Post by Ex_Nuke_Troop on Apr 3, 2014 15:47:03 GMT
Daily Herald Tribune : Local science project finds high levels of radiation in seaweed
By Elizabeth McSheffrey, Grande Prairie Daily Herald-Tribune
Tuesday, March 25, 2014 3:38:37 MDT PM
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 was 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.
Delacruz could not find evidence of CFIA testing past this date and believes dangerous radiation may only have reached the Canadian coastline recently.
“The way the currents and the radiation would arrive in Canada, it wouldn’t arrive until now, about 2014 or 2013,” she said.
To test her theory, Delacruz found nori seaweed from before and after the Fukushima disaster and compared their radiation contamination levels.
She was lucky to find some old nori in her cupboard at home, with an expiry date of 2009.
“My pre-Fukushima (nori) measured about 400 (counts), so not dangerous,” she said.
“My post-Fukushima measured around 500 to 600, which also not dangerous, but it’s considerably higher and statistically significantly higher too.”
When Delacruz travels to the national science competition in May, she will bring with her a petition to the House of Commons to restart radioactive testing on imported and domestic produce.
The petition also calls for a health advisory warning on all Pacific-grown oceanic produce and a ban on all foreign kelp in Canadian grocery stores.
“I love seafood and my whole family loves seafood, and I eat a lot of seaweed in almost everything,” she explained.
“I would like the government to test before they ‘OK’ imports from other countries, because right now they’re just relying on other countries to do it for us.”
Delacruz is also fundraising to purchase more advanced testing equipment that can detect radiation in fish and other complex food items.
With $15,000, the Grande Prairie Public School District Education Foundation will be able to buy a germanium spectrometer for the Composite High School science department.
“I’m kind of concerned, but I just want people to know, even if they just graze through it.
“Even if they don’t see it from me, I hope people will open their eyes to this.”
Delacruz is a CWSF Physical Award of Excellence in Physical Earth and Chemical Sciences-winner and plans on pursuing a career in medicine.
To make a donation to her fundraising efforts, call GPPSD at 780-532-4491.
elizabeth.mcsheffrey@sunmedia.ca
Twitter: @dhtelizabeth
www.dailyheraldtribune.com/2014/03/25/local-science-project-finds-high-levels-of-radiation-in-seaweed
By Elizabeth McSheffrey, Grande Prairie Daily Herald-Tribune
Tuesday, March 25, 2014 3:38:37 MDT PM
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 was 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.
Delacruz could not find evidence of CFIA testing past this date and believes dangerous radiation may only have reached the Canadian coastline recently.
“The way the currents and the radiation would arrive in Canada, it wouldn’t arrive until now, about 2014 or 2013,” she said.
To test her theory, Delacruz found nori seaweed from before and after the Fukushima disaster and compared their radiation contamination levels.
She was lucky to find some old nori in her cupboard at home, with an expiry date of 2009.
“My pre-Fukushima (nori) measured about 400 (counts), so not dangerous,” she said.
“My post-Fukushima measured around 500 to 600, which also not dangerous, but it’s considerably higher and statistically significantly higher too.”
When Delacruz travels to the national science competition in May, she will bring with her a petition to the House of Commons to restart radioactive testing on imported and domestic produce.
The petition also calls for a health advisory warning on all Pacific-grown oceanic produce and a ban on all foreign kelp in Canadian grocery stores.
“I love seafood and my whole family loves seafood, and I eat a lot of seaweed in almost everything,” she explained.
“I would like the government to test before they ‘OK’ imports from other countries, because right now they’re just relying on other countries to do it for us.”
Delacruz is also fundraising to purchase more advanced testing equipment that can detect radiation in fish and other complex food items.
With $15,000, the Grande Prairie Public School District Education Foundation will be able to buy a germanium spectrometer for the Composite High School science department.
“I’m kind of concerned, but I just want people to know, even if they just graze through it.
“Even if they don’t see it from me, I hope people will open their eyes to this.”
Delacruz is a CWSF Physical Award of Excellence in Physical Earth and Chemical Sciences-winner and plans on pursuing a career in medicine.
To make a donation to her fundraising efforts, call GPPSD at 780-532-4491.
elizabeth.mcsheffrey@sunmedia.ca
Twitter: @dhtelizabeth
www.dailyheraldtribune.com/2014/03/25/local-science-project-finds-high-levels-of-radiation-in-seaweed
so whats happening in the Solomons, is haarp missing its mark?