Cesium Levels Nearly Double in Northern California Milk

With all the latest economic news, political jargon, and natural disasters, we forget that we still have a dangerous situation on our hands.  The fact that radiation is still tainting our food and natural resources is a major dilemma.  Below are the latest findings from UCB.

Nuclear Engineering Department At UC Berkeley, September 27, 2011:

Pasteurized, homogenized milk obtained from a San Francisco Bay Area organic dairy

Best By Date of 08/22/2011:

• Cs134 @ 0.047 Becquerels/liter (Bq/L)
• Cs137 @ 0.052 Bq/L

Best By Date of 09/29/2011:

• Cs134 @ 0.080 Bq/L
• Cs137 @ 0.101 Bq/L

Above EPA’s Maximum Contaminant Level

“EPA lumps these gamma and beta emitters together under one collective MCL [Maximum Contaminant Level], so if you’re seeing cesium-137 in your milk or water, the MCL is 3.0 picocuries per liter; if you’re seeing iodine-131, the MCL is 3.0; if you’re seeing cesium-137 and iodine-131, the MCL is still 3.0.” -Forbes.com

The 9/29 milk sample contains a total of 0.181 Bq/L of radioactive cesium (4.9 picocuries per liter), or more than 160% of the EPA’s Maximum Contaminant Level.

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