriend reporter I'll know it's true.

* Bonus points if he is played by Luke Perry.

[CJvR]

10. I knew there...

...was something I had missed!

Well then only 29½ years left until the stealthed salmon Cesium tsunami returns to Nippon like an angry Godzilla and destroys Tokyo. I suspect since it is all returning to the exact same spot at the exact same time we might even experience spontaneous criticality?