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Here's the image of the test report by Isotope Research Institute in Yokohama City:Strontium-90: 195 becquerels/kg

From the same sample, cesium-134 and cesium-137 were also detected earlier.Cesium-134: 29,775 becquerels/kgCesium-137: 33,659 becquerels/kgTotal cesium: 63,434 becquerels/kg

Isotope Research Institute didn't start testing for radioactive strontium until August 20, according to the Institute's website. Thus the time lag.At the Institute, it costs 65,000 yen (US$847) (pre-tax) to test one sample for strontium-90 (no separate testing for strontium-89), and it takes one week. No volume discount, the webpage says.The ratio of strontium-90 to cesium-137 in this case is about 0.58%. In comparison, the same ratio from the samples taken in Fukushima Prefecture was between slightly less than 0.1% to 8.2%. In other words, the ratio varies too much to discern any pattern.Yokohama City has said it is testing for strontium in the sample taken from the same apartment rooftop but with much higher cesium density (105,600Bq/kg total cesium). But remember there was no official announcement about this high cesium detection because "the apartment building is a private property", according to the city. We'll see if Yokohama will announce anything about strontium-90.

The Ministry of Education and Science (and the media reporting the news) is spinning it as "good news" that radioactive materials detected in river water and well water in Fukushima Prefecture are "far less than the provisional safety limit".If you compare the measured level to the provisional safety limit for water which is high as 200 becquerels/liter for radioactive cesium for adults, well yes, it is far less.If you compare the level to the one before the Fukushima I Nuke Plant accident, it is a different story altogether. The highest strontium-90 level in the Ministry's survey is 5.14 times the highest level measured in 2009, and the highest cesium-137 level is 6,500 times the highest level measured in 2009.The Ministry's announcement (10/20/2011) is here (in Japanese, PDF).

From Asahi Shinbun (10/20/2011):

The Ministry of Education and Science announced the result of the survey of water contamination in rivers and wells in Fukushima Prefecture, except in the 20-kilometer radius from the Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant. Nuclides such as cesium and strontium were tested, but according to the Ministry there was no detection of radioactive materials exceeding the standard for drinking water.

Vermont Yankee could close by March 2012 * Entergy fighting for reactor survival NEW YORK, Aug 2 (Reuters) - Vermont health regulators said on Tuesday they found a fish containing radioactive material in the Connecticut River near Entergy's (ETR.N) Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant which could be another setback for Entergy to keep it running. The state said it needs to do more testing to determine the source of the Strontium-90, which can cause bone cancer and leukemia.

Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin wants the 620 megawatts reactor shut in March 2012 when its original operating license was to expire. "Today's troubling news from the Vermont Department of Health is another example of Entergy Louisiana putting their shareholders' profits above the welfare of Vermonters," Shumlin said in a statement. "I am asking my Health Department to keep a close eye on test results moving forward to determine the extent of any contamination that has reached the environment."

New Orleans-based Entergy, the second biggest nuclear power operator in the United States, however wants to keep the reactor running for another 20 years under a new license. Entergy filed a complaint in federal court to block the state from shutting the reactor next year. Officials at Entergy were not immediately available for comment. "One finding of (Strontium-90) just above the lower limit of detection in one fish sample is notable because it is the first time Strontium-90 has been detected in the edible portion of any of our fish samples," the Vermont Department of Health said on its website. The Health Department said it did not know how the Strontium-90, which is both naturally occurring in the environment and a byproduct of nuclear power production and nuclear weapons testing, got into the fish.

(UPDATE) So far, it is dead silence from the Japanese MSMs; even the critical papers like Tokyo Shinbun is mum on strontium in Tokyo.

