Cesium contamination affects forests in Fukushima Daiichi

The Forestry Agency in Japan show that leaves in Fukushima prefecture near Namie, Futaba-machi, and other areas over 30 km from Fukushima Daiichi are contaminated up to 4,400,000 bq/kg of radioactive cesium. The tests were conducted from September to November of 2011, and over 400 locations in Fukushima prefecture were surveyed. Leaves in Iidate and Minamisoma were found contaminated with cesium in excess of 1,000,000 bq/kg of cesium, and an additional span of forest 80 km around the plant is contaminated with over 100,000 bq/kg as well. The Ministry believes that the leaves are preventing the radioactive materials from contaminating the soil, and plan to conduct work to remove the hazardous waste and safely dispose of it.