- The DOST-PNRI continues to closely monitor the situation at the Fukushima-Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant.
- The condition in the plant remains very serious but not worsening and there are early signs of recovery in some functions such as electrical power and instrumentation.
- The DOST-PNRI does not expect that the Philippine waters will be threatened by the discharge of radiation-contaminated water from the Fukushima plant. Cesium and iodine are soluble in water. The Pacific Ocean is so vast with its sheer volume and depth that the radioactive contaminants will be very much diluted and will not pose harm to the Philippine public and marine organisms.
- To ensure safety of our marine environment and the public, the DOST-PNRI is continuously performing radiological surveillance activities and these include collection, monitoring, and analyses of our marine biota and seawater for radioactivity.
- The Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) air monitoring station in the Philippines being serviced by the DOST-PNRI detected the following radioactivity concentrations:
|
Day |
Iodine-131 |
Cesium-134 |
Cesium-137 |
|
March 23 |
33 |
4.2 |
5.7 |
|
March 24 |
480 |
92 |
120 |
|
March 25 |
54 |
6.3 |
7.7 |
|
March 26 |
20 |
0.7 |
0.7 |
|
March 27 |
47 |
2.6 |
3.1 |
|
March 28 |
93 |
4.4 |
5.3 |
|
March 29 |
130 |
4.6 |
5.3 |
|
March 30 |
210 |
1.7 |
1.6 |
|
March 31 |
31 |
Not detected |
0.7 |
|
April 1 |
57 |
4.3 |
5.7 |
|
April 2 |
61 |
9.9 |
12 |
|
April 3 |
160 |
86 |
100 |
|
April 4 |
79 |
53 |
79 |
|
April 5 |
51 |
18 |
20 |
|
April 6 |
21 |
8.7 |
11 |
*microbecquerels per cubic meter; 1 microbecquerel = 1 x 10-6 becquerel
- The peak values on March 24 correspond to a dose of 131 nanosieverts in a year; sleeping next to someone for 8 hours a day for one year gives a dose of 20,000 nanosieverts because of the natural radioactivity present in the body.
- Activity Concentration of Soil Samples taken from PNRI grounds:
|
Date Collected |
Sample Type |
Activity Concentration, Bq/kg |
||
|
Iodine-131 |
Cesium-134 |
Cesium-137 |
||
|
March 23 |
Topsoil |
Not detected |
Not detected |
**0.064 |
|
March 24 |
Topsoil |
Not detected |
Not detected |
**0.175 |
- Activity Concentration of Water Samples taken from Cagayan and La Mesa Dam:
|
Date Collected |
Sample Type/Site |
Activity Concentration, mBq/L |
||
|
Iodine-131 |
Cesium-134 |
Cesium-137 |
||
|
April 2 |
Seawater/Sta. Ana, Cagayan |
Not detected |
Not detected |
**1.66 |
|
April 5 |
Freshwater/La Mesa Dam |
Not detected |
Not detected |
Not detected |
**The above Cesium-137 levels in the soil and water samples are way below the safe levels.
- Latest DOST-PNRI RADIATION LEVEL CHECK at PNRI grounds as of 9:00 AM, April 11, 2011: 98 to 116 nSv/hr (nanosieverts per hour), STATUS: NORMAL
- For the latest information, please access the following websites:
- International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) (http://www.iaea.org/newscenter/news/tsunamiupdate01.html)
- Nuclear and Industrial Safety Administration (NISA) of Japan (www.nisa.meti.go.jp/english/index.html)
- World Health Organization (http://www.who.int/hac/crises/jpn/en/index.html)
- For further advisories, please call the PNRI trunklines with Tel Nos. 929-6010 to 19 or visit the following:
- DOST (www.dost.gov.ph)
- PNRI (www.pnri.dost.gov.ph)
- STII (www.stii.dost.gov.ph)
