A spike in the level of radioactive iodine present in the ocean near Japan’s Fukushima nuclear plant has been detected.  Experts say that the radiation levels are as much as 3,500 times the allowable limit, and that this represents a major danger to local inhabitants, as well as all local marine life.

The implications may be much further reaching, however.  Radiation is dispersed easily by sea water, and there are risks that ocean currents may carry radiation particles around the world, affecting biospheres for thousands of miles in the direction of the currents.

The sample was taken only 300 metres out to sea from the Fukushima plant.  The plant’s reactor cooling system was irreversibly damaged by the massive earthquake that hit Japan on March 11, and since then radiation has been leaking into the surrounding environment in the world’s worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl.

Environmental Impact

Despite the high levels of radiation, the impact on the environment has been relatively minor up until now.  Workers are fighting to keep fresh water flowing into the reactors to prevent them from overheating.  However this means that the contaminated water must be pumped out, and this is slowly distributing radiation into the ocean and the local biosphere.

If the reactors are not brought under control, however, there are two major risks.  The first is that the reactors will catch fire, which will release huge quantities of airborne radiation into the atmosphere.  It is difficult to predict exactly what the outcome of this will be, but it is suspected that the radioactive fallout will extend over the Pacific Ocean and across most of East Asia and into Russia.  The world has never had to deal with radioactive fallout on this scale before, so it is unknown how local governments will deal with such a crisis, should it occur.

Alternatively a second danger is that the reactor rods will melt through the floor of the containment chamber, spilling radiation into the groundwater.  This could have severe environmental impact, damaging crops and hurting livestock for hundreds of years.  The effect would likely be limited to Japan and nearby waters, but it will undoubtedly spell the end of thousands of endangered species which live exclusively in the local biosphere.

Foreign Leaders Pledge Aid

US President Barack Obama reportedly telephoned Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan, offering any and all possible aid in dealing with the nuclear crisis.  He has specialists and emergency workers on stand-by, should they be required and should Obama’s nuclear advisors consent to putting these workers in close range of the Fukushima plant.

French President Nicholas Sarkozy has also offered his aid, and the expertise of French nuclear experts – supposedly the most knowledgeable in the world at this point. Sarkozy is expected in Japan later this week to offer support, and his experts are standing by to offer advice on cooling and repairing the damaged reactors.

Is There Even More Damage to Containment Chambers?

In further news, there are also suspicions that there is damage to the containment chambers which prevent radiation from leaking from the reactors’ cores.  This was discovered on Tuesday when trace elements of Plutonium that matched the damage number-three reactor’s fuel rods were found in nearby soil.

As a precaution all human population has been evacuated from the area 20km around the damaged nuclear plant.  Foreign experts are divided over whether this is sufficient, and the Japanese nuclear agency has been accused of playing down the scope of the disaster at Fukushima and the immediate danger it poses.