Fear of Radiation Spreading

The people of Japan have every right to fear the spread of radiation across their country due to the nuclear reactor accidents stemming from the recent tsunami. Proximity to radiation can be crippling or deadly, so prudent concern is not surprising.

Also not surprising is that residents of the U.S. West Coast and Hawaii are also alarmed, as they are closest Americans to the accident site. Sales of personal radiation detectors have skyrocketed since the accident, as have the sales of iodine tablets. While this level of concern may seem premature, how can one know for sure how the emergency will end? If a full meltdown occurs, it is conceivable that a cloud of radiation might drift over American soil. Therefore, it is hard to fault residents for taking precautions.

The effects of radioactivity can be frightening. Low levels of exposure can result in nausea. Higher levels can lead to DNA degradation, cancerous tumors, and immunity deficiencies. High enough levels can result in a quick painful death. Rumors are bound to fly in situations like this one, and the general level of education (or lack thereof) about radioactivity doesn't help.

First, it is important to understand that not all radioactivity is the same. The more energetic varieties, found in X-rays and gamma rays, can ionize atoms - strip away electrons - and even split the nuclei of atoms. These are forces of nature to be respected, if not necessarily feared. Certainly, reports of panic on the West Coast must be treated with some skepticism, but it is easy to see how the situation could spiral out of control in the worst-case scenario of a Chernobyl-style meltdown.

For one thing, the dairy and fishing industries could be hurt by wild rumors. It's true that milk can become radioactive when cows eat radioactive grass, but close monitoring by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has so far not detected any significant increase in radioactive levels.

Fish from Japan may be another story. Radioactivity monitoring in the seas directly surrounding the nuclear powerplant complexes in Japan have revealed high levels of radiation. This is bound to hurt the Japanese fishing industry. It remains to be seen whether Americans will end their love affairs with sushi restaurants out of fear of spreading radioactivity from the seas. Only careful monitoring by the government will allow us to know the actual situation so that we can take reasonable precautions to protect ourselves from spreading radiation.