High radiation levels measured in seawater near the site of the stricken Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant has spurred fears of radioactive contamination in seafood.
Early this week, reports from Japan indicated that excessive radiation had been detected in small fish caught near and south of the Fukushima site. The radiation showed the presence of radioactive isotopes of iodine and cesium, two elements associated with nuclear accidents.
Still, authorities are being quoted as saying, essentially, that the spill of radiation to the sea does not pose an immediate threat to the food chain. The vast volume of water filling the ocean basins should confine significant contamination to a relatively small area near the site, it has been argued.
Moreover, waters off Fukushima reportedly do not comprise a major source of fish for Japan, and the immediate area of the plant has been off-limits to fishing.
Still, given that the radioisotopes leaking from the failed power plant have "half lives" measuring days to a few years, it would take a number of years for any local accumulation of these radioactive elements to dissipate naturally.
In the U.S., concerns have raised in relation to tuna and possible radioactive contamination. The albacore tuna apparently spends part of its life off eastern Japan, then migrates to waters off the West Coast. However, significant uptick in radiation may cause the tuna to spend substantial time feeding in close proximity to the leaking nuclear facility.
