A Small Public College In The Pacific Nw Or Atlantic Ne

Is it safe to eat Pacific fish after Fukushima?

The salmon has always been safe. If you don’t trust a nuclear operator, you can trust a Marine Biologist, Andrew Thayer.I once did the calculations a few years back based on early reports of what they’d seen for contamination in salmon. 15bq of Cs-134 per 100 lbs of tuna at the worst. (Sure, I know you’re asking about salmon, but what I know about is tuna, and I can only assume the math works out similarly, especially since we’re talking about data gathered within the year of the accident, rather than years later.)For reference, a banana also has 15bq of K-40. Now, I know what you’re going to say:“But David! The human body rejects excess potassium!”“But David! The Banana Equivalent Dose is an ineffective measure of exposure!”“But David! Cs-134 emits slightly lower energy radiation than potassium so each decay is actually slightly safer!”I know! The fact of the matter is, we can still do the math. And, it’s true! Cs-134 stays in the human body a lot longer than potassium does (over 100 times longer) - that’s actually the great equalizer in all of the math.I did the math, though, working it out to being 1.5bq of Cs-134 being equivalent in exposure given to about 15bq of K-40, though. The two decay particles of There is one problem with this math, though, and it vilifies bananas - K-40, even in excess, delivers a more acute dose, while Cs-134 spreads through more of the body, so it’s easier for the body to handle.All in all, if you’re worried about radiation, I’d skip a banana and go for the fish. I am not saying you should worry about bananas. I’m just saying you shouldn’t worry about the fish.BUT YOU’RE NOT OUT OF THE WOODS YET! China still dumps mercury into the ocean, so you’ve got that to worry about, much moreso than radiation.Of course, there will be the Anti-Nuclear Fearmonger that will spout: “But David! Fukushima is still leaking, so the fish are just getting more and more!”Cs-134 doesn’t bioaccumulate like mercury.2015 Pacific Cs-134 Levels: 15bq /cm^32016 Pacific Cs-134 Levels: 0.03bq /cm^3 Checkmate.