There have been many rumors of radiation from Fukushima reaching the california coast making people question the safety of the beaches. People have been misinformed by a youtube video that shows radiation on a California coast beach. Many people also here the word radiation and think its going to kill them.
First off the radiation detected in the youtube video was Thorium 232 a naturally occurring radiation from rivers flowing by thorium containing granite outcrops or granite outcrops directly on the coast 15. The levels topped at around 126 counts per minute, which is five times the beaches normal amount which sounds bad but on a commercial airplane flight people are exposed to 800 cpm 17. The radiation on the beaches are not harmful to humans.
Another claim is that scientists have found cesium in kelp, which is not true. A group of scientists from Cal State Long Beach studied west Coast Giant Kelp and Bull Kelp from 38 different locations (18). They found no trace of radiation from Fukushima. This study was done to get samples for the scientific campaign “Kelp Watch 2014” which keeps an eye on radiation in the kelp to make sure people know if radiation does start to hit the California coast 18.
For the moment Beaches along the california are safe but there is still a chance that radiation will reach the coast. Fukushima is still releasing radiation into the ocean, it has been releasing 300 tons of contaminated water per day into the pacific ocean 14. They are trying to contain the water by holding it in 1,000 storage tanks containing 330,000 tonnes of water 14. The government plans to build a “Frozen wall” that is projected to be done by march 2015 14.
For now the beaches are safe and the kelp is clean and only time will tell the effects of the radiation if and when it hits the coast.
Is their a threat to the California Beaches?