A couple of months ago I heard on the Fox News Channel that people should eat salmon over tuna. OK . .my “brain” doesn’t remember exactly why but at the time of the program featuring two doctors, I made the decision not to eat it any more. Could be the radiation in the water where the fish came from.
What do you mean, “radiation in the water”?
All fish are exposed to radiation. It is everywhere in our environment. There is no way to determine whether salmon fish injested radioactive particles from the radioactive piles originating from Fukushima unless the fish’s flesh is analyzed carefully. Since I live in the Pacific Northwest and regularly eat salmon, if they were poisonned with radiation, I would know about it. So far there is no evidence of that.
The problem as you have expressed it is obvious: you are confusing radioactive materials, substances like uranium and plutonium, with radiation. Radiation is the result of unstable elements, such as uranium and plutonium, emitting sub-atomic particles as they decay.
The analogy I use is that of dog poop. The dog excrement, or poop, is to plutonium, like radiation is to the stench of the dog poop. The dog poop emits a smell. Plutonium emits radiation, and it is emitted in a straight manner - no sneaking around corners or magically being transmitted to the coast of California.
Radiation itself cannot sweep across the ocean. In fact, water is used as a protective barrier against radiation. In addition, plutonium is a heavy element and sinks to the bottom of the ocean. FYI there are three types of barriers to radiation: physical barriers such as shielding, either lead, a sheet of paper, water, or concrete; distance from the radioactive source; and finally, time as the elements decay.
“Radioactive decay, also known as nuclear decay or radioactivity, is the process by which a nucleus of an unstable atom loses energy by emitting particles of ionizing radiation. A material that spontaneously emits this kind of radiation—which includes the emission of energetic alpha particles, beta particles, and gamma rays—is considered radioactive.” (wikipedia.org/wiki/Radioactive_decay)
Plutonium is an Alpha particle emitter. You can be shielded from that radiation by wearing a paper suit and a face mask. Such particles are dangerous when injested or sucked into your lungs by respiration.
Furthermore, be careful going to the internet for information about Fukushima. There are an enormous number of hysterical anti-nukes who play upon the ignorance of the general public. Where I live in southwest Washington State, there were outrageous claims on some internet sites that tens of thousands of people were already dead here, all because of Fukushima radiation. This was false, purely disinformation meant to cause panic.
I live not to far from Willapa Bay, home to the Willapa oyster. I love oysters! If these animals, who are bottom filter feeders had become poisonned from exposure to radiation, the State of Washington fisheries would have shut down the few local companies harvesting the oysters. this has not happened and I do not anticipate is occurring at all.
So take heart, Maudeen. Don’t let the illegetimi (bastards) get you down.