Radiation Found In U.S. Milk Supply

Low levels of radiation have turned up in milk samples from two West Coast states, but officials say there is no public health threat, according to a March 30 joint press statement from the Environmental Protection Agency and the Food and Drug Administration.

As the nuclear crisis unfolds in Japan and U.S. officials monitor food supplies in this country, traces of radioactive Iodine-131 were found in milk in California and Washington states.

“In response to the ongoing situation in Japan, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has taken steps to increase the level of nationwide monitoring of milk, precipitation, drinking water, and other potential exposure routes,” according to the statement.

“Results from a screening sample taken March 25 from Spokane, Wash., detected 0.8 pCi/L of iodine-131, which is more than 5,000 times lower than the Derived Intervention Level set by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration,” the statement read.

The California Department of Public Health reported that a similar result was found March 28 at a dairy in San Luis Obispo County.

“These types of findings are to be expected in the coming days and are far below levels of public health concern, including for infants and children," the press statement said. "Iodine-131 has a very short half-life of approximately eight days, and the level detected in milk and milk products is therefore expected to drop relatively quickly.”

“Radiation is all around us in our daily lives, and these findings are a minuscule amount compared to what people experience every day. For example, a person would be exposed to low levels of radiation on a round trip cross country flight, watching television, and even from construction materials,” said Patricia Hansen, an FDA senior scientist.

The United States has halted imports of dairy products and produce from the affected area of Japan. Other foods imported from Japan, including seafood, are still being sold to the public.

The EPA has found very low levels of radiation in the air connected to the Japanese incident in Alaska, Alabama, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Nevada, Saipan, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands and Washington states.