A citizen group did the soil survey of three locations in central Tokyo, and had the soil samples tested for radioactive cesium and strontium. All three had both.Summary of reporting by Yasumi Iwakami, independent journalist:Locations and amounts of radioactive materials:Kiyosumi Shirakawa Station, Koto-ku:Radioactive cesium (134 and 137 combined): 19,126 Bq/kgRadioactive strontium (89 and 90 combined): 44 Bq/kg

Yurakucho Station, Chiyoda-ku:Radioactive cesium (134 and 137 combined): 20,955 Bq/kgRadioactive strontium (89 and 90 combined): 51 Bq/kgFront of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, Chiyoda-ku:Radioactive cesium (134 and 137 combined): 48,176 Bq/kgRadioactive strontium (89 and 90 combined): 48 Bq/kg

It turned out that Yokohama city government had received the report of the measurement of Strontium-90 in mid September. It was asked in the city council but an “expert” of Yokohama City University ,Inoue Tomio asserted that additional measurement is not needed because the air dose is low.

It is impressive that the “expert” did not even know strontium-90 emits beta radiation. Having the advice, Yokohama city government declined additional measurement of Strontium. Successfully, strontium got the permanent residency in Yokohama.(Source)(Source) Also, the news broadcasting organization IWJ run by Iwakami Yasumi, which reported measurement of strontium, was banned to attend the press conference of Yokohama city “government”. Probably plutonium will be found in Tokyo or Yokohama soon. However, it is highly likely they will not do anything to protect the citizens. The video below is the athletic festival of a kindergarten in Yokohama held in October. The soil around shows 0.95 uSv/h.

*Google Translation* Title: Cesium 9,686 Bq / kg soil in Osaka Bay seabed emergency essentials – 1 / 14, strontium-90 detected! Source: http://dub314.blog.fc2.com Date: Jan 14, 2012 Cesium 9,686 Bq / kg soil in Osaka Bay seabed emergency essentials – 1 / 14, strontium-90 detected! - Kind of analysis [core] MAX 9,686Bq/kg

1 / Bay / Osaka grab bottom sampler, December 29 Kansai International Airport near the seabed soil Cesium 134 7,271Bq／Kg Cesium 137 705Bq／Kg Strontium-90 28Bq／Kg 2 / Bay / Osaka grab bottom sampler, December 29 浜寺, seabed soil near the river mouth of the Yamato Cesium 134 8,924Bq／Kg Cesium 137 762Bq／Kg Strontium-90 31Bq／Kg

3 / Bay / Osaka grab bottom sampler, December 29 An Zhichuan estuary to pay near-bottom soil reel Cesium 134 3,527Bq／Kg Cesium 137 269Bq／Kg Strontium-90 ND (not detected) Tsuna / Awaji Cesium 134 2,590Bq／Kg Cesium 137 172Bq／Kg

Fish taken from a lake in northern Vermont had similar levels of strontium-90 and cesium-137 as fish taken from the Connecticut River near Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant in Vernon. During a Feb. 3 meeting of the House Fish, Wildlife and Water Resources Committee in the Vermont Statehouse, committee members heard from Bill Irwin, chief of radiological health for the Vermont Department of Health. "We got preliminary results from our fish sample analysis from Lake Carmi in northern Franklin County," Irwin told the Reformer on Monday. Irwin said Lake Carmine, in Enosburg Falls, is about as far away from Yankee as you can get and still be in the Green Mountain State. "The results are that cesium-137 and strontium-90 in Lake Carmi fish is in the same range as Connecticut River fish," said Irwin. "We take this as some evidence that all fish in Vermont are likely to have radioactive cesium and strontium at these levels and that, as we've hypothesized, it is from nuclear weapons fallout and the releases of Chernobyl. All of us are glad to have proof and not just conjecture." The fish taken from Lake Carmi were small-mouth bass, he said, and were taken from the lake by Vermont Fish and Wildlife fisheries personnel. Cesium was found in both edible and inedible portions of the bass, he said, while strontium was found only in inedible portions, which include bones, the head, fins and scales. "There's no danger in eating the fish," said Irwin. "Should we ever find that there are reasons to restrict diet from any sampling for any kind of radioactive or toxicological events, we would keep in mind different cultures have different diets."

