Japanese products- radiation worries

[knowledge_of_self]

Hey guys

I recently ordered a mouse pad online which ships from Tokyo. I don't know why I didn't think of it before I ordered it, but it suddenly came to me that there might be some radiation issues to worry about.

It's already been shipped, so I can't cancel my order, but I was thinking of getting a radiation kit (which is kind of expensive) just to test this item and make sure it's safe before I use it. But then I thought maybe I'm being way too paranoid / thinking about it too much. I did some research online and everything that comes up states that all items being sent from Japan- go through extensive radiation testing... but I don't trust MSM.

Then I saw this today http://www.sott.net/articles/show/231611-Beef-Tainted-with-Radioactive-Cesium-Hits-Japanese-Market
and it scared me even more. I realize the above is about beef in Japan and mine is just a mouse pad.. but still.. I don't know. I just thought I'd ask what ya'll think.

Thanks

 

[anart]

I would be shocked to find out that products entering the states from Japan are being "extensively tested" for radiation. The US isn't even testing the air and water anymore and hasn't been for some time. I don't know what to tell you about the mousepad, but I'd not be the least bit surprised to find that it was at least a little 'hot'.

 

[Kaigen]

Hmm, I'm from Kyushu and we are not buying anything from the north or east, since we know about radiation hit east Japan, we are checking where did it come from, what we buy. I hope it help a little in make your decision.

 

[thevenusian]

From what I've been able to understand, the most dangerous hot particles become attached to dust and become most hazardous when they are breathed in. Arnie Gundersen advises people to wash items that may have been exposed to radioactive dust with a damp cloth (to prevent dust becoming airborne), so that might be one precaution to take when your item arrives.

 

[Aya]

Hi Deedlet,
I think you are thinking little too much about it, though it's good thing that you noticed and be aware of this. Considering the fact that world is changed/poisoned since March 11th, we cannot escape from radiation, it's everywhere around the world. I am not sure if a Japanese mouse pad is going to make a big difference, at least it is not food so if you be extra careful when you open the package, it won't be as bad I think.

About the article; I think the government's and TEPCO's cafeteria should serve that kind of beef everyday.

 

[knowledge_of_self]

Thanks everyone for your responses

I actually e-mailed the site I bought my mouse pad from

and they e-mailed me back..

Dear ****,

Thank you very much for your inquiry.

Regarding our response against the accident at the
Nuclear Power Plant, please read the following:
http://www.1999.co.jp/NuclearPowerPlant.html

We believe none of our items are contaminated.
If we sense any danger, we will prevent shipment.
Your package is shipped from Japan Post Asakusa Branch,
in Taito Ward, Tokyo, and "Bleach Mouse Pad" is
most likely manufactured in China.

If there is any other concerns or worries,
please do not hesitate to contact us.

Sincerely Yours,
Momoyo Kuwahara

I decided to just leave the package alone for now, maybe wash it with a wet cloth as venusian suggested, until I get the radiation testing kit and test it out. I'm actually really curious to see what they let pass through as "safe" here. So if/when I do test it, I'll update this thread with the results :P

 

[Nawd]

Saddly I feel a radiation testing kit might be a nice thing to have on hand for testing all kinds of things coming out of Japan.

Too bad you don't have a radiation suit, you could answer the mail carrier with it on. You might get some strange looks though....

 

[sitting]

From what I've gathered, I believe the radioactive fallout in Japan is severe and being way under reported. I also believe the Japanese people themselves know this...and are desperately doing whatever they can to mitigate its effect. I can just imagine parents with young children, the anguish they must be going through now. But they are trapped. How do you relocate a city of a million people? The following clip illustrates the plight of Fukushima City, 80 km from the nuclear plant. These are Japanese scientists speaking. They see the dilemma...and their urgency is mixed with resignation. To avoid evacuation, the Japanese government raised the radiation safety limit from ONE millisevert/year to TWENTY!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ITcGTlI3wU

 

[3DStudent]

I have some art supplies, pens and brushes, that are made in Japan that I've bought early this year and after. One of them I washed thoroughly with water, but haven't really touched it since. Some other pens I've used a bit but I forgot to clean them first.

I can't find anything on specifically pens or that sort of thing being radioactive. It's all about the food. But there is this article about Russia denying cars from Japan.

There's this youtube video that shows the radiation in beef to be over .4 microsieverts/hr from Cesium 137: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I42VeJytyoA. There are a few of these videos and they have under 100 views. They were released in July and August. Smells fishy to me...

I was thinking of getting a geiger counter, maybe a cheap one. I'm just curious of the Japanese products I have. You can make a sort of inaccurate geiger counter that will just give you a reading on a voltmeter if there is radiation from this video. I'm not sure if that would work though, maybe someone versed in electronics and radiation could give a better explanation.

I found this app for Apple and Android phones that actually uses your phone's camera to record the radiation: video here and website here

Finally, here's a youtube user's channel who collects radioactive minerals as a hobby. He seems to know a bit about the subject.

I might be over-obsessing over this, but I guess it's at least worth wiping items down. D, did you ever get a geiger counter to test the mousepad?

 

[Aya]

I can't find anything on specifically pens or that sort of thing being radioactive. It's all about the food. But there is this article about Russia denying cars from Japan.

That is probably because the cars air filters suck up the radiation and keep it there. The same thing when people breath the radioactive air, the radiation stays in peoples lungs and emits radioactive rays inside out.

