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Update on Surferʻs Beach Radioactivity and a Message from California Office of Emergency Services

Published January 14, 2014 by Dan Sythe

Opinions expressed in this article reflect only the authorʻs viewpoint.

Earlier blogposts here identified elevated radiation levels at Surferʻs Beach in Half Moon Bay as “not from Fukushima.”  After a trip to the site and further analysis, I stand by that conclusion.  I will publish more on that here soon.   I hope this alleviates concern across the Pacific Rim, because it should.

Independent Safecast has put together a compilation of information on Fukushima Daiichi impacts on the ocean here.

California State Office of Emergency Services (CalOES) has informed me that California Department of Public Health (CDPH) is doing further testing on samples taken from Half Moon Bay. They will post the results here.

I applaud CDPH for taking a precautionary approach.

I think this is a good idea for a number of reasons.  Most importantly, it will help build trust that this beautiful  beach is a safe place for children.  I have requested further details of the nature of the testing.

I hope that a full chemical and spectral analysis will be done to determine without doubt that these naturally occurring radionuclides are native to this beach and not introduced.

Part of my cautious approach to this is the public knowledge that radioactive materials were dumped at the Farallon Islands, approximately 35 miles offshore from Half Moon Bay.  There are also other sites in the Bay Area  contaminated with TENORM materials, notably Treasure Island and Hunterʻs Point.

Further testing will help build public confidence that California is a place where transparency thrives, where our public officials are proactive in protecting the public health, and where our beaches are safe.  I hope and expect that will be the conclusion, and again thank CDPH for further testing.

CalOES asked me to post this message:

“There is no public health risk at California beaches due to radioactivity related to events at Fukushima . The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) is not aware of any recent activity at Fukushima, or any new data that would cause elevated radioactivity on California shores from the Fukushima incident.  Recent tests by the San Mateo County public health department and CDPH show that elevated levels of radiation at Half Moon Bay are due to naturally occurring materials and not radioactivity associated with the Fukushima incident.

The volume of water in the Pacific Ocean has a significant diluting effect on radionuclides that are present and it is not anticipated that the concentration will increase in the waters off of the west coast. CDPH has collected and will be analyzing sand samples from Half Moon Bay.  Results of the analysis will be posted on the CDPH Radiologic Health (RHB) website (http://www.cdph.ca.gov/programs/Pages/RHB-RadReport.aspx) as soon as the analysis is completed.”

Other information:

CDPH also performs routine air and milk samples as required by California law.  Slightly elevated air and milk samples were found during the initial phases of the Fukushima incident (March 2011) and the results were reported on CDPH RHB’s website (see link above). CDPH continues to monitor air, milk, kelp, and fish samples. CDPH’s monitoring is part of its on-going environmental monitoring program and will be publishing data on the CDPH RHB website by the end of this week.

CDPH has been in contact with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and they are monitoring the situation with the nuclear reactors in Japan.   The FDA as well as the private entity Woods- Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) have monitored fish from the Pacific and while minute levels of cesium were found in blue fin tuna most recent tests show even those small levels are declining. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA)  is the coordinating Agency for response to international emergencies involving radioactive materials and the FDA is responsible for food safety.  FDA’s  hotline number is 888-723-3366.  The USEPA, via their RadNet system,  monitors the nation’s air, drinking water, precipitation, and pasteurized milk to determine levels of radiation in the environment. RadNet sample analyses and monitoring results provide baseline data on background levels of radiation in the environment and can detect increased radiation from radiological incidents, such as the Fukushima incident.   You may visit the USEPA RadNet website at http://www.epa.gov/radnet/ and this site has a link regarding public questions.