In the same analyses, the fish had almost 500 times more potassium-40 in them than they do cesium-137, he said. Potassium-40 is a naturally occurring radioactive material that is in nearly everything and was created when the planet was formed billions of years ago, said Irwin. A fish taken from the Connecticut River in 2010 had the highest levels of strontium-90 in bone that his department has seen in any samples. "In that same sample we did find very low but measurable amounts of strontium-90 in the meat of the fish," said Irwin, which could have been a sampling or contamination error. "But we don't know that." The sampling is part of an ongoing multi-state operation to help determine what is the level of the two radioactive isotopes in fish in Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts and New York. "We hope to further populate this data with fish taken from waters unaffected by nuclear power plants," said Irwin. The states are also working with the a Food and Drug Administration laboratory in Winchester, Mass., to develop sampling and analysis protocols. When more data has been assembled from around the region, Irwin said they hope to publish it in scientific journals. The results of the sampling from Lake Carmi will be posted soon on DOH's website, he said. When this year's fishing season begins, Fish and Wildlife personnel will be taking more fish for the Department of Health.

SOURCE: Dr. Ernest J. Sternglass is Emeritus Professor of Radiological Physics in the Department of Radiology, at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine Part 3 (Part 2 at end of post): 8:15 in Turkey Point reactors in Miami, FL released an enormous amount of radioactivity In some parts of Dade County we have seen teeth that are 10-20 times than minimum level we can detect Strontium-90 should be less than 0.5 picocuries per gram of calcium — it should be less than 0.5 — and we find levels as high as 15, 16, or 17 “Strontium-90 is considered a cancer-causing substance because it damages the genetic material (DNA) in cells.” -Delaware Health and Social Services

A big present from my home town Yokohama to the world. This is the measurement result of Strontium 90. Measurement 9/1/2011 Analysis 9/2/2011 Strontium 90  195Bq/Kg Sample 605g Dust on the roof of an apartment in Kouhokuku Yokohama Below is the bonus. Cesium 134  29,775Bq/Kg Cesium 137  33,659Bq/Kg Measurement 8/10/2011 Analysis 8/11/2011

Biological samples taken from waters in the Western Pacific region east of Fukushima, Japan show excessive radiation levels, said a statement from China's State Oceanic Administration on Wednesday.The administration suggested that government agencies intensify radiation testing of marine products from the targeted waters to protect public health in China.

The samples were also found to contain argentum-110m and cesium-134, which are normally difficult to detect in biological samples from China's coastal waters, the statement said. The administration sent professional personnel to these waters in June to monitor the impact of the nuclear crisis at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, as well as its impact on China's territorial waters.

According to the statement, the levels of strontium-90, a radioactive isotope of strontium, found in squids are 29 times higher than the average background level of samples taken from China's coastal waters. This indicates that these waters have been clearly affected by radioactive material that leaked from the crippled nuclear power plant in Fukushima during the massive earthquake and tsunami disaster on March 11, the statement said.

While readings of radiation in the air have returned to pre-3/11 levels in most areas of Japan — not including areas close to the plant and the so-called hot spots — the contamination of soil, which affects the food chain, could pose a long-term health risk, experts say. Iodine-131, cesium-134 and cesium-137 were released in large quantities by the nuclear plant, and if they are accumulated in the body, they could cause cancer.

Kunikazu Noguchi, lecturer at Nihon University and an often-quoted expert on radiological protection, assures that consumers need not worry too much about any produce on the market, because at present, radiation levels in most vegetables, meat, dairy and other foods, even those from Fukushima Prefecture, are far below the government's safety limits and often undetectable. But for consumers concerned about the few incidents of tainted food slipping through the government checks (such as the beef from cattle that had been fed with tainted straw in Fukushima, which was shipped nationwide in July), or families with small children, Noguchi suggests a simple way to minimize their radiation exposure through food: rinse it.

rinsing the food well before cooking, preferably with hot water, and/or boiling or stewing it, a large portion of radioactive elements can be removed. In his book, published in Japanese in mid-July, "Hoshano Osen kara Kazoku wo Mamoru Tabekata no Anzen Manyuaru" ("The Safety Manual for Protecting Your Family From Radiation Contamination"), Noguchi offers tips on how to prepare food, item by item, so consumers can reduce their radiation intake at home.

plus cesium-134 (half-life of about 2 years) and silver-110m (half life about 250 days). Strontium-90's half life is about 30 years.

