Friday, April 1, 2011

Radiation Fears

There has been a lot of talk regarding Japan and the radiation coming out of the nuclear plant in Fukushima . People fear it will hit everything from the milk to the seafood to the vegetables. After all it will hit California first the nation;s salad bowl along with the fishing industries of the e Pacific Northwest. Yet will our food be affected? Will we? According to all news reports the radiation coming over to the States via the wind currents are very small amounts. of course the most common fear is that it will affect the California dairy products. radiation particles will settle in the grass , the cows eat the grass and then have their milk contaminated. It has shown up in Washington State milk. Experts say not to worry . The amounts are so incredibly low. You get more dosage from your dental X-rays. As for our lettuce, tomatoes and other harvests coming form the Pacific. Again the radiation amounts are so small that they're not worth obsessing over. Avoid them if you like. That's your call. What about the Pacific itself? Japanese officials have repeatedly reassured the world that the contaminated water has been contained. That means that the North Pacific wildlife such as the cod used in Wendy's fish sandwiches is OK. That means that it doesn't pose a health risk. This must also go for the tuna caught in Japanese waters too. Again , to a certain extent water is like air. The further it moves away from the site , the less radiation will be in it. The marine life like their land cousins won't be too affected by low levels of contaminaton. Should we worry about our food? That's up to the individual.Just remember that there is always some low level of radiation in whatever we eat, from veggies to milk to meat. We haven't fretted about in the past. Soudl we do so now?