Fukushima Radiation Hits U.S. Coast, Kelps Hold Clue

United States biologists are looking for traces of radioactive material in the West Coast that leaked into the waters after the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster in Japan

Japan's Fukushima nuclear disaster in 2011 was the result of an intense 9.0 magnitude earthquake and tsunami. This disaster led to leakage of radioactive water from the plant into the Pacific in unknown quantities.  This event raised the risk level of radioactive cesium-137 and cesium-134 in the Pacific waters. Experts fear that these radioactive materials may have been transferred by ocean currents to the California coast sometime this year.

"We don't know if we're going to find a signal of the radiation," Matt Edwards, a biologist at San Diego State University, told U-T San Diego. "And I personally don't believe it'll represent a health threat if there is one. But it's worth asking whether there's a reason to be concerned about a disaster that occurred on the other side of the planet some time ago."

As a part of the Kelp Project initiated by Steve Manley, a California State University Long Beach biologist, Dr. Edward along with 50 other scientists will collect samples of kelp off Point Loma. The samples will be checked for traces of the radioactive isotopes cesium-134 and cesium-137.

Kelps are the large brown seaweeds that grow in underwater forests in shallow oceans. Kelps absorb most of the materials present in water in small quantities. Acting as natural dosimeters, they measure the amount of radiation absorbed.

Along with volunteers from 20 academic and government institutions, the research team will test samples collected from 33 different sites that include Malibu, Long Beach, Palos Verder, two sites in Baja California and one in Washington State. They will collect samples of related species such as the bull kelp. Sample collection would start from mid-February and this is expected to end in later winter.

Ever since the disaster occurred there has been a huge threat to marine life. In the year 2012, researchers traced evidence of radioactive material in bluefin tuna that they believe migrated from Japan to San Diego after the quake.  But the radioactive material traced was extremely diluted to cause any large scale damage. After this people were reluctant to consume sea food.

This confusion and anxiety caused the biologists to investigate the materials present in waters off the U.S. coast.

Dr. Edwards told Fox 5 San Diego , "We are more connected than we ever thought possible. With kelp being a significant food source of much marine life, as well as the delicate nature of its tissue, it makes the ideal starting point for taking samples and researching radiation effects."

The researchers are just hoping that none of the samples carry any radioactive material.

On the International Nuclear Event Scale, Japan's nuclear disaster ranks on 'Level 7' and is the second worst disaster in history after Chernobyl.