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Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Tokyo Warns Of Contaminated Tap Water

A man carries bottled water he got from a supply water tank in Chiba prefecture, near Tokyo, Japan, after the government issued a warning of elevated levels of radioactive iodine in tap water. (AP)

Authorities in Japan say that Tokyo’s tap water should not be given to infants. A water sample from a treatment center in downtown Tokyo contained 210 becquerels of iodine-131 per liter. That’s more than twice the recommended limit for infants. The government says it’s not an immediate health risk for adults.

The news adds to concerns about other foods in the wake of an earthquake and tsunami, which crippled the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant. We speak to Willie Pesek, a columnist for Bloomberg News, about this latest warning.

Other stories from Wednesday's show

We welcome comments from all of our listeners. Post below. Please stay on topic and be civil. Comments may be moderated by us, but you are solely responsible for the content of your comments.

  • M P Caruso

    It seems no one is reporting how the radiation is making it into the food. Is it radioactive dust that falls on grass and into reservoirs. Have these levels always been high and they are just noticing because of focussed testing or is the radiation so much higher than they want to admit?

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