JAPAN: Dangerous levels of radioactive iodine have been found in Tokyo's water supply putting infants at risk

Record ID: 463607

  • Title: JAPAN: Dangerous levels of radioactive iodine have been found in Tokyo's water supply putting infants at risk
  • Date: 24th March 2011
  • Summary: (SOUNDBITE) (Japanese) UNIDENTIFIED MOTHER SAYING: "I am so worried. I came to the store to buy supplies for my baby." PARENTS STROLLING BABY INTO SHOP MOTHERS WITH STROLLERS MAN NEXT TO WATER BOTTLES IN SHOP NEARLY EMPTY SHELF WHERE WATER IS STOCKED PEOPLE SHOPPING IN SUPERMARKET VARIOUS OF CHILDREN IN SUPERMARKET BOTTLED WATER MOTHER WITH BABY ON HER BACK
  • Embargoed: 8th April 2011 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Japan, Japan
  • Country: Japan
  • Topics: Disasters / Accidents / Natural catastrophes,Health
  • Reuters ID: LVAAT9CGB8OMJ5VT0345E1XF83TW
  • Story Text: At a Tokyo shopping centre parents of young children on Wednesday (March 23) were frightened after Japanese authorities advised against allowing infants to drink tap water due to raised radiation levels.
    Tokyo authorities said water at a purification plant for the capital of 13 million people had 210 becquerels of radioactive iodine - more than twice the safety level for infants.
    Bottled water has already been on very high demand since a 9.0 magnitude earthquake and tsunami on March 11 crippled a nuclear power plant, 250 km (150 miles) north of the Tokyo.
    One mother of a new-born who would not identify herself described the latest news as shocking.
    "I am so worried. I came to the store to by supplies for my baby," she said.
    Riku Kato, father of a one year old baby boy, is hoping the scare is only temporary.
    "If this were temporary I wouldn't be so worried. If this is a long term I think we have a lot to worry about," he said.
    The crisis at the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant appeared far from over on Wednesday Workers attempting to gain control were ordered to leave the site after black smoke began rising from one of its six reactors.
    The deputy director-general of the country's Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency said later that adequate water was being supplied to the reactor and its spent fuel pool and officials did not believe the smoke would become a major issue.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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