A new radioactive hot spot found in Kashiwa, Chiba Prefecture, is probably the result of fallout from the quake-crippled Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant, the science ministry said.
A new radioactive hot spot found in Kashiwa, Chiba Prefecture, is probably the result of fallout from the quake-crippled Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant, the science ministry said.High concentrations of radioactive cesium were detected in a vacant lot. Officials said Oct. 23 that it appeared likely rainwater accumulated in the soil because of a damaged concrete drainage gutter.According to the Kashiwa city government, up to 276,000 becquerels of radioactive cesium was detected in one kilogram of soil 30 centimeters below the surface. Ministry officials said a 50-centimeter crack in the drainage gutter allowed rainwater to seep into the soil. An area with a radius of one meter was contaminated. Officials said that rainwater containing cesium from radioactive fallout had probably accumulated in the soil during the months since the accident at the Fukushima plant. The radiation level is higher in the ground than on the surface. Officials also noted that the ratio of cesium 134 and cesium 137 in the soil matched radioactive materials spewed out from the Fukushima plant after the accident. They said there was no evidence that radioactive materials had been deliberately buried at the site. Other hot spots, where radiation levels are high, have been found in northwestern Chiba Prefecture, including the city of Kashiwa. However, the latest readings are the highest detected in the prefecture to date.