There's this youtube video that shows the radiation in beef to be over .4 microsieverts/hr from Cesium 137: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I42VeJytyoA. There are a few of these videos and they have under 100 views. They were released in July and August. Smells fishy to me...

Thank you for sharing this video. 0.4 microsieverts/hr is extremely high. I remember that geiger counters do not detect more deadly radiation particles like plutonium, strontium and alpha particles, so the measurement is bad enough but it might be worse than we think. Still having a geiger counter helps to get an idea, I think.

I am also getting some products from Japan, especially books. I wash anything I can wash before using it as well.
I have no idea how much radioactive the stuff you have ordered, but if you are worried, it is better to wipe them down or to get rid of them. It is always better to be cautious and to be on the safer side.

 

[Aya]

I have got to be honest here. I apologize for ranting but this whole thread makes me really angry. If any Japanese products shipped to North America is going to make people here sick, of course people in Japan is going to be sick and die first, right? And if you worry about products that came from Japan, what about the people? Are they contaminated with radiation so we need to be careful interacting with them, too? What about the children in Japan who have no choice but eating those toxic beef, becoming sick day by day?

My eyes are filled with tears; I do not want to hijack this thread being rude and making people feeling bad, but I need to say it. The situation is so messed up that I still cannot face the fact that I am possibly losing my people, home, and everything I liked about the country entirely. I sometime wish a comet to destroy it all before everyone really starts to suffer horribly by the effect of nuclear disaster.

 

[shijing]

My eyes are filled with tears; I do not want to hijack this thread being rude and making people feeling bad, but I need to say it. The situation is so messed up that I still cannot face the fact that I am possibly losing my people, home, and everything I liked about the country entirely. I sometime wish a comet to destroy it all before everyone really starts to suffer horribly by the effect of nuclear disaster.

That's OK, Aya -- we don't have that many members from Japan, and I think your feelings about this are valid and it's good for the rest of us to hear your point of view since this isn't personal for many of us in the same way that it is for you. While the concern about contamination is something for everyone to be aware of, it pales in comparison to what people in Japan are exposed to themselves since Fukushima happened. Reading your post made me feel very emotional as well. I'm sorry that the people of Japan have had to go through this -- for whatever reason, they have been some of the first to experience a situation that will probably become more common in the near future in other parts of the world. I wish I had something more comforting to tell you ((hug))

 

[Lorraine]

So sorry to see your pain Aya. Its a terrible thing. What I find so frustrating where I live is that nobody seems to care. They look at me as though I'm mad when I talk about Japan's radiation problem and don't want the conversation to go on. I go to a hairdresser and one is a Japanese, I've tried to enquire about how she feels and what her family is doing and she just clams up. I think the thought is just too much to contemplate. Pity my sister says Japan is a lovely place and the people are friendly.

I love Toyota cars and have to think twice about getting a new one.

It also looks as though we will all have to think about getting our omega 3 elsewhere as the ocean will be a mess.

 

[Nienna]

My eyes are filled with tears; I do not want to hijack this thread being rude and making people feeling bad, but I need to say it. The situation is so messed up that I still cannot face the fact that I am possibly losing my people, home, and everything I liked about the country entirely. I sometime wish a comet to destroy it all before everyone really starts to suffer horribly by the effect of nuclear disaster.

That's OK, Aya -- we don't have that many members from Japan, and I think your feelings about this are valid and it's good for the rest of us to hear your point of view since this isn't personal for many of us in the same way that it is for you. While the concern about contamination is something for everyone to be aware of, it pales in comparison to what people in Japan are exposed to themselves since Fukushima happened. Reading your post made me feel very emotional as well. I'm sorry that the people of Japan have had to go through this -- for whatever reason, they have been some of the first to experience a situation that will probably become more common in the near future in other parts of the world. I wish I had something more comforting to tell you ((hug))

Aya, I second what Shijing has said here. My heart just breaks when thinking of those so lovely and unfortunate people in Japan. You have every reason to feel the way you do and I wish there was something that we could do to help you and, especially, them.

 

[manitoban]

My eyes are filled with tears; I do not want to hijack this thread being rude and making people feeling bad, but I need to say it. The situation is so messed up that I still cannot face the fact that I am possibly losing my people, home, and everything I liked about the country entirely. I sometime wish a comet to destroy it all before everyone really starts to suffer horribly by the effect of nuclear disaster.

That's OK, Aya -- we don't have that many members from Japan, and I think your feelings about this are valid and it's good for the rest of us to hear your point of view since this isn't personal for many of us in the same way that it is for you. While the concern about contamination is something for everyone to be aware of, it pales in comparison to what people in Japan are exposed to themselves since Fukushima happened. Reading your post made me feel very emotional as well. I'm sorry that the people of Japan have had to go through this -- for whatever reason, they have been some of the first to experience a situation that will probably become more common in the near future in other parts of the world. I wish I had something more comforting to tell you ((hug))

Aya, I second what Shijing has said here. My heart just breaks when thinking of those so lovely and unfortunate people in Japan. You have every reason to feel the way you do and I wish there was something that we could do to help you and, especially, them.

Aya, I agree with Shijing and Nienna, I think its important that you feel free to share your feelings about this terrible tragedy. You are not making people feel bad, you are sharing the truth of the situation - the reality of what the people in Japan are facing and living with everyday. Very few people have even an inkling of how bad it is, thanks to the media blackout. By sharing your feelings you are bearing witness to the events, and in this way at the very least raising awareness of the magnitude of what is going on.

It is just an awful, awful situation and my heart aches for you too, and all the people in Japan. Remember that we are here to support you!