From Jiji Tsushin (8/24/2011)

China's State Oceanic Administration announced on August 24 that strontium-90 was detected in the firefly squid caught off the coast of Fukushima Prefecture in the amount that was 29 times as high as the marine organisms along the coast of China. Cesium-134, which is normally never detected in the marine organisms along the coast of China, and silver-110m, a gamma-ray emitter, were also detected.

Someone commented on the post “Breaking News: Strontium-89, 90 in 79km area and contamination map” asking about Plutonium and Strontium and how they are related. Its a challenge to communicate basic physical chemistry to such an enormously diverse audience as visits this blog. Let me try just a bit – I may have to do a longer background piece for this soon. Bear with this quick and dirty one for now. All atoms have nuclei made of protons and neutrons (to name a few subatomic particles) – electrons orbit around the nucleus.

n chemistry, atoms “talk” to each other in many ways – one being the sharing or tossing back and forth of electrons. With radioactive atoms (elements or nuclides) not only are electrons on the move but also parts of the nucleus in a process called Radioactive Decay. Radioactive decay is the process by which an atomic nucleus of an unstable atom loses energy by emitting ionizing particles (ionizing radiation). The emission is spontaneous, in that the atom decays without any interaction with another particle from outside the atom. As the atoms lose bits of their nuclei they become totally new elements or new isotopes of the original element. This transformation – decay – is predictable for each radioactive element.

Plutonium For Plutonium it looks like this

An unstoppable tide of radioactive trash and chemical waste from Fukushima is pushing ever closer to North America. An estimated 20 million tons of smashed timber, capsized boats and industrial wreckage is more than halfway across the ocean, based on sightings off Midway by a Russian ship's crew. Safe disposal of the solid waste will be monumental task, but the greater threat lies in the invisible chemical stew mixed with sea water.

This new triple disaster floating from northeast Japan is an unprecedented nuclear, biological and chemical (NBC) contamination event. Radioactive isotopes cesium and strontium are by now in the marine food chain, moving up the bio-ladder from plankton to invertebrates like squid and then into fish like salmon and halibut. Sea animals are also exposed to the millions of tons of biological waste from pig farms and untreated sludge from tsunami-engulfed coast of Japan, transporting pathogens including the avian influenza virus, which is known to infect fish and turtles. The chemical contamination, either liquid or leached out of plastic and painted metal, will likely have the most immediate effects of harming human health and exterminating marine animals.

Many chemical compounds are volatile and can evaporate with water to form clouds, which will eventually precipitate as rainfall across Canada and the northern United States. The long-term threat extends far inland to the Rockies and beyond, affecting agriculture, rivers, reservoirs and, eventually, aquifers and well water.   Falsifying Oceanography

Detection of radioactive materials in the soil in Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station, TEPCO Press Release, September 3, 2011:

As a result of plutonium and strontium analysis in the soil from the samples at the 3 periodic sampling spots collected on August 15, plutonium 238, 239, and 240 and strontium 89 and 90 were detected as shown in the attachment 1 and 2. [...] Today, we informed the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency and the government of Fukushima Prefecture of the results.

Some radioactive contaminants at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation will threaten the Columbia River for thousands of years, a new analysis projects, despite the multibillion-dollar cleanup efforts by the federal government.

The U.S. Department of Energy projections come from a new analysis of how best to clean up leaking storage tanks and manage waste at Hanford, a former nuclear weapons production site on 586 square miles next to the Columbia in southeastern Washington.

Oregon officials say the results, including contamination projections for the next 10,000 years, indicate the federal government needs to clean up more of the waste that has already leaked and spilled at Hanford instead of capping and leaving it, a less-expensive alternative.