I have found a helpful site which provides updates on radiation levels in the U.S. At the bottom of the current update (the online version only) is a link to another informative site, their FAQ. I understand now why the results of tests on samples are
delayed; some of them take three days to process.
This update came to my inbox yesterday:
JOINT EPA/FDA STATEMENT: Update on
Ongoing Monitoring
WASHINGTON – In response to the ongoing
situation in Japan, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has taken
steps to increase the level of nationwide monitoring of milk, precipitation,
drinking water, and other potential exposure routes.
EPA conducts
radiological monitoring of milk under its RADNET program, while the U.S. Food
and Drug Administration has jurisdiction over the safety, labeling and identity
of milk and milk products in interstate commerce. States have jurisdiction over
those facilities located within their territory.
Results from a
screening sample taken March 25 from Spokane, Wash. detected 0.8 pCi/L of
iodine-131, which is more than 5,000 times lower than the Derived Intervention
Level set by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. These types of findings are
to be expected in the coming days and are far below levels of public health
concern, including for infants and children. Iodine-131 has a very short
half-life of approximately eight days, and the level detected in milk and milk
products is therefore expected to drop relatively quickly.
“Radiation is
all around us in our daily lives, and these findings are a minuscule amount
compared to what people experience every day. For example, a person would be
exposed to low levels of radiation on a round trip cross country flight,
watching television, and even from construction materials,” said Patricia
Hansen, an FDA senior scientist.
EPA’s recommendation to state and local
governments is to continue to coordinate closely with EPA, FDA and CDC. EPA will
continue to communicate our nationwide sampling results as they come in.
EPA: http://www.epa.gov/japan2011
FDA: http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/PublicHealthFocus/ucm247403.htm
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