Radioactive waste in sea - major problem for Japan

MOSCOW, March 23 (Itar-Tass) -- Chief of the Federal Service for
Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring Alexander Frolov considers
the radioactive waste at the emergency nuclear power plant Fukushima-1 as
a major problem for Japanese, who eat many sea products traditionally.
Speaking on tougher radiation monitoring measures in Russia's Far
East, Frolov dwelt on the hydrological problems at a news conference at
the Itar-Tass headquarter. "A major problem exists primarily for Japan
that the radioactive waste amount in the sea is unclear yet. We are
unaware how this will affect the whole food chain and food consumption.
The specialists should give these assessments," he noted.
Advanced researches of the radiation impact on such major spaces as
the seas and the oceans were not made earlier, well-known ecologist and
leader of the Green Russia faction Alexei Yablokov said earlier. However,
he believes that even not massive radiation emissions so far will affect
the marine life. The bioaccumulation mechanism "may result in a million
time higher radiation level in the bodies of shellfish, shrimps and
crustaceans," Yablokov elaborated. "Even if few radio nuclides get in the
ocean this will affect the ecological chain. The previous researches in
the freshwater bodies showed some changes in chromosomes, physiological
features and the immunity system of living organisms," he believes.
The sea radiation contamination already occurred and will linger for
some time, but no radiation threat exists for Russia, Director of the RAS
Water Problems Institute Viktor Danilov-Danilyan said. "Strong sea
currents are luckily flowing from the north to the south there, spreading
the radiation polluted waters," the scientist underlined.