Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Radioactive rain?

Speaking of planting my pea seedlings out, under the sky...

Is anyone else concerned by  the report about RADIOACTIVE RAIN falling on the East Coast?

What does that mean, are our crops safe, or does no one know? When will we know? Should we eat our homegrown  crops? What about commercially cultivated crops?

The Bay Citizen:

"The level of radioactive material detected by the East Coast tests, however, “does exceed the EPA’s maximum contaminant level,” Bandrowski said. Because radioactive material degrades quickly, he said the contamination would likely be short-lived. “It’s all going to decay away in two months or so."


Two months or so. When the peas are ready to eat, you mean?

5 comments:

  1. I guess, if you are concerned and really don't want to take the chance...give your peas(and other edibles) a cover and only water with guaranteed clean water.At that rate, you'd be all day on the roof!
    Chances of commercial growers being able or willing to take these measures? Pretty slim, I'd say!
    My best suggestion? RAMP UP THE NUCLEAR OPPOSITION.
    It is *NOT* safe.

    For the record: everything is biodegradable, even uranium.But some things have a very long life.

    And when the ocean currents come south...

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  2. I think we're all in this together. So if my peas ever decide to get more than two inches tall this spring, I'm going to eat them.

    Err, since our water comes from upstate, above ground, it's all the same.

    I think I received more radiation last year getting three CT scans or flying to Florida.

    Check out the http://radiationnetwork.com/index.htm

    But still parsing the iodine, cesium, plutonium relative to the sievert, Roentgens, Rads and Rems relative to the X, Gamma, Beta, and Alpha.

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  3. See this site if it helps:

    http://mitnse.com/2011/03/20/fission-products-and-radiation/

    My security word is "huffie"

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  4. I think this is an excellent time to think row covers. Anything you grow yourself, is going to give you a higher level of confidence in regards to food safety. Here in Wisconsin (Ohio, Minesota, Illinois), water is ground water from typically deep artesian springs. Surface water runs through a lot of sand to perk into the water table. Sand and organic material acts as nature's filter. I have to say I have started to check "originations" on my produce. Farther from Japan the better (if I have any choices). Ultimately, the radiation spreads out everywhere on the planet. Most of the radiation breaks down fairly quickly. Everytime it rains between Japan and where you are takes some of that stuff out of the atmosphere. The thing is instead of getting it shut down/contained, it seems to be putting out more/higher levels. That is a concern. And I'd wash my produce using filtered water at the least.

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  5. I have to agree with Dinah ... there is no safe dose of radiation, no matter what the source. Russian environmentalist Alexey V. Yablokov et al wrote a book in which is discussed different measures taken to mitigate radiation toxicity after the Chernobyl disaster. They recommend taking pectin, either via supplementation or by eating foods high in pectin, which they say helps to eliminate incorporated radionuclides. Good thing I like apples. ;)

    Keli'i

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