THE POLITICS OF RADIATION MAPS

MAJIA HERE: These radiation maps are very political. It is very easy to manipulate radiation measurements.

Measurements can be manipulated by only measuring 2 kinds of radiation contamination (e.g., Cesium-137 and Iodine-131) and deliberately ignoring the presence of other forms of radiation contamination (e.g., plutonium).

Measurements can (and have) also been manipulated by locating the measurement devices meters above the ground, rather than locating the devices a few centimeters above the ground, where accumulation exists.

Measurements can also be manipulated by outright fraud and deceit.

The maps are political for obvious reasons. That is why all of these map findings need to questioned in relation to the following questions:

Who measured and what vested interests might they have?


What was measured? That is, what forms of radiation were actually being measured?


How were measurements actually taken? Where did sampling occur? How high was the measurement device placed?


Finally, what agency or individual put the map together and what vested interests do they represent?

With these questions in mind, let us examine the latest radiation map discussed in the Japanese press.

Asahi: Radiation spread reaches Chiba, Saitama prefectures
http://www.asahi.com/english/TKY201109300393.html

[Excerpted] "Fairly high levels of accumulated radioactive cesium in Chiba and Saitama prefectures were shown in a new contamination map released by the science ministry on Sept. 29.

The two prefectures, neighboring the municipal areas of Tokyo, are located about 200 kilometers from the disabled Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant. The measurements for Chiba and Saitama prefectures were taken from Sept. 8 to Sept. 12 using helicopters.

In Chiba Prefecture, the highest levels of cesium-137, between 30,000 and 60,000 becquerels per square meter, were detected in northern areas, such as Kashiwa, Matsudo, Abiko and Nagareyama. Cesium-137 has a half-life of 30 years.

In Saitama Prefecture, some mountainous areas of Chichibu, located 250 km from the plant, recorded 30,000 to 60,000 becquerels per square meter.

In the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear accident, areas with 37,000 becquerels or more of radioactivity per square meter were designated contaminated zones, while levels of 555,000 becquerels or more required forcible relocation..."

MAJIA HERE: I've posted recently on the funny business involved with designations of contaminated areas by the Japanese government
http://majiasblog.blogspot.com/2011/09/what.html

http://majiasblog.blogspot.com/2011/09/asahi-more-than-1-microsievert-hour-is.html

http://majiasblog.blogspot.com/2011/09/jcast-readings-25-times-lower-than.html

There is also a new concern that the maps being generated DO NOT INCORPORATE READINGS FROM PLUTONIUM AND STRONTIUM but rather are based on Cesium and radioactive Iodine.

Strontium and plutonoum are now being "found" but I don't believe these findings are incorporated into the maps
http://enenews.com/strontium-found-80-km-fukushima-plant-15-bqm-plutonium-239-240-minamisoma-map

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/news/20111001p2a00m0na013000c.html

Blogger Ex-SKF has a post about a map produced by a Japanese professor. http://ex-skf.blogspot.com/2011/09/prof-yukio-hayakawa-radiation.html

His map is available here
http://gunma.zamurai.jp/pub/2011/route930.pdf

No doubt there are other maps that represent contamination differently.

Although the truth of the degree of radiation contamination is difficult to ascertain at this point in time, it is imperative that Japanese citizens ask the questions I've outlined above when evaluating their personal safety in regard to radiation contamination.