Some additional useful links:

The National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) addresses threats to coastal areas. You can see information about their tracking of debris from Japan at:

http://marinedebris.noaa.gov/tsunamidebris/

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) provides publically available reports on leakage and sea water radioactivity near the Fukushima Daiichi plant. The last report can be found at: http://www.iaea.org/newscenter/news/2013/japan-basic-policy6.html

The state of Oregon continues to test drinking water, rain water and sea water for radionuclides that could be associated with Fukushima.

https://public.health.oregon.gov/HealthyEnvironments/RadiationProtection/RadiationMonitoring/watermonitoring/Pages/waterdata.aspx

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From Half Moon Bay to Fukushima – Managing Fear, Taking Appropriate Action

Published January 9, 2014 by Dan Sythe

A good Geiger Counter can be an invaluable tool.  It can tell you a lot.  With one, you can see what is invisible to human eyes and other human sensory systems.   You can then use that information to take appropriate action if you see something unusual.  Knowing that you have that ability can empower you – and give you peace of mind.

The humble Geiger Counter, used with some skill and knowledge, can save lives and prevent suffering.   It can also be used as a tool for learning about the natural world around us, which is truly fascinating.

But Geiger Counters give you a limited view at relatively low cost – only a peak into that invisible realm.  The veil becomes lifted, but you have to use some scientific method, understand the rules, sometimes consult other instruments, to get a definitive picture of a given situation.

Interpreting or misinterpreting what you are detecting can be a learning experience, and, when you share it on YouTube, well….a lot of us got a learning experience over the holidays.

The YouTube video of  a Geiger Counter on a beach at Half Moon Bay went viral.  It was viewed over 600,000 times in a couple of weeks.  Speculation was that unusual readings  meant something from Fukushima had arrived on the West Coast.  People along coastlines throughout the Pacific Rim became concerned.

It was not just the video of  an innocent guy, a concerned citizen, finding something radioactive and jumping to conclusions.   It was the combination of that, combined with a lot of fear mongering  by other people (not connected to him)  on various websites – about crazy scenarios unfolding at Fukushima Daiichi.  Azby Brown at Safecast Japan covered some of those stories here.  I asked people to consider not forwarding email or web links that donʻt ring true here.

During this period I heard reports of people taking potassium iodide, duct taping themselves into rooms, and refraining from eating anything from the ocean, or even fresh vegetables.

I monitor for radiation daily and I volunteer for Safecast.  I trust their data and their team to be rock solid.  I knew there was no massive radiation event happening.  A close friend and trusted partner, Steve Weiss, lives on Half Moon Bay – near the beach in question.   He and I have been working together in the radiation detection field for  over 35 years.  We were designers of the original Inspector almost 25 years ago.  Reports of beach contamination were based an Inspector reading.  Thus we felt an added sense of responsibility in this situation.   Steve rushed me a bag of sand from from one of the areas of concern on the beach.  I analyzed it  and reported the data to Safecast and to this blogpost.

Steve Weiss taking radiation measurements Half Moon Bay
Steve Weiss taking radiation measurements with an Inspector Alert Geiger Counter, Half Moon Bay

Sean Bonner of Safecast also did some research and posted his findings here.  There was a lot of Trans-California and Trans-Pacific collaboration going on.  A few days later, Health Officials confirmed our preliminary conclusions, as reported by Half Moon Bay Patch here.

Dan Sythe in Iwaki, Fukushima Prefecture, December 2011
Dan Sythe on the beach in Iwaki, Fukushima Prefecture, with multi channel analyzer, December 2011

Why did we have confidence that the elevated readings were not from Fukushima?   Hard earned experience, and different technology.   I traveled to inhabited areas of Fukushima Prefecture with Sean and other Safecasters in December 2011, carrying a multichannel analyzer.  The spectra on the sand on the beach in Iwaki did not look anything like the sand at Half Moon Bay.  See the spectra below.

Sample of deck material from contaminated area of Fukushima Prefecture
Spectra from Fukushima Prefecture.  Note Cesium 137.
This is the spectra from the beach sample
Spectra from Half Moon Bay.  Note Radium 226 and Thorium 232

I guess the moral of this holiday story is donʻt believe everything you hear on the internet, and also remember that a Geiger Counter can only give you a limited view of a new situation.  Try not to jump to conclusions until you have all the information.  There are many sources of radiation in medicine, in homes and workplaces, and in the natural environment.

