Germany, Hungary, Slovakia, Austria, Sweden and the Czech Republic have all detected clouds of iodine-131 within their borders — that’s a very large swath of Europe. Nobody is sure of where it’s coming from, Reuters reports, though speculation includes pharmaceutical companies, nuclear submarines and the transportation of radioactive materials — but scientists are sure it’s not from Fukushima. So how would that explain contamination that spans hundreds and hundreds of kilometres?
The International Atomic Energy Agency says “the current trace levels of iodine-131 that have been measured do not pose a public health risk”, but we’ve heard that so many times before. It’s not a cause for panic, but an unexplained cloud of dangerous radioactivity is absolutely cause for concern. It certainly deserves more than 129 words on the IAEA’s website. [Reuters]
Linea A
Thursday, November 17, 2011 at 8:54 AMTo the contrary, it won’t clog up your thyroid gland at all.
It’ll just kill it.
RobbyM
Thursday, November 17, 2011 at 9:49 AMSo something that can contaminate food and clog up your thyroid gland is nothing to worry about.. So if we’re not supposed to worry about it, just what events fall into the “You should start to worry now”?
Evan
Thursday, November 17, 2011 at 10:28 AMYou only need to worry about radiation when it passes the “safe” limit. Then, when they up that limit after a radiation leak like in Fukushima, you don’t have to worry about it till it passes the new limit. It’s all good though, I hear iodine-131 sprinkled over food enhances the flavour like MSG…… sigh. Any radiation level is an unsafe level unfortunately….
PsychoSmiley
Thursday, November 17, 2011 at 3:17 PMWell we must live in a very unsafe world considering the humble banana is radioactive, there is background radiation etc. Radiation is everywhere!
Leo Wski
Thursday, November 17, 2011 at 11:31 AMIf movies have taught me anything, isnt there a *signature* of the isotope to identify its developer/origin??
Graeme
Thursday, November 17, 2011 at 1:11 PMThe signature is more or less the mixture of isotopes and ratios. It sounds like this is only a single isotope they’re detecting so no, there’s no signature.
Just This Guy ...
Thursday, November 17, 2011 at 1:23 PMNorth Korea!
Iran!
India!
Russell Rhodes
Thursday, November 17, 2011 at 5:28 PMeat more iodised salt, you’ll be fine.
MD
Friday, November 18, 2011 at 12:51 AMToo True Evan. Safe limits on Radioactive substances are just to stop the public worrying what is killing them.
“There is no threshold dose at which radiation is not harmful” (My Nuclear Science Text books)
But below certain doses the risk of harm is “Low”
To avoid radiation, dont live in houses made from bricks, concrete, gypsum, clay, (dirt of any kind), don’t live in areas with granite rock (emit radon), avoid any mineral deposits (radioactive elements/ ores)…
Of course avoid flying (transatlantic flight is like one chest X-Ray.)
Besides this I think that banning all Backscatter scanners is a good thing.
With all the risks to life and limb, the Environmental Protection Agencies of most countries, prohibit Irradiating any member of the general public, unless there is a medical benefit to be had. (Then, as Patients are not the public, and there is no maximum dose which they are allowed to receive, beyond ALARA (AS Low As Reasonably Achievable)
There are other ways to scan people without using x-rays.
MD
Friday, November 18, 2011 at 1:16 AMRe. Backscatter, was reading article on Airport Backscatter Scanners at the same time.. Similar topic, combined post.
Joel Carlinsky
Saturday, November 19, 2011 at 1:53 AMLast week, I detected the increased radioactivity in Europe by studying the weather maps. I posted it on my blog, http://www.orgonomicecology.blogspot.com a day before any official announcement was made. I said it was almost certainly from American nuclear weapons at European bases being prepared for an attack on Iran. I now have several articles posted, telling readers how to detect secret nuclear weapons activities from atmospheric and biological reactions to high levels of radioactivity that are not detected by instruments.
DiogenesNJ
Saturday, December 3, 2011 at 10:27 AMIt was found to be a medical radioisotope plant in Budapest.
I-131 is used to treat some forms of thyroid disease.
You have to realize that the minimum detectable quantity of I-131 is incredibly small, less that 1 atomic decay per cubic meter of air every three hours. By contrast, you have about 8000 atomic decays happening within your body every second of your entire life. I wouldn’t really lose any sleep over this.