Radioactive fish found in Connecticut River
June 1st, 2010 - 7:02 pm ICT by Pen Men At Work -
June 1, 2010 (Pen Men at Work): The report of leakage of tritium and
other radioactive substance into the Connecticut River by the Vermont
Yankee nuclear plant which came earlier this year is showing
consequences. The fish in the river are testing positive for
strontium-90 which is a highly dangerous isotope and can cause bone
cancer and leukemia.
The 38 years old nuclear plant on the bank of the river is currently under way to clean up leakage but there have been reports of contamination of soil with strontium-90.
Officials have said tritium has been flowing from the plant to the adjacent river, but it gets quickly diluted in the fast-flowing stream. State health officials have said that the nuclear plant most likely is not the source of the radioactivity in the fish, a yellow perch.
But a statement from John Till, president of South Carolina-based Risk Assessment Corp. that said that strontium-90 is present in fish are too little to be worried about comes as a relief.
Till added that he supports nuclear power but the industry should show honesty in discussing its risks and take the responsibility of environment protection. Replying to the query of whether people should avoid eating fish because strontium and other radioactive substances, Till also said that they should not as the amounts are too tiny to be a concern.
Humans across the globe have been absorbing tiny amounts of strontium-90 since 1950s and 1960s when the United States, Russia and China tested nuclear weapons in the atmosphere.
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