IS OUR OCEAN

STILL SAFE?
POSSIBLE DISCREPANCIES IN
FUKUSHIMA DISASTER REPERCUSSIONS
Miranda Squires, Staff Reporter
MSQUIRES@CSUMB.EDU

Studies have been conducted

to find out if radiation plumes
from the Fukushima Nuclear
Plant destruction in Japan may
have left radiation floating in
the Pacific Ocean potentially
threatening our Central Coast.
Raising awareness about the
potential health hazards for
humans, as well as, Montereys
unique sea life is essential.
If there is radiation or other
poisonous chemicals reaching
the central coast, it not only
poses a threat to humans and
wildlife, but to those living on
the Monterey Bay Peninsula.
Famous beaches, scuba diving
locations, surfing coves, fishing,
etc. could all be put in jeopardy;
which is why this concern
deserves further investigation.
That being said, there were
many discrepancies discovered
in the reports about Fukushima
that disregarded the severity
of this nuclear emergency,
both by local officials and by
the
Japanese
government.
It wasnt until after further
investigation on the release of
radiation levels that Japanese
safety regulators were said to
have downplayed their initial
estimate. TEPCO was forced to
go on record, in an article written
by the NY Times, that the levels
originally stated were much lower
than in actuality. The radiation
exposure is said to have been
2 and a half times more severe
than
originally
anticipated.
This caused concern about the
increased levels of radiation in
local food and water supply; as
well as, an increased evacuation
zone around the plant from

16 | Otter Realm | October 2, 2014

20km to 30km. Encyclopedia

Britannica
explained,
this
resulted
from
leakage
of
radioactive
water
through
cracks in trenches and tunnels
between the plant and the ocean.
The Central Coast is home to the
Monterey Bay National Marine
Sanctuary and the Salinas River
National Wildlife Refuge. The
Monterey Bay National Marine
Sanctuary lines the central quarter
of Californias coast inhabiting
over 700 different species of
sea life. Salinas River National
Wildlife Refuge stretches along
11 miles of the coast just north of
Monterey. Refuge Manager, Ivette
Loredo, says, this secret treasure
of the Monterey Bay serves as a
haven for wildlife rather than a
recreation area for people. Both
of these wildlife sanctuaries are
precious to Californias coast and
to the locals that surround them.
Dr. Ken Buesseler of Woods
Hole Oceanographic Institution
explains that the levels of any
Fukushima contaminants in the
ocean will be many thousands of
times lower after they mix across
the Pacific and arrive on the West
Coast of North America. This
does not however disregard the
possible dangers of additional
radioactive sources that could
be in the ocean, but by the time
the remnants of the Fukushima
incident reach the coast, the
Pacific will be safe for boating,
swimming, etc. Therefore, as for
direct exposure to radiation, it is
highly unlikely that the low levels
in the water will cause damage to
human health, but the human
consumption of contaminated fish
that is the main health concern.
Acute radiation sickness includes
symptoms such as: nausea,

vomiting,
fever,
headaches,
and fatigue, as well as, possible
skin irritation. The problem is
that these symptoms are often
common to other illnesses.
In 2013, after concerns were
raised about potential radiation
reaching the California coast,
Berkeley professor of Nuclear
Engineering currently teaching
Nuclear Reactions & Radiation at
UC Berkeley, Eric Norman, said, I
think part of the reason for [this is]
there were reports of continuing
leaks and releases of radioactivity
[in Japan]it wasnt just a onetime thingand people began to
think of the idea of radiation being
transported across the Pacific,
which of course will happen.
After these claims were brought
to Normans attention, he and
multiple UC Berkeley students
tested for radiation in different
locations along the coast, taking
samples from fish to seawater,
and even plants in Normans
own backyard garden. These
tests resulted in very low, but
detectable levels of radiation that
were not hazardous to humans.
Although readings may be low
for now, it is important to keep
in mind that even though the
source of the radiation has a long
distance to travel, it is possible,
and even though it seems like a
great distance, objects from the
disaster have begun to wash up
on the shores of both Washington
and Oregon. And even if the
radiation levels are low along
the coast, over a certain amount
of time, if levels continue to
be low and do not regress; the
radiation may begin to have
a cumulative effect and could
potentially be just as dangerous
as the effect of a bigger dose.

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