China Finds 100,000 SQ Miles of Radiation In Pacific Ocean Up 300 Times Higher Than Normal

China says the radioactive contamination in the Pacific Ocean from the Fukushima nuclear power plant is far wider than the areas released by the Japanese government.

China has discovered 100,000 square miles of Pacific Ocean waters, at distances up to 800 kilometers from Fukushima, with Cesium radiation levels up to 300 times normal and Strontium radiation levels up to 100 times normal.

China says a study conducted by its State Oceanic Administration has found widespread levels of highly radioactive contamination throughout Pacific Ocean.

China’s State Oceanic Administration said the tests shown that the polluted area is far wider than the areas released by the Japanese government.

According to the study the radiation survey found over 252,000 kilometers, or just shy of 100,000 square miles, of Pacific ocean waters was contaminated by the time the study was completed on July 4th.

The study found the radiation has spread to distances up to 800 kilometers from the coast of the Fukushima prefecture.

According to the article, cesium radiation was found at levels up to 300 times higher than concentration levels detected in water off the coast of China.

The study also found Strontium-90 radiation levels up to 100 times higher than those found in Chinese waters.

The report quotes China’s Ocean Administration as saying “”One cannot rule out the possibility that radioactive contaminants have entered waters under China’s jurisdiction.”

China’s Department of Environmental Protection also warned  “Cesium-137 and strontium-90 both have half-lives of about 30 years, making it more likely they will eventually enter the food chain and affect the health of consumers.”

Chinese officials further stated they will gradually make the test results public and plan to implement a program in attempt to forecast the spread of the radiation throughout the Pacific.

The results appear to validate an earlier simulation of the spread of radiation released from the Fukushima nuclear power plant through the Pacific.

How 3 million gallons of radioactive water dumped into the sea will spread through the Pacific Ocean

You can watch a simulation of the radiation spreading through the Pacific Ocean here.

Sources:

• Nuclear contamination threatens seawaters - Chinese Government’s Official Web Portal – Tuesday, August 16, 2011
• China: Radioactive contamination spreads far beyond Japan’s claims in Pacific waters – The Asahi Shimbun – Tuesday, August 16, 2011
• China says Japanese N-plant leak contaminated its sea waters – The Economic Times – Tuesday, August 16, 2011