JERUSALEM (JTA) — Traces of radioactive waste from a damaged nuclear reactor in Japan have been detected in the air in Israel.
The Soreq Nuclear Research Center on Tuesday detected traces of Iodine-131 in an air sample. The concentration of 0.00005 becquerel per square meter is very low and presents no danger to humans or the environment, according to Israel’s Atomic Energy Commission.
The radioactive iodine was detected more than two weeks after a devastating earthquake and strong tsunami hit Japan, damaging the Fukushima nuclear facility.
Trace readings of radioactive waste also have been detected in the United States and Europe.
By comparison to what was found Tuesday in Israel, a radioactive particle concentration of 20 becquerel per square meter was detected there following the 1986 Ukrainian Chernobyl nuclear disaster.
