Herbal Tea Loaded With Radioactive Cesium

Miyagi Prefecture: 20,000 Bq/kg from the herbal tea

　宮城県蔵王町の業者が製造したヤーコン茶から高濃度の放射性セシウムが検出された問題で、県は１４日、セシウム濃度は国の基準値（１キロ当たり１００ベクレル）の２００倍超の２万２９０ベクレルだったと発表した。

Miyagi Prefecture announced on April 14 that 20,290 becquerels/kg of radioactive cesium was detected from the herbal tea produced by a manufacturer in Zao-machi in Miyagi Prefecture, more than 200 times the national safety limit (100 becquerels/kg).

　業者の自主検査では１万７２００ベクレルだった。県によると、出荷済みの１１００セットのうち、同日までに約４０セットが回収された。

It was 17,200 becquerels/kg according to the manufacturer's own testing. By April 14, about 40 sets of 1,100 sets of the tea already shipped had been recalled.

The herbal tea is in the powder form. About 1.5 grams of the tea powder is used to make one cup of tea, making each drink with 30 becquerels of radioactive cesium. Nothing to worry about, the prefectural government says, as if all the radioactive cesium people ingest is from this tea alone.

I suppose the prefectural government doesn't test unless they are told by the national government to test, and the national government probably didn't know about this tea. Just like they (claim they) didn't know about rice hay fed to the cows. Or leaf compost. Or shiitake cultivation substrate. Or crushed stones. Or firewood to smoke bonito. Or ...