Cesium found in Fukushima children

Radioactive cesium has been found in more than 140 Fukushima children in Japan. More than two thousand children from the nuclear-disaster hit region were tested by a Japanese Isotope research institute.

The average amount of cesium in the 141 samples was 2.2 becquerels per kilogram, but three cases had over 10 becquerels of cesium per kilogram, Kyodo News reported.

An average of about 64 becquerels of radioactive potassium, which is found naturally in the environment, was also found in the those who tested positive for cesium.

"The level of cesium is lower than that of potassium, and it definitely has no effect on the human body," said Hideaki Karaki, honorary professor of food safety at the University of Tokyo. "But we still need to know how cesium entered the infants' bodies."


Their report came as the government decided to restart a nuclear reactor at the Ohi power plant on the western coast on Sunday, to counter potential power shortage problems. There have been wide-spread protests, drawing more than 150, 000 demonstrators since Friday.

This was the first reactor to resume operations since Japan gradually shut down all its nuclear reactors following the tsunami-triggered nuclear crisis last March.