Higher Than Normal Radiation Discovered In Bluefin Tuna

Tests show that bluefin tuna caught off the coast of California have higher than normal radiation levels.

Researchers from Stony Brook University discovered the levels are 10 times higher than the amounts measured in previous years.
The fish that were sampled came from the waters near Japan’s crippled Fukushima nuclear power plantand traveled 6,000miles to get to the U.S.
Researchers believe this is the first time a large migrating fish has carried radioactivity that far.

Scientists insist that despite the highers levels of radiation found in bluefin tuna, the levels are well below safe-to-eat limitsand aren’t likely to affect humans.

“I imagine the consumption of these tuna would be far, far below the radioactivity that you would get from one dental x-ray,” said Nicholas Fisher of Stony Brook University.

Jere Jenkins, a nuclear engineer at Purdue University says other foods contain more radiation than the bluefin tuna sampled in the study.

“There are other radioactive foods that we eat on a regular basis. Brazil nuts, bananas, carrots, green leafy vegetables have a lot of potassium in them, and we’re seeing levels that are below levels of concern even in those foods,” said Jenkins.