Fukushima - Don’t eat fish! You risk cancer
 

Sadly the catastrophe in Fukushima is comparable with Chernobyl. It is not the explosion with is dangerous it is the radioactive fallout. Fortunately the wind is blowing in the direction of the ocean. But you should not eat fish, mussels an other animals or plants of the ocean anymore, otherwise the dangerous radioactivity will become part of the food chain, and thousands of people will die by cancer. In consequence of Chernobyl sadly 30.000 to 60.000 people died because of the fallout (The Other Report on Chernobyl).

I once read an article in a British newspaper about radiation levels in the Irish sea, the source being nuclear a nuclear reactor in Britain. Irish fishermen who ate their own catch were thought to have been exposed to three times the dosage thought prudent.:confused:

rubbish
 

Stop posting bullshit. There weren't cities or towns nearby Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant with a population of 30 000 or 60 000. Plain and simple.

If a trapped fish, animals or plants sucsessfully passed the simplest radiologic evaluation - they are absolutely safe for use.

fish
 

Yes, but he speaks of possibly contaiminated by nuclear fallout fish.

There's not much danger of me catching it then. I'm a vegetarian and a proper one.

Radiation itself moves poorly through water -this is why the spent fuel rods were submerged in water. So many meters of it virtually removes the risk.

There will doubtlessly be some fish that are contaminated... But I really don`t think that there needs to be much worry.

Why?
Because the fish from that direct area aren`t going to be safe to eat ANYWAY because of all the stuff that was washed into the sea by the tsunami. I`d be much much more concerned about almost definite chemical contamination than trace radiation. Both would effect the exact same area, but the radiation is an "if" - the chemicals are a definite.

danger
 

Yes, but you live in the UK while possibly contaiminated fish could be caught and eaten in Japan.

water
 

No, spent fuel rods were submerged in water just because water serves as coolant and prevents them to overheat. Overheated spent fuel rods may get ablaze. Sea water can absorbs products of radioactive fallout i.e. strontium-90 or cobalt-60.

It both acts as a coolant and as a way to contain the radiation.
You can look down through 40m of water at them and not get a significant dose of radiation. 40m of air would not provide the same protection.

*Absorption* and *travel* are different things. Being absorbed into the water reduces the amount that would be absorbed into living things. Something that has been exposed to radiation doesn`t always end up contaminated with radiation. If the water is absorbing the contamination, while fish may be exposed they won`t necessarily be contaminated. There is a difference that people should be aware of. This is why food can be irradiated without passing any of the radiation on to those eating the food. Exposure vs. contamination.

Radioactive particles can get into the food chain, but it is just as likely in as out of the water.

But either way, it is a moot point because right now there are larger dangers to eating any fish caught in that immediate area. I highly doubt there is going to be much commercial fishing going on in the area for some time as the ports have been washed away, the boats crushed, and the seabed torn up and covered with debris. Not to mention that there is huge difficulty in getting any supplies up there, let alone shipping out fish.