Scientists studying effects of radiation on flora, fauna in Fukushima

The report... assuming they did one around Chernobyl, should reflect the same findings as that of the Russians.

Yeah, that the effects are not good.

'“The researchers are studying the impact of high radiation levels on wild animals and plants, examining the appearance, reproductive function and possible abnormalities in chromosomes,” said the official.'

He forgot to add: "Meanwhile, the government of Japan is heading a similar, but more long term, study of the effects on Japanese people who are in or have come from said areas. In particular we have chosen not to help children in terms of health care in the interests of seeing how their exposure to high levels of radiation plays out 'naturally'".

"Parts of the exclusion zone are expected to be reclassified to allow people to move back to their homes over the next few years..."

This is probably the TRUE reason, and my guess is they are TEPCO 'scientists', or government appointed scientists. The less people they have who are actually living outside an exclusion zone, the less payouts.

I hope this is part of an ongoing study - say one that spans that next 50 years. Perhaps they could exchange info with the Russians??

Hate to say it but I don't expect the full truth to come out with those studies done in Japan by the Japanese funding by the Japanese government.

Truth? Radiation bad. What about the water table and the rivers that carry flora and fauna to the neighbouring prefectures? How about a few studies into that? What about the Izakayas and restaurants buying the cheap produce and meat from these infected areas? Any studies there? Be careful when your grocery store doesn't clearly mark their packages. Don't accept 国産 on the label.

zichi: "Basically, TEPCO and the government want to find ways to reduce the ¥billions of compensation claims they face."

BINGO!! And if they're smart they'll make people sign contracts that they cannot later sue the power company and or government when they become sick, as a prerequisite to going home. Anything in their power to deny the actual consequences of their actions.

"The report... assuming they did one around Chernobyl, should reflect the same findings as that of the Russians."

Which maybe some of the posters here should read the many international studies around Chernobyl by people tat know what they are talking about and realise what the biggest problems are...looks like they could include themselves in that.

I'm sure like Chernobyl, the tests will go on for years as an interesting study for the scientists. But the health care providers/government better start to concentrate on the mental health care/stress/depression and support more if they want to learn something from Chernobyl and stop further deaths.

@888naff

I know very well what you are referring to, but I think the socioeconomic climate in the Chernobyl area during the time after the accident is quite different than the one in Japan today. I am willing to bet you that during this period suicide and depression rates actually increased in large parts of the old soviet union partly due to the political changes they were experiencing and perhaps less due to the Chernobyl accident than some believe.

Of-course it would be wonderful if the government and health care providers in Japan could help to assist people with the stress and mental problems that might arise from worrying about the radiation from Fukushima. But there are real physical health concerns that need to be addressed here as well, so please do not encourage the use of the mental-stress (happy people do not get cancer) arguments as a way for the goverment/Tepco to weasel their way out of taking that responsibility.

Just a couple of years a ago doctors in New York found a spike of Thyroid cancer in and around New York. Confused about what might have been causing it they researched and found that there had been an increase in Russian immigrants in the area during a period before that, and the cluster of cancers were concentrated to them. If immigrants from Russia had a cancer rate large enough to affect the statistics of a large city like New York to the extent that researchers start to worry about whats going on. Then I think the problems with Iodine131/123 exposed Thyroids is a very real problem. Trying to sweep that under the rug, will just diminish the chances of affected people of finding these problems at an early stage.

Since the government has been saying since day one that there are no short-term health problems, I suspect that these government researchers will find 'no short-term effects' and 'the area is safe.'

Abnormalities in chromosomes? Beware of the field mouse Godzilla!

These experiments are only for the short term effects....but if people move back, they will be there for a long time, right? So what are they trying to prove???

Hope they don't stop doing the research if they don't find anything significant by March. This should be a long term study.

Do the right thing TEPCO...

If those effects are already visible on plants, scientists would better be very careful...

Not much significant found at chernoble, and it looks great. Weird

A photo of a Mutated Japanese radish from In Oshu Iwate, a farmer grew a mutated Japanese radish. Just searching for mutated vegetable articles on Fukushima-diary. The vegetables are HUGE and UGLY.

http://fukushima-diary.com/2011/12/mutated-japanese-radish/

That's not a mutated radish....it just grew around rocks, I'm willing to bet. Every year for the last decade at least this type of vegetable (sometimes carrots too) are featured on the news and 'wide shows'. Here's one from 2006-

http://pinktentacle.com/2006/02/marilyn-monroe-shaped-daikon-radish/

Unless you can prove that something has never occurred before Fukushima, and is now occurring, it's irresponsible to accredit it to radiation.

