USA Rain water unsafe to drink due to radiation level found in Massacheusetts and Pennsylvania

[Amish Country]

EPA: Expect More Radiation in Rainwater
Jeff McMahon
Mar. 28 2011 - 4:21 am

The Environmental Protection Agency yesterday reported finding elevated levels of iodine-131, a product of nuclear fission, in rainwater in Pennsylvania and Massachusetts. The levels exceed the maximum contaminant level (MCL) permitted in drinking water, but EPA continues to assure the public there is no need for alarm:
“It is important to note that the corresponding MCL for iodine-131 was calculated based on long-term chronic exposures over the course of a lifetime – 70 years. The levels seen in rainwater are expected to be relatively short in duration,”....

Link for entire article:
http://blogs.forbes.com/jeffmcmahon/2011/03/28/epa-expect-more-radiation-in-rainwater/

 

[Emily]

Re: USA Rain water unsafe to drink due to radiation level

Re: USA Rain water unsafe to drink due to radiation level

The EPA says not to worry about the risk to humans since guidelines are based on a lifetime exposure, but there are estimates that Tepco's reactors could pollute for months if not years to come. And there will be individual health issues such as previous exposures, age, pregnancy, etc.

Population risk is not the same as the risk to individuals. Cancer and birth defects dramatically disrupt or devastate the lives of individuals and their families.

And I wonder about the risk to pets that go outdoors.

I suspect that this is the reason for the EPA's covert attempt to radically increase the perception of what is an acceptable exposure to radioactive fallout.

http://www.flutrackers.com/forum/showthread.php?t=165330

 

[Amish Country]

Re: USA Rain water unsafe to drink due to radiation level found in Massacheusetts and Pennsylvania

My consern is how or if this is going to effect ground/well water? Also pastured livestock grown for human consumtion, milk, meat and eggs? Is it safe to even leave them out in the rain/snow etc.? What about vegtable gardens? How safe will the foods from these sources be to eat?

 

[Missouriwatcher]

Re: USA Rain water unsafe to drink due to radiation level found in Massacheusetts and Pennsylvania

Half-life is 8 days. Couldn't one wait to consume for a period of time to help with accumulation?

 

[Amish Country]

Re: USA Rain water unsafe to drink due to radiation level found in Massacheusetts and Pennsylvania

Half-life is 8 days. Couldn't one wait to consume for a period of time to help with accumulation?

Depends. It is spring in the northern hemisphere and a lot of cattle, goats, sheep etc. are giving birth. Their off spring can't wait. They have to nurse or die. There are not enough trained hands, equipment or milk replacer to even begin to handle the task of bottle feeding on a scale of that magnitude.

A lot of dairy and meat herds in my area get their drinking water from pasture streams fed by rain run off. If farmers have to keep their stock under cover and buy more hay and feed instead of letting them out and graze on spring grass it will raise costs. They can't afford it. Many dairy herds in the US have been sent to slaughter because farmer can't make a profit selling milk.

 

[Amish Country]

Re: USA Rain water unsafe to drink due to radiation level found in Massacheusetts and Pennsylvania

I'm more worried about plutonium than iodine -131.

 

[Shannon Bennett]

Re: USA Rain water unsafe to drink due to radiation level found in Massacheusetts and Pennsylvania

Plutonium is very heavy, it doesn't move far from the original site.