Japan: Radioactive substance again found in beef

[News_Editor]

Japan: Radioactive substance again found in beef

2011-09-09 02:04:27 GMT+7 (ICT)

MORIOKA, JAPAN (BNO NEWS) -- Tests have again showed that beef cattle from northeastern Japan contain high levels of radioactive cesium, officials said on Thursday.

The contaminated beef cattle was detected in Japan's Iwate Prefecture, located in the Tohoku region of Honshu Island, as tests showed that two of eight beef cattle being shipped exceeded the government's allowable limit of 500 becquerels of cesium per kilogram (2.25 pounds), officials told Kyodo news agency.

On Tuesday, basic screening tests on the eight cattle showed they contained cesium. Further tests later detected high levels of the radioactive substance in two of the cattle, forcing authorities to sacrifice them.

The radioactive substance is the first found in beef cattle since the government lifted its ban on shipments from the region last month. The ban was imposed after the discovery of contaminated beef from the area.

In July, radioactive cesium was found in straw fed to cattle at a farm in Minamisoma, Fukushima Prefecture with an average of 75,000 becquerels of the radioactive isotope per kilogram (2.25 pounds), which is about 56 times the allowable limit.

According to officials, the contaminated straw was stored in an exposed area of the farm without roofs during the March 11 earthquake and tsunami that caused a series of explosions that crippled the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. Furthermore, the farm is located in one of the high-risk areas of the region, and officials suspect the straw could be the radioactive source of contaminated beef that had been detected in meat shipped from that area.

Meanwhile, the first stage of regular checks has begun in thirteen of the 30 nationwide nuclear reactors, in Japan's safety evaluation process. Prior to restarting reactors following the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant crisis, the government set up a series of stress tests in July to be carried out on the country's nuclear plants.

Currently, only 12 of the country's 54 commercial reactors are operating. Prior to the disaster, over 30 nuclear reactors were in operation, but most of them have been suspended and are pending evaluation tests.

Japan has been facing an ongoing nuclear crisis since the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant was severely damaged on March 11 when a 9.0-magnitude earthquake and a subsequent tsunami devastated the country. The disaster disabled the cooling systems of the plant, and radioactive elements leaked into the sea and were later found in water, air and food products in some parts of Japan.

At least 23,482 people were killed, while 8,069 people remain missing. There are still more than 88,000 people who are staying in shelters in 21 prefectures around Japan.

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