Radioactive Cesium from Breast Milk from Mothers in Hiroshima Prefecture, 840 km from Fukushima I Nuke Plant

One mother had lived in Hiroshima since before the March 11 nuclear accident. The expert at Hiroshima University who measured the density of radioactive cesium suspect it is internal radiation from ingesting contaminated food.

Hiroshima is over 840 kilometers from Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant.

From Chugoku Shinbun (10/12/2011):

内部被曝（ひばく）防止に取り組む市民団体「繋（つな）がろう広島」は11日、広島県内在住の母親２人の母乳から微量の放射性物質が検出されたと発表した。東日本大震災後に東京から避難した１人と以前から県内に住む１人。測定に協力した広島大は「授乳には問題ない値」としている。

A citizens' group called "Tsunagaro Hiroshima (Let's connect, Hiroshima" announced on October 11 that a minute amount of radioactive materials has been detected from the breast milk of two mothers who live in Hiroshima Prefecture. One of them escaped from Tokyo after the March 11 disaster; the other had lived in Hiroshima since before the disaster. The researcher at Hiroshima University who measured the breast milk says there is no problem feeding their babies with the breast milk.

　検査は10月上旬、震災後に関東地方から広島県内に避難してきた４人と、震災前から同県内に住む２人の計６人を対象に実施。それぞれ１００ｃｃの母乳を採り、同大大学院工学研究院の静間清教授が検出器で調べた。

The survey was done in early October on 4 people who evacuated to Hiroshima from the Kanto region after the March 11 disaster, and on 2 people who had lived in Hiroshima since before the disaster. 100 cc of the breast milk was taken from each mother, and tested by Professor Kiyoshi Shizuma of Hiroshima University Graduate School of Engineering.

　その結果、いずれも30代の２人から微量の放射性セシウムを検出した。厚生労働省は、牛乳・乳製品の放射性セシウムの暫定規制値（１キログラム当たり２００ベクレル）を母乳の指標とする。同団体は２人の意向で具体的数値を明らかにしていないが、厚労省の指標は大幅に下回っているという。

A minute amount of radioactive cesium was detected from two mothers in their thirties. The Ministry of Health and Labor uses the provisional safety limit for milk and dairy products for radioactive cesium (200 becquerels/kg) for the breast milk. The citizens' group has not disclosed the detailed numbers as the mothers do not wish the numbers to be disclosed, but says they are well below the standard set by the Ministry of Health and Labor.

　静間教授は「以前から県内に住む１人は食材からの摂取の可能性がある」とみて継続検査する。

Professor Shizuma will continue to monitor the mother who has lived in Hiroshima since before the accident, as "It is possible that radioactive cesium came from ingesting the contaminated food."

　同団体の三田拓代表は「行政には母乳や尿の検査態勢を整え、食品の放射線量の測定場所を設けるよう求めていく」としている。

The leader of the citizens' group says he will ask the prefectural government to set up a system to test the breast milk and urine, and to measure the radiation in food.

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