Hot radioactive particles from Fukushima found in the US, new study shows; children's shoes in Japan contaminated with cesium

Scientist Marco Kaltofen of Worchester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) confirmed at a presentation on Monday that hot radioactive particles from the Fukushima-Daiichi reactor accidents in Japan have been found in the US. In a presentation of his analysis at the annual meeting of the American Public Health Association (APHA), Kaltofen said that his research also found airborne and ground contamination in northern Japan.

Kaltofen analyzed dust on the US West Coast, found to contain radioactive cesium, and examined car air filters in Seattle and in Japan which revealed high levels of radioactivity, in the case of the filters in Japan high enough to be classified as “radioactive waste.” He also tested children’s shoes which were contaminated with cesium.

 Kaltofen’s research also found elevated levels of alpha and beta radiation in the Boston area approximately one month after the Fukushima explosions. Levels in both Seattle and Boston have since declined. Soil samples in the United States showed higher than normal levels of cesium. See Beyond Nuclear's full press release.