Physicians for Social Responsibility Deeply Concerned About Reports of Increased Radioactivity in Food Supply
April 4th, 2011Via: Physicians for Social Responsibility:
Physicians for Social Responsibility (PSR) expressed concern over recent reports that radioactivity from the ongoing Fukushima accident is present in the Japanese food supply. While all food contains radionuclides, whether from natural sources, nuclear testing or otherwise, the increased levels found in Japanese spinach and milk pose health risks to the population. PSR also expressed alarm over the level of misinformation circulating in press reports about the degree to which radiation exposure can be considered “safe.”
According to the National Academy of Sciences, there are no safe doses of radiation. Decades of research show clearly that any dose of radiation increases an individual’s risk for the development of cancer.
“There is no safe level of radionuclide exposure, whether from food, water or other sources. Period,” said Jeff Patterson, DO, immediate past president of Physicians for Social Responsibility. “Exposure to radionuclides, such as iodine-131 and cesium-137, increases the incidence of cancer. For this reason, every effort must be taken to minimize the radionuclide content in food and water.”
“Consuming food containing radionuclides is particularly dangerous. If an individual ingests or inhales a radioactive particle, it continues to irradiate the body as long as it remains radioactive and stays in the body,”said Alan H. Lockwood, MD, a member of the Board of Physicians for Social Responsibility. “The Japanese government should ban the sale of foods that contain radioactivity levels above pre-disaster levels and continue to monitor food and water broadly in the area. In addition, the FDA and EPA must enforce existing regulations and guidelines that address radionuclide content in our food supply here at home.”
Related: Radiation Beyond Legal Limit Found in Mustard Spinach Grown in Tokyo
I read this article and thought – exposure to radioactivity in children sounds like exposure to asbestos. Same thing: exposure to radioactivity or asbestos are festering critters in the human body.
My sister died from mesothelioma (exposure to asbestos in 1983 – when she just turned 35). Surgeon figured – due to the strings of cancer that form around the asbestos particle) that she had been exposed to asbestos around age 6. Whether in our home (it is here)or at school, Grandma’s house, wherever) the lungs and other physical systems of youngsters when developing are wide open. I could sniff some asbestos into my lungs tomorrow, but as an adult, my lungs are “hardened” and not as at risk as the young ones are.
I’m still angry that I lost my sister to an environmental toxin. I’m at a loss for words as to why the whole radioactivity issue being downplayed, ignored, or poo-pooed as something not to worry about.
Incredible callousness, ignorance, and disrespect for human life are being shown here and it pisses me off.