
" No-Drink Order in BC,Canada " Old Massett has issued a no-drink order for rainwater after levels of iodine 131, an indicator of radioactivity, were found to be rising. But a provincial health official says there is no cause for concern, and that amounts found in Old Massett are miniscule, far less than one millionth of the amount shown to cause thyroid disease. Acting band manager John Disney wasn't satisfied with the monitoring underway since the problems began at the nuclear plant in Fukushima, Japan, so he set up a regime - two tests a week of rainwater, stream water and groundwater. Seeing levels of iodine 131 in rainwater rise steeply (from unmeasurable to 1.1 becquerels per litre) between March 24 and April 1, he has since ramped up the testing to once a day. Mr. Disney said the level determined as dangerous is 6, but because the tests are a few days behind, he is worried about continuing increases at that rate. So far streamwater and groundwater are testing fine, but he his keeping his eye on all levels. But according to BC Centre for Disease Control's Ritinder Harry, the amounts found in the Old Massett data (1.1 bq/l) are miniscule and are much lower even that amounts found by Simon Fraser researchers, which was less than one millionth the amount that has been shown to cause disease in the thyroid. "Both studies have found minute traces, reinforcing that there are no health concerns for people who drink rainwater or eat seaweed in BC," she said. The BCCDC also <b>...</b>
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