Radiation in Japan: 450,000 Bq/Kg Cesium from Dirt in Kashiwa City, Chiba

Radiation in Japan: 450,000 Bq/Kg Cesium from Dirt in Kashiwa City, Chiba

It's the number you may expect to see in the most contaminated area inside Fukushima Prefecture, like Namie-machi, which is a focus of Asahi Shinbun's "Trap of Prometheus". But no, this is in Chiba Prefecture, and Kashiwa City is just outside of Tokyo.

Yomiuri Shinbun (11/28/2011) reports:
Regarding the localized high radiation spot in the city-owned land in Kashiwa City in Chiba Prefecture, the Ministry of the Environment announced on November 28 that the maximum 450,000 becquerels/kg of radioactive cesium was detected in the soil 5 to 10 centimeters deep from the surface.
The survey was conducted on November 1 and 2. The Ministry says it is highly likely that the radioactive materials released from the Fukushima I Nuclear Plant accident have accumulated. The rainwater containing radioactive cesium seeped through the broken side wall of the drain, and increased the density of radioactive materials. The Ministry plans to conduct additional survey, and estimate the size of the contaminated area.

In the October survey by Kashiwa City of the nearby location, maximum 270,000 becquerels/kg of radioactive cesium was detected from the soil...