The spectra of radioactive isotopes are now well documented in Fukushima.  The data from Geiger Counters are invaluable over there, and there is no need to constantly collect new spectral data.  Half Moon Bay was a completely different situation – and it took some other tools and some research to sort it out.

I hope everyone knows that Potassium Iodide should not be taken lightly.  There are adverse reactions reported, and it should not be taken by pregnant women.  Itʻs value is actually controversial.  If there is value in taking it, itʻs only when radioactive forms of iodine are present in the air, food or beverages.  To my knowledge, this is not an issue at this point in time.

Iʻm very heartened that many people with diverse interests and concerns worked hard over the holidays to counter the apocalyptic internet reports about Fukushima Daiichi problems, and to help the general population calm down.

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On Fukushima Fears and Sensationalistic Reporting

Published January 6, 2014 by Dan

There is an incredible amount of disinformation going on these days about Fukushima Daiichi.  A lot of people are frightened by it and they call me or email me, wanting to know what I think about it.

The situation at Fukushima Daiichi is tragic and difficult.  My heart goes out to the people working there, the people who have been displaced…and those who continue to live in the shadow of this disaster.  Itʻs a sad situation.  Iʻve been to Japan 8 or 9 times since the disaster, and Iʻm hoping I can find new and better ways to help the situation there.

Without downplaying the danger and difficulties, it is important to note that some people are exaggerating the situation at Fukushima Daiichi, for unknown reasons, in very dramatic ways.   I am bombarded these days with links to websites with apocalyptic messages of imminent disaster, which fortunately do not seem to be based on reality.

Itʻs not that we should not remain vigilant, but that we should not believe everything we see and hear.  Stress affects human health.

For a reality check I always look to the people at Safecast.   They do an incredible job of staying in touch with the people of Fukushima…many of them are Fukushima people.  They have mapped over 13 million data points since the disaster, and they are constantly analyzing radiation data in Fukushima Prefecture.  Incidentally, if you want to do something positive to help the situation, I strongly recommend donating to Safecast.

On the rumor that Unit 3 steam is foreboding of an imminent disaster, I found this useful analysis by the Simply Info research team, which says that the situation at Unit 3 is relatively stable at this time.

On rumors that starfish health on the West Coast is being affected by radiation from Fukushima I found these articles, which provide at least an alternate viewpoint to that scenario: Deep Sea News.

On the report that radiation at a beach in Half Moon Bay is contaminated by radiation from Fukushima, Safecast did this analysis, which provided an alternate and reasonable explanation.   I personally tested a sample of sand from the beach and am convinced there is no link to Fukushima.  See my blog post on that here.

I have lost a lot of sleep in the months since the Fukushima Daiichi meltdowns, mostly out of concern for the children of Fukushima.  Iʻm not losing as much sleep about it now.   Well, maybe I am – because Iʻm responding late at night to emails from friends who are frightened by the rumors.

Itʻs not that I trust the governments of the world to tell me the truth.   Part of my family lived downwind from the Nevada Test Site.  Iʻve known and worked with people affected by the nuclear age since my youth.  Many of them were unsupported by the governments and companies who were responsible for their pain.  I was a downwinder as a child.   Iʻm a natural born skeptic about these things.

I think I am more comfortable than many people, even though I live in the midst of the same rumors, because of my scientific curiosity. I monitor radiation on a daily basis at my lab – I have for many years.   The levels I see here in Sebastopol California look very much the same as they did 27 years ago –  when I first started monitoring at this location.   Iʻm expanding my lab to look at seaweed, food, soil, air.  I am indeed concerned – especially for the most vulnerable of our human family, the children and unborn.    I do want independent verifiable information to feel comfortable.

At the same time, Iʻm increasingly concerned about the effects of these terrible rumors that have no basis in fact.  I highly recommend that people check out their sources of these apocalyptic messages before they forward them – and add unnecessary fear and stress to their friendʻs lives.  Please consider doing a little research before you hit the Forward button.

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