Japan nuclear crisis: radiation levels in seawater jump
Seawater near Japan's damaged nuclear power plant contains 3,355 times the legal limit of radiation levels, according to the latest tests.
Children watch their father is screened for radiation at a shelter in Fukushima, Japan Photo: AP
By Danielle Demetriou in Tokyo 7:00AM BST 30 Mar 2011
Contamination of radioactive iodine was significantly higher than earlier samples taken near Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant in northeast Japan, which had shown levels at 1,850 times the legal limit.
Experts and officials emphasised that despite contamination levels increasing, the health risks to humans and the environment were minimal as the iodine will swiftly deteriorate.
"Iodine 131 has a half-life of eight days, and even considering its concentration in marine life, it will have deteriorated considerably by the time it reaches people," said Hidehiko Nishiyama, deputy director-general of Japan's Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency.
The findings reflect the ongoing struggle facing staff at the six-unit Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant who are working tirelessly to regain control and stop leakages at four seriously damaged reactors.
Naoto Kan, the prime minister, earlier announced a state of "maximum alert" for Japan, following the discovery of plutonium in the grounds of the nuclear plant fuelling heightened concerns surrounding leakages.
Tokyo Electric Power Co (TEPCO), operators of the plant, has faced growing criticism for its handling of the situation, with speculation mounting that the government may discuss nationalising the company.
Masataka Shimizu, 66, the president of TEPCO, was reported today to have been hospitalised for dizziness and high blood pressure, having been out of the public eye for nearly two weeks.
In a display of unity between the United States and Japan, Barack Obama, the US president, called his Japanese counterpart Mr Kan to discuss his support during Japan's biggest crisis in decades.
The US government is sending a shipment of "radiation hardened robotics" along with robot operators and specialist cameras in a bid to assist with the nuclear situation.
Confirming the conversation between the two leaders, a White House statement read: "The president has reiterated that the United States is determined to support the people of Japan in their efforts to deal with the devastating effects of this tragedy."
The nuclear issue is casting a heavy shadow over recovery efforts in the rest of Japan, with an estimated 27,000 people are believed to be dead or still missing and around ten times that figure made homeless.
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