Are Canadian fish being poisoned by radiation? 
By Andrew Masterson CA Source: cosmosmagazine 6/11/2017
Andrew Masterson
A news story has done the rounds on social media this year claiming that salmon in Canada had been found contaminated with radioactive isotopes from the damaged nuclear power plant at Fukushima in Japan.

Is it true? And, if so, is there anything to worry about? The answer to the first question is “yes, sort of”, but the answer to the second is “definitely not”!

The story grew from the fact that, in 2015, a single salmon caught in Osoyoos Lake in British Columbia was found to contain very low levels of a radioactive isotope called caesium-134.
 

The isotope is produced during nuclear fission – the process that drives both atomic power stations and atomic bombs. Because it has a half-life of about two years, any caesium-134 that was released into the atmosphere by previous bomb tests or reactor disasters (such as Chernobyl) has long since decayed away.

Therefore, any caesium-134 found in anything at the moment can only have come from Fukushima.

So, yes, a radioactive nasty from Japan did end up in a fish in Canada. However, there is much more to the story than that.

First off, scientists have always predicted that radioactive stuff from the damaged reactor would spread around the world, through the oceans and the air.

 
Salmon, Kokanee Continue...

News Id SourceStampcountry
1226Mystery of 200-pound bluefin tuna washed up on Orcas Islandmynorthwest2023-10-09US
1227Ghoulish footballfish makes rare appearance on Orange County beachlatimes2023-10-21US
1228Alligator gar caught in Texas weighing 283 pounds shatters multiple recordsFox News2023-10-25US
1229From kingfish to insects: insights from the €200 m ocean impact fundthefishsite2023-10-25BZ
1230Сом в шляпеohotniki2023-10-23RU
1231Japanese Method of Humane Fish Killing Improves Quality and FlavorecoRI News2023-10-12JP
1232The return of an old scourge reveals a deep sickness in the global fishing industrybostonglobe2023-10-12CN
1233Artist expresses depths of grief, then healing, in eye-catching paintings of fishnola2023-10-13US
1234First ever bluefin tuna found in Salish Sea stumps local marine expertsKOMO News2023-10-14US
1235Leading UK chefs join campaign to cast farmed salmon off menutheguardian2023-10-14UK
1236Osakis fisherman loses runaway walleye during photo opechopress2023-10-20CA
1237Plan for water cuts from 3 Western states is enough to protect Colorado RiverThe Associated Press2023-10-25US
1238Tsleil-Waututh’s race to save salmon habitat in drought stricken southwest B.C.coastalnewstoday2023-10-20CA
1239Alleged salmon price-fixing scheme prompts $5.2M Canadian settlementvancouverisawesome2023-10-20CA
1240The Ausable River's fish died in droves in July.CBC News2023-10-12CA
1241Reaping the rewards of a move from agri- to aqua-culturethefishsite2023-10-20IN
1242‘It smells so bad’: glut of wild salmon creates stink in Norway and Finlandtheguardian2023-10-02UK
1243Estonia's national fish stock fell by half even while adhering to quotaerr2023-10-04EE
1244Invasive spiny water flea found in Lake Winnipesaukee for first time evermasslive2023-10-01US
1245Fisherman loses runaway walleye during photo op and makes miraculous catchechopress2023-10-20US
1246Illegal fishing plagues Omani coastal citiesmuscatdaily2023-10-07OM
1247A young leader fights for Yukon River salmon, her community – and herselfalaskapublic2023-10-03US
1248North Carolina angler's colorful puddingwife catch may set world recordfoxweather2023-10-03US
1249Canada’s DFO confronts Native fishermennationalfisherman2023-10-19CA
1250US Women's Fly Fishing Team Wins Bronze Medal at 2023einnews2023-10-19US

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