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omonatheydidS.Korea detects radioactive silver
South Korea on Saturday reported that traces of radioactive silver had been found in the atmosphere, apparently emanating from fuel rods at Japan's stricken nuclear plant.
The Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety (KINS) said minuscule traces of radioactive silver had been detected above the central city of Daejeon and the southeastern city of Daegu.
"In general, radioactive silver can be found when nuclear power plants develop serious incidents," KINS said in a statement.
During the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, the same volatile product was found, a KINS official told AFP, in reference to the accident that hit the Soviet-built reactor in Ukraine in 1986.
"This material can be found when containers holding nuclear fuel rods are damaged," he said.
But KINS stressed the levels of radioactive silver were 3,700 times lower than the radiation given off by one chest X-ray and posed little health hazard.
Traces of other radioactive materials including iodine were also detected in the atmosphere in Seoul and across the country this week, though the amount was so small that there was no immediate risk to health or the environment, KINS said.
South Korea has stepped up monitoring of radiation levels following the crisis at Japan's Fukushima nuclear plant which was crippled by the March 11 quake and tsunami.
Source: mysinchew
FMD outbreak in South Korea under control, but Seoul now faces bird flu
The Agriculture ministry said it currently maintains poultry movement restrictions in 14 rural cities and counties across the country after quarantine authorities have had to cull 6.27 million birds on 269 farms since Dec. 29, when the first case of bird flu was reported.
The ministry said such restrictions are needed because there has been a steady confirmation of bird flu outbreaks, with the last case taking place 344 kilometers southeast of Seoul.
“Most of the outbreaks are taking place where there are large numbers of migratory birds nearby that spend the winter months in South Korea,” a ministry official said.
Frontline quarantine officials have ordered poultry farmers to take all possible precautions to keep their chickens and ducks from coming into contact with wild birds that could spread the bird flu virus, he said.
The ministry, meanwhile, said FMD outbreaks seem to have come under control, with the last case being reported on Feb. 25.
It said movement restrictions on livestock have been lifted nationwide with the exception of two counties in North Chungcheong Province.
It added that no livestock have been culled since mid March because no new cases have been reported following nationwide vaccinations that began on Dec. 25.
Since Nov. 29, when the first FMD case was confirmed, the government has destroyed just a total of 3.48 million pigs, cattle, goats and deer at a cost of over 2.7 billion USD.
The latest set of outbreaks is the severest in the country's history, far exceeding losses caused when the highly contagious animal disease hit the country in 2000, 2002 and two times in early 2010.
Last week, Seoul lowered its FMD alert level one notch from “red” to “orange” with the central emergency response headquarters under the Ministry of Public Administration and Security to be disbanded in the near future.
Source: mercopress
South Korea on Saturday reported that traces of radioactive silver had been found in the atmosphere, apparently emanating from fuel rods at Japan's stricken nuclear plant.
The Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety (KINS) said minuscule traces of radioactive silver had been detected above the central city of Daejeon and the southeastern city of Daegu.
"In general, radioactive silver can be found when nuclear power plants develop serious incidents," KINS said in a statement.
During the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, the same volatile product was found, a KINS official told AFP, in reference to the accident that hit the Soviet-built reactor in Ukraine in 1986.
"This material can be found when containers holding nuclear fuel rods are damaged," he said.
But KINS stressed the levels of radioactive silver were 3,700 times lower than the radiation given off by one chest X-ray and posed little health hazard.
Traces of other radioactive materials including iodine were also detected in the atmosphere in Seoul and across the country this week, though the amount was so small that there was no immediate risk to health or the environment, KINS said.
South Korea has stepped up monitoring of radiation levels following the crisis at Japan's Fukushima nuclear plant which was crippled by the March 11 quake and tsunami.
Source: mysinchew
FMD outbreak in South Korea under control, but Seoul now faces bird flu
The Agriculture ministry said it currently maintains poultry movement restrictions in 14 rural cities and counties across the country after quarantine authorities have had to cull 6.27 million birds on 269 farms since Dec. 29, when the first case of bird flu was reported.
The ministry said such restrictions are needed because there has been a steady confirmation of bird flu outbreaks, with the last case taking place 344 kilometers southeast of Seoul.
“Most of the outbreaks are taking place where there are large numbers of migratory birds nearby that spend the winter months in South Korea,” a ministry official said.
Frontline quarantine officials have ordered poultry farmers to take all possible precautions to keep their chickens and ducks from coming into contact with wild birds that could spread the bird flu virus, he said.
The ministry, meanwhile, said FMD outbreaks seem to have come under control, with the last case being reported on Feb. 25.
It said movement restrictions on livestock have been lifted nationwide with the exception of two counties in North Chungcheong Province.
It added that no livestock have been culled since mid March because no new cases have been reported following nationwide vaccinations that began on Dec. 25.
Since Nov. 29, when the first FMD case was confirmed, the government has destroyed just a total of 3.48 million pigs, cattle, goats and deer at a cost of over 2.7 billion USD.
The latest set of outbreaks is the severest in the country's history, far exceeding losses caused when the highly contagious animal disease hit the country in 2000, 2002 and two times in early 2010.
Last week, Seoul lowered its FMD alert level one notch from “red” to “orange” with the central emergency response headquarters under the Ministry of Public Administration and Security to be disbanded in the near future.
Source: mercopress
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Date: 2011-04-03 04:03 am (UTC)*finds a map*