Radiation levels increased substantially in the sea water near the damaged nuclear plant in Fukushima, a possible sign that new leaks in its facilities. The announcement came shortly after a magnitude 5.9 earthquake shook Japan. The safety agency ordered the country's nuclear plant operators to update their security systems against earthquakes in order to prevent a crisis from happening again as we live in the region north of Tokyo.
Since the tsunami flooded the Fukushima plant and damaged all the cooling systems of the cathodes, emergency crews have used large amounts of water to cool the overheated reactor. Some water, contaminated with radiation escaped into the Pacific Ocean. The directors of the nuclear power said contained the leak on April 5 and that radiation levels have fallen into the sea.
But the government said the radioactivity in the sea has increased in recent days. The level of radioactive iodine-131 up to six thousand 500 times the legal limit, according to samples taken on Friday, compared with 100 thousand times in samples taken the previous day. Levels of cesium-134 and cesium-137 is multiplied by four.
However, these levels remain well below those recorded earlier this month before it was contained the initial leak. 
Since the tsunami flooded the Fukushima plant and damaged all the cooling systems of the cathodes, emergency crews have used large amounts of water to cool the overheated reactor. Some water, contaminated with radiation escaped into the Pacific Ocean. The directors of the nuclear power said contained the leak on April 5 and that radiation levels have fallen into the sea.
But the government said the radioactivity in the sea has increased in recent days. The level of radioactive iodine-131 up to six thousand 500 times the legal limit, according to samples taken on Friday, compared with 100 thousand times in samples taken the previous day. Levels of cesium-134 and cesium-137 is multiplied by four.
However, these levels remain well below those recorded earlier this month before it was contained the initial leak.
- First Japanese radioactive particles reach U.S. West Coast but UN officials claim they're a 'billion times' beneath danger levels (18/03/2011)
- East Fukushima shiitake banned (13/04/2011)
- Radioactivity Spikes Again in Sea Near Fukushima Plant (16/04/2011)
- Safe Fukushima produce get nod (08/04/2011)
- Fukushima Is Leaking Radioactive Water to the Sea (03/04/2011)
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