Thursday, March 31, 2011
EPA: Radioactive Iodine Exceeding Maximum Contaminant Levels for Drinking Water Found in Pennsylvania and Massachusetts ... But It's Safe
As I noted Tuesday, the government is responding to the Japanese nuclear accident by trying to raise acceptable radiation levels and pretending that radiation is good for us.
Forbes' blogger Jeff McMahon points out:
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,” the agency states in a FAQ that accompanied yesterday’s brief news release.
“In both cases these are levels above the normal background levels historically reported in these areas.”
EPA said it is receiving “verbal reports” of higher levels of radiation in rainwater samples from other states as well, and that Americans should continue to expect short-term contamination of rainwater as radioactive isotopes spread through the atmosphere from Japan.
“We continue to expect similar reports from state agencies and others across the nation given the nature and duration of the Japanese nuclear incident.”
The EPA also found radioactive iodine in milk in Washington State.
Fortunately. the half life of radioactive iodine is only 8.02 days. That means that the iodine loses half of its radioactivity within 8 days.
If you trust the EPA to tell you if radiation levels are unsafe, then carry on.
But if you do not trust the government to tell you the truth, and if you are afraid of radioactive exposure, you might consider stocking up on a little extra milk and water, and then letting each container of fluids sit for a couple of weeks on a shelf or in your refrigerator before drinking. That will greatly reduce the radioactivity caused by the iodine 131.
Specifically, every 8 days, the amount of radioactivity in the iodine 131 is reduced by half according to the general rule of radioactive half lives:
You'll have to find out current radioactive iodine levels to determine how long your beverages have to sit before the radioactive iodine falls to a level you consider safe.
Obviously, beverages packed before the Japanese earthquake are safe.
(Because radioactive cesium has a much longer half-life, a couple of weeks of storing fluids before drinking them obviously wouldn't do much for that material).
In addition, if you're still worried about exposure to radiation, you might want to note that some vitamins and herbs have been shown to be radioprotective.
Disclaimer: I am not a doctor or a health professional, and this should not be taken as medical advice. Nothing contained herein is intended to diagnose or treat any condition. You should consult your doctor before making any decisions about whether or not to take any of the foods, herbs, supplements or substances mentioned herein.
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Milk might go sour after 8 days and certainly after 16 days. I would guess that freezing does not affect the half life so you can freeze your milk for 2 or 3 weeks. We freeze milk all the time because we do not use up a gallon before it goes sour but do not want to pay more for quarts. Unfrozen milk to me tastes no different than fresh milk.
ReplyDeleteIf government regulation of capital levels in our financial system helps to inform our understanding of government decrees about acceptable levels of radiation, we could have something to worry about.
ReplyDelete"If you trust the EPA to tell you if radiation levels are unsafe, then carry on.
ReplyDelete"But if you do not trust the government to tell you the truth, and if you are afraid of radioactive exposure, you might consider stocking up on a little extra milk and water, and then letting each container of fluids sit for a couple of weeks on a shelf or in your refrigerator before drinking."
Before I read your post and learned this new fact of I-131 reaching the level such that continuing to ingest that level for 70 years would noticeably raise my cancer risk (which is to say, in my case, not at all), I had already planned:
To reduce milk use for my 4-yr old, and let milk age in the refrigerator just as you suggest.
But.....I *do* trust the EPA in this instance to give reasonably accurate, if very cautious and conservative information.
What gives?
I'm just a very cautious fellow.
And I would not hesitate to drink milk where 1 glass would raise my cancer risk by an order of magnitude somewhat above 1/100,000 roughly, as in the milk first discarded in Japan, if that was the milk I had and I wanted some milk.
I'm cautious, but also the statistics actually mean real things in my opinion.
Still, I'm cautious. I understand the risk to a 4-yr old for a given amount of I-131 is much, much higher than for a 45 yr old.
I drive cautiously. People honk.
And...I would not hesitate to buy a house within 10 miles of a nuclear reactor here in the states, unless it was a reactor with a history of cover ups. And that's something you can research. There was a great piece on Terry Gross (NPR) the other day (Fresh Air) with a reporter of the NYTimes, Wald.
So, from my viewpoint, and I think you should try to converse with me, you seem to be alarmist here. That's subjective. And I have a question: what level of risk is too much for you, in terms of numbers. Would you accept a 1/500,000 risk in order to go to work?
btw, NPR's program "Science Friday" is about radiation risks!
ReplyDeleteJust a heads up.
I hope you listen, and I hope you engage me in a discussion. I'm always hoping to talk with people that stimulate thinking. Last weekend I spent an hour at a fun party discussing the economy with a PhD physics guy from eastern Europe working in finance for example (so that I missed other fun for a while). The more discussion, the more progress we make to being able to do more than only suggesting stuff from the sidelines. We could develop more convincing arguments, that are not easily shot down.
I stocked up on some radioactive milk and let it set in my fridge for two weeks. I was then ready for a nice refreshing drink.... of sour cream!
ReplyDeleteHorizon organic milk will last about 2 months from the date it is drawn... Just saying. If I buy it now, it will taste exactly the same in 2 weeks. :D
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you guys are here to document this. This shit does not have to happen. Face your attacker and destroy him before he destroys you. They've been busy lately. GE considered the affects of a tsunami when they built this thing. Wake the fuck up. You are no builder.
ReplyDeleteLook above. A bunch of assholes are doing destructive shit all over the world and you're talking about milk. Stand up at attention. Milk is not the answer. Good to ward off radiation with blood chemistry in bones. You are being attacked. GE considered tsunamis when they built this plant. The Stuxnet virus hit as well. WAKE UP.
ReplyDeleteThe radioactivity of I-131 in drinking water does not exceed EPA limits-because the EPA does NOT HAVE specific limits for I-131. Go back to sleep now.
ReplyDeleteThe reason that the Iodine-131 level in drinking water does not exceed the maximum EPA amount is that the EPA does NOT have a specific level for Iodine-131 in drinking water.
ReplyDelete