Radiation in Rice Found in Japan

Mike Barrett
Natural Society

After testing rice near a crippled nuclear plant in Japan, Japanese researchers found high levels of radiation in the rice. The researchers took a sample of unharvested rice and found that it contained 500 becquerels of cesium per kilogram. The radioactive cesium came from the Fukushima Dai-ichi power plant after the earthquake on March 11.

Until the rice containing 500 bacquerels of cesium per kilogram was found, they tested over 400 spots in Fukushima prefecture and found 136 bacquerels per kilogram was the highest level.

Nations are still wary of importing food from Japan after the nuclear event. People are still concerned with radiation levels in the food, and for good reason. Under Japanese regulation, rice containing as much as 500 bacquerels of cesium per kilogram is considered safe. However, no amount of radiation should be considered “safe.”

Consuming radiated food and being subject to radiation provides no health benefits. The radiation level in your body build up, and never decreases. Once one reaches a certain radiation point, one will begin to experience radiation sickness. As radiation levels in the body increase, so do the chances of experiencing complications such as the ones listed below.

• Genetic defects in children of exposed parents

• Mental retardation in unborn children of exposed mothers

• Damage to the Gastrointestinal tract leading to nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea (too much radiation could destroy the lining of the GI tract which could be fatal)

• Thyroid damage ultimately leading to cancer

• Damage to bone marrow which may cause the body to be highly susceptible to infection and may also cause bleeding

For more information on radiation, please visit our radiation page.

Sources:
Yahoo/AP