Local Experts Say No Radiation Risk

Is Bermuda endangered by the possible consequences of the nuclear reactor problems currently compounding Japan’s earthquake problems?  Experts say there “is little cause for concern about any local effects in the near future.”

Last week’s 9.0-magnitude earthquake unleashed a powerful tsunami, with the twin disasters damaged a Japanese nuclear power plant that has released radiation into the air and could release more if workers can’t control runaway temperatures, according to experts.

Australian media reports that “China, South Korea, Taiwan and Hong Kong have stepped up monitoring of nuclear radiation in preparation for the worst-case scenario that fallout from Japan’s stricken plant is blown their way. The countries are the closest to Japan and in the most danger of being contaminated if the levels of radiation from the Fukushima plant continue to rise and winds turn around.”

CNN reports that “Many West Coast residents came up empty handed in their search of potassium iodide this week as fears over radiation spreading from Japan took hold.”

“”The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission has said it does not expect to see harmful levels of radiation reaching the United States from Japan, but is working to deploy additional monitoring capabilities to parts of the western United States and U.S. territories.

Bernews checked with Dr Mark Guishard, Director of the Bermuda Weather Service, who then checked with Dr Andrew Peters of the Bermuda Institute of Ocean Science, the Scientist in charge of Air Quality Monitoring. Their early and preliminary assessment is that Bermuda has little to fear or be concerned about.

Dr Peter’s and Dr Guishard’s perspective:

“Modelling of the atmospheric patterns indicate that trajectories of any radiated air parcels are unlikely to reach the Bermuda area any time soon – indeed any transport of radiological material is expected at this point to remain in the Pacific basin.”

“This is based on the realistic assumption that there have been no intrusions of material into the jet streams (at and above around 30,000 ft). This would only be accomplished by a explosion involving larger amounts of heat that has been evident thus far, driving any radioactive material into the upper atmosphere. Please see the attached model graphics, indicating the trajectory of an air parcel originating in the region of the Fukushima reactor, at low and mid levels of the atmosphere.”

“In any event, the trajectory models on their own don’t tell us anything about the concentration of a contaminant plume. The usual physical processes in the atmosphere lead such plumes to become more dilute, the further from the source they become, so any concern that one might have about such plumes reaching Bermuda would be mitigated by the dilution effects.”

“It should be mentioned that at this stage there is a great deal of uncertainty about the situation, but these models at least give an indication that there is little cause for concern about any local effects in the near future.”

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Category: All, Environment, News