No risk as Fukushima radioactivity reaches Lerwick

MINUTE particles of radioactive iodine believed to have come from the damaged Fukushima nuclear power station in northern Japan have been traced in air samples taken in Shetland.

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency reported on Thursday that their Lerwick high volume air sampler had detected radioactive iodine-131 above the town. Similar samples were found in East Kilbride, near Glasgow, this week.

SEPA’s radioactive substance specialist Paul Dale, based in Stirling, said the concentrations of iodine found in Lerwick and Glasgow posed no threat to health or the environment.

Dr Dale said: “There is no danger at all to human health. The monitoring programme is there in place and we will update the public when there is any more information available.”