That fukushima diary site is a hoot....do people actually believe this stuff? It is hard to tell if it's intended as a parody or the author(s) actually believe it. C'mon, "radish with a funny shape"..surely people can do better than that.

At the very least Fukushima-Diary gives you the source of their articles and not just an opinion.

The Hidden fact about nuclear radition, Vegetables around the Kanto area are becoming giant this year but the same phenomena has already been observed after the atomic bomb of Nagasaki and Hiroshima.

http://fukushima-diary.com/2011/12/hidden-fact-nuclear/

source linkpage is in japanese http://onodekita.sblo.jp/article/52315121.html

The snow seals, the primary food of the Polar Bear have been washing ashore earlier before the freeze up with blood lesions on the North West Coast of Alaska.The last I had heard they were to be tested for radiation exposure.It was suspected that some of the radiation that escaped from the damaged nuclear plants made its way by the air currents to the North Western Coast of Alaska and contaminated them.I have not been following the Alaska news lately but if a positive research report shows up I will forward it along.Thank You

Again, if this kind of oddly-shaped vegetable hadn't been featured on TV for the past 20 years at least, then you might begin wonder if you could attribute it to radiation. Check out the Guinness Book of world records for dozens of records about huge or weirdly shaped vegetables.

'At least they give sources'

Ah yes, but all sources are not equal. One newspaper article from 1972 is not exactly a mountain of proof.

@Frederick Russian: With all the water used to cool the reactors and the reactors being so close to the ocean, the possiblity of highly radioactive material making its way into ocean currents is definitely a possibility. For those reasons I wonder more about effects to marine life over land life.

Oyster in North Japan grow as double as average, Kesennuma Miyagi, where got the worst damage of Tsunami in 311, restarted oyster farm but the shells grow unusually fast. They reopened the farm last June after having the port completely destroyed by Tsunami. The oyster was 1~2cm at the time but they have already grown to be about 10cm, which is as double fast as usual. At average, it takes 2 years but they are already starting to sell them from 1/19/2012. Fisher’s experiment station of Kesennuma thinks it might be because the rivals of oyster died or nitrogen nutrition might have flown from ground soil by Tsunami. Nobody has considered the risk of radiation. Story on fukushima-diary

http://fukushima-diary.com/2012/01/oyster-in-north-japan-grow-as-double-as-average/

Source linkpage is in Japanese http://www.kahoku.co.jp/news/2012/01/20120120t15007.htm

France donated large amounts of oyster farming equipment to set them back on their feet in Kesennuma. Are you saying that the French purposely helped to seed contaminated oyster farms?

Glad to hear the oysters are coming along well. Of course a major factor will be that the number of oysters is greatly reduced, meaning more available nutrition for those few farms that are operational. I look forward to eating them - we only seem to get hokkaido oysters currently.

Zichi, there has been a little northward drift of contamination - but not a lot.

One thing the article does not mention, consciously or otherwise, is the dangers of pollen for pollen allergy sufferers.

There was an article in today's J paper discussing the real fear among the J populace about the Fukushima cypress pollen which ravages Japanese allergy sufferers year after year. The season is now nearly upon us.

How irradiated is the pollen, and how would it affect people breathing it in? The article concludes that the effect would be negligible, but anti-pollen masks should be used more frequently.

All of these things are not a danger, or so we are told. Maybe so, each on its own, but is anyone discussing multiple-source combinations of radiation intake?

Why would it be worse for allergy sufferers than anyone else? If anything, they are more likely to wear masks, thus better protected from what is anyway a negligible threat.

I'm so happy to read, japan_cynic, that you feel comfortable enough to eat giant oysters from Kesennuma & breathe in big gasps of negligibly irradiated pollen. You're so much braver & better than the rest of us, I'm sure. But your comments are not in any way helpful though, do realise this.

Putting other people down for their insecurity in this situation seems very unbecoming. Because seriously, worrying about health is something one IS ALLOWED TO DO in a country that is having -yes, present tense, since it's not under control yet- the worst nuclear disaster in history of mankind.

Being insecure and not knowing what to do or believe is part of it. Exchanging thoughts about it with other people is part of it too. Acting like the better person & like everyone else is a dumb ass - even if people do get their facts mixed up - is NOT a fitting way to respond. No matter how you look at it.