Tokyo Water Has Too High Radiation for Babies

Tsunami survivor residents buy radiation-free spinach farmed in Miyagi Prefecture. Photo by EPA/BGNES

Officials in Tokyo have announced that the city's tap water has high levels of radiation, which makes in unfit for babies to drink.

The iodine levels in some areas are twice the recommended safe level, authorities said, imposing new restrictions on food from areas affected by leaks from the Fukushima nuclear power plant, the BBC reported.

A water treatment center in downtown Tokyo found that the levels of radioactive iodine-131 in some areas of Tokyo is 210 becquerels per liter, while the safe level for babies is 100 becquerels per liter.

However, there is not an immediate health risk for adults.

According to the UN atomic agency, radiation is still leaking from the Fukushima plant, which caused workers to halt their work.

The Japanese PM Naoto Kan has ordered the governors of Fukushima and neighboring prefectures to halt shipments of a range of agriculture goods, including green leaf vegetables, broccoli, parsley and untreated milk, after they showed higher than normal radiation levels.

Country's officials have also detected above normal radiation levels in seawater downstream from the plant, causing concerns of fish retailers about the effect of the crisis on their livelihoods.

The official death toll from the devastating 9.0-magnitude earthquake and tsunami is now 9079 with 12 654 missing. However, Japan's government has estimated that more than 21 000 people died.

Japan has stated that the quake rebuilding will cost as much as USD 309 B. The estimate ncludes the cost of rebuilding infrastructure, homes and factories. However, it does not include the potential damage to the economy.

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