TAIWAN ENVIRONMENTAL GROUP TESTS RADIATION LEVELS IN JAPANESE FIELD|民團赴日實測輻射 福島電廠附近稻田銫超標

As the controversy of easing bans on food imports from the five radiation-affected prefectures in Japan rises, an environmental group visited Japan to test radiation levels in the soil to check whether that the soil is contaminated. Since their trip on Nov. 22, they have found soil samples containing high levels of Caesium-137, proving that the soil is contaminated. On Nov. 23, Green Consumers' Foundation chairman Jay Fang together with radiation experts took an inspection tour to Tomioka town, which is 12 kilometers away from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, to measure radiation levels in the soil. One of the tests showed that the soil sample contained over 1900 Becquerel per kilogram of Caesium-137. On Nov. 22, Fang visited the radiation-affected Chiba prefecture to conduct such tests. He found that the soil sample contained nearly 20 bq/kg of Caesium-137, saying that Japan's paddy fields have been contaminated with radioactive substances. The Executive Yuan's Atomic Energy Council said while the radiation detection equipment Fang used is capable of offering a rapid radiation scanning, the tests may not be as accurate as those conducted in laboratories. Environmental groups insist that the soil was contaminated, even though they were countered by people who said that it is food that people consume, not the soil. ==LIN JUI-CHU, Anti-nuclear power campaigner== The soil has been contaminated. Why do we need to import agricultural products from radiation-affected areas if we can already get fine agricultural products in Taiwan? The Atomic Energy Council said only by performing laboratory tests directly, can one know the exact level of contamination on agricultural products. Each crop requires different conversion factors to calculate its level of radiation. Therefore, high radiation levels in soil are not necessarily reflected in crops. TRANSLATED BY：ARIEL HSIEH 政府有意開放、日本核災區食品進口，引發極大反彈，綠色消費者基金會董事長、邀請專家友人，帶著上百萬的儀器，到日本實地測量輻射，並且網路直播，今天他們前往距離福島第一核電廠、12公里遠的富岡町的稻田測量，土壤的銫137含量、超過每公斤1900貝克，不過原能會認為，這個數值可能不如實驗室的精準，但還是顯示當地土壤受到汙染。 帶著核種分析儀器等各種設備，前進日本核災區，綠色消費者基金會董事長方儉與專家友人，23號在距離福島12公里的富岡町，一處休息站附近，取得土壤樣本，送入儀器檢測，先測得銫137濃度為每公斤81.756貝克，接下來沿路檢測，測到最高的數值，飆破1900貝克。 方儉與專家友人22號起，鎖定日本福島周邊，隨機檢測輻射，其中也來到政府打算開放進口的千葉縣，實測土壤，得到銫137含量達每公斤近20貝克，以此證明日本農田遭受汙染。對此原能會表示，方儉所使用的儀器可進行快篩，但數值的準確度，跟實驗室做的會有落差。 也有民眾質疑，方儉等人檢測的土壤的輻射數值雖高，但沒有人會直接吃土，不過環保團體仍強調汙染是事實。 ==台灣環境輻射走調團召集人 林瑞珠== 還是一樣是汙染的土地啊 我們為什麼要 我們台灣明明好好的 可以種出優良的農產品 為什麼要去吃那些汙染區 所種出來的農產品 土壤檢測出極高的輻射含量，就代表農作物也一定有高輻射含量嗎？原能會表示，不同農作物要以不同的轉換係數計算，依照日本的公式，大約會有百分之一到萬分之一的轉換率，但食品檢測不在原能會的主管範圍，基本上還是要透過實測農產品，才能掌握汙染程度。 記者 林靜梅 林志堅 台北報導