Radiation from Japan reaches Europe

Small amounts of radiation thought to come from Japan's crisis-stricken Fukushima nuclear power plant have been detected across Europe. Britain's Health Protection Agency (HPA) said ‘the minutest’ levels of radioactive iodine had been detected, on 29 March 2011, at its air monitoring stations in Oxfordshire and Glasgow over the past nine days.

According to EU Observer, HPA stressed that the levels were too low to cause any risk to human health, peaking at 300 micro-becquerels per cubic metre but averaging a much lower 11 micro-becquerels over the nine-day period.

• Primary Source

EurActiv, 4.4.11: France detects radioactive iodine in rainwater, milk http://www.euractiv.com/climate-environment/eu-sets-radiation-threshold-japa-news-504144

EUObserver, 6.4.11: EU plans tougher radiation limits for Japanese food http://euobserver.com/9/32129

EurActiv, 11.4.11: Radiation risks from Fukushima 'no longer negligible' http://www.euractiv.com/en/health/radiation-risks-fukushima-longer-negligible-news-503947

ESO: Background information: Japan nuclear disaster sparks heated EU debate http://www.europeansources.info/record/japan-nuclear-disaster-sparks-heated-eu-debate/

Website: Health Protection Agency http://www.hpa.org.uk/

EurActiv, 18.4.11: EU sets radiation threshold for Japanese ships http://www.euractiv.com/climate-environment/eu-sets-radiation-threshold-japa-news-504144

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