Daily Herald Tribune
Local science project finds high levels of radiation in seaweed
Grade
10 Composite High School student Bronwyn Delacruz shows off her Geiger
Counter, a handheld detector that measures ionizing radiation in certain
food products. Elizabeth McSheffrey/Daily Herald-Tribune
When
Bronwyn Delacruz started testing seaweed in her living room last
August, she made an incredible discovery: Something unexpected may be
lurking in Canadian waters.
The Composite High School Grade 10 student has found disconcerting radiation levels in seaweed products from local grocery stores and is concerned for the health of families who may be consuming them.
Her research on the subject recently earned gold at the regional Canada-Wide Science Fair in Peace River, garnering her a spot at the national competition in Ontario this May.
“I think any dose of radiation can be harmful,” she explained. “Any dose can cause negative health effects, no matter how small it may be.”
Delacruz tested more than 300 individual seaweed samples, with 15 brands exported from New Brunswick, British Columbia, California, Washington, China and Japan.
Each was purchased in an Alberta grocery store, and evaluated for radiation levels using a Geiger counter.
“I just wanted to see if it was contaminated and I did find radioactive contamination in it,” she said. “I’m kind of concerned that this is landing in our grocery stores and that if you aren’t measuring it, you could just be eating this and bringing home to your family.”
Radioactivity is measured in becquerels (Bq), and 0.5 Bq per square centimetre is widely considered an actionable level of contamination.
Delacruz said one Bq is equivalent to 1,450 counts over a 10-minute period, and many of her samples tested well over this amount.
“Kelp was higher than what washttp://www.dailyheraldtribune.com/ considered dangerous,” she explained. “Some of them came up to 1,700, 1,800 (counts).”
The student’s research delves further than surface measurements however, and speculates a cause for the unusual counts.
In March 2011, Japan was devastated by a massive earthquake and tsunami that led to the meltdown of two Fukushima nuclear power plants.
Delacruz believes the current has carried dangerous radiation from Japan’s east coast to Canada’s portion of the Pacific Ocean.
From April 2011 to October 2012, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) tested more than 250 samples of imported foods from Japan, including fish and seafood, processed product, grain, fruit and vegetables.
None of the samples posed a health risk to consumers, it said, based on a Health Canada action level of 1,000 Bq/kg.
Read More Here
.....
The CFIA also launched a sampling and testing strategy to monitor radiation levels of imported food from Japan, domestic milk and domestic fish off the coast of British Columbia. More than 200 food samples were tested and all were found to be below Health Canada's actionable levels for radioactivity. As such, enhanced import controls have been lifted and no additional testing is planned.
.....
The Composite High School Grade 10 student has found disconcerting radiation levels in seaweed products from local grocery stores and is concerned for the health of families who may be consuming them.
Her research on the subject recently earned gold at the regional Canada-Wide Science Fair in Peace River, garnering her a spot at the national competition in Ontario this May.
“I think any dose of radiation can be harmful,” she explained. “Any dose can cause negative health effects, no matter how small it may be.”
Delacruz tested more than 300 individual seaweed samples, with 15 brands exported from New Brunswick, British Columbia, California, Washington, China and Japan.
Each was purchased in an Alberta grocery store, and evaluated for radiation levels using a Geiger counter.
“I just wanted to see if it was contaminated and I did find radioactive contamination in it,” she said. “I’m kind of concerned that this is landing in our grocery stores and that if you aren’t measuring it, you could just be eating this and bringing home to your family.”
Radioactivity is measured in becquerels (Bq), and 0.5 Bq per square centimetre is widely considered an actionable level of contamination.
Delacruz said one Bq is equivalent to 1,450 counts over a 10-minute period, and many of her samples tested well over this amount.
“Kelp was higher than what washttp://www.dailyheraldtribune.com/ considered dangerous,” she explained. “Some of them came up to 1,700, 1,800 (counts).”
The student’s research delves further than surface measurements however, and speculates a cause for the unusual counts.
In March 2011, Japan was devastated by a massive earthquake and tsunami that led to the meltdown of two Fukushima nuclear power plants.
Delacruz believes the current has carried dangerous radiation from Japan’s east coast to Canada’s portion of the Pacific Ocean.
From April 2011 to October 2012, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) tested more than 250 samples of imported foods from Japan, including fish and seafood, processed product, grain, fruit and vegetables.
None of the samples posed a health risk to consumers, it said, based on a Health Canada action level of 1,000 Bq/kg.
Read More Here
.....
Japan Nuclear Crisis: Information for Canadians Regarding Imported and Domestic Food
Following the March 11 earthquake in Japan, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) took several measures to assess and protect the Canadian food supply from potential effects of Japan's nuclear crisis. In coordination with the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) and other government and international partners, the CFIA implemented enhanced import controls, which did not allow food and animal feed products from affected areas in Japan to enter Canada without acceptable documentation or test results verifying their safety.The CFIA also launched a sampling and testing strategy to monitor radiation levels of imported food from Japan, domestic milk and domestic fish off the coast of British Columbia. More than 200 food samples were tested and all were found to be below Health Canada's actionable levels for radioactivity. As such, enhanced import controls have been lifted and no additional testing is planned.
Japan
- Test Results for Imported Food Products from Japan September-October 2012
- Test Results for Imported Food Products from Japan April-June 2011
British Columbia
- Test Results for Domestic Milk from British Columbia
- Test Results for Domestic Fish from British Columbia
Additional Information
- Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission
- Health Canada - Information Update: No radiation at harmful levels will reach Canada
- World Health Organization - Japan nuclear concerns (food safety)
- Date modified:
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