#Radioactive Compost Has Been Sold in 23 Prefectures

It's attracting far less attention, but the radioactive leaf compost is getting to be like the radioactive beef.

First, it was 20,000 bags sold in Akita. Then, an unknown number of bags sold in Tottori (link in Japanese). Now it turns out 200,000 bags of the radioactive leaf compost from a retailer based in Gunma Prefecture have been sold at least in 23 prefectures, Tottori included, at the retailer's 166 outlets throughout Japan.

Home gardeners in 23 prefectures ended up irradiating their garden soil.

From Mainichi Shinbun Japanese (7/28/2011):

鳥取県は２７日、鳥取市のホームセンター「カインズホームＦＣ鳥取店」で販売されていた腐葉土から１キロ当たり１万４８００ベクレルの放射性セシウムが検出されたと発表した。

Tottori Prefecture announced on July 27 that 14,800 becquerels/kg of radioactive cesium was detected from the leaf compost sold at a home/garden center "Cainz Home FC" in Tottori City.

　県と運営会社カインズ（本社・群馬県高崎市）によると、この腐葉土は同社のプライベートブランド商品「バーク入り腐葉土１４Ｌ」。栃木県と岩手県 のほか、タイやベトナムから輸入した植物を基に、栃木県鹿沼市内の業者が生産。東日本大震災以降、２３都道府県の１６６店で１４リットル入り約１３万袋、 ３リットル入り約７万袋を販売したという。

According to the Prefecture and Cainz Ltd (headquartered in Takasaki City, Gunma Prefecture), the leaf compost is sold under the company's private brand. The compost is made of plants from Tochigi and Iwate Prefectures, and from Thailand and Vietnam. It is made by a manufacturer in Kanuma City in Tochigi Prefecture. Since the March 13 earthquake/tsunami, 130,000 14-liter bags and 70,000 3-liter bags have been sold at the company's 166 stores in 23 prefectures.

　県が１４リットル入りの商品を１センチ離れた位置で計測したところ、１時間当たりの放射線量は０．７マイクロシーベルトだった。３リットル入りでは放射性物質は検出されなかった。

The radiation level at 1 centimeter from a 14-liter bag was 0.7 microsievert/hour. No radiation was detected in a 3-liter bag.

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