– NBC: Head of radiation testing program on West Coast says Fukushima plume could threaten ecosystems — The effect on marine life? “We don’t know, whatever is in the kelp will get in bodies of those animals also” (VIDEO) (ENENews, MArch 8, 2014):
NBC Los Angeles, Mar. 6, 2014: California Researchers Embark on “Kelp Watch 2014? — Experts say contamination levels won’t be high enough to harm humans but can’t say the same for the ecosystem kelp supports […] CSULB Professor Dr. Steven Manley said […] he does not not believe the contamination levels expected in the kelp will be high enough to be harmful to humans, but he couldn’t say the same for the ecosystem the kelp supports. “The levels we project we’re going to see in kelp are going to be quite low,” he said. “But the effects on simpler forms of wildlife we don’t know. Whatever is in the kelp will get into the bodies of those animals also.” […] “It can serve as a warning that these materials that get released thousands of miles away can find a way across the oceans,” Manley said of the kelp. […] Results from Thursday’s samples are expected to be ready in May.
Transcript Excerpts
- NBC Reporter: Researchers say whatever contamination level they find in this kelp, if any, it won’t be high enough to be harmful to humans.
- Dr. Manley: It’s certainly not harmful to humans. The effect on simpler forms of marine life? We don’t know. So whatever is in the kelp will get in the bodies of those animals also.