Plutonium found in soil at the crippled Fukushima nuclear complex heightened alarm on Tuesday over Japan's lengthy battle to contain the world's worst atomic crisis in 25 years.
Plant operator Tokyo Electric Power Co (TEPCO) said the radioactive material, which is used in nuclear bombs, was traced in soil at five locations at the complex, hit by an earthquake and tsunami on March 11.
The drama at the six-reactor facility has compounded the Asian nation's agony after the natural disasters killed at least 11,000 people, left more than 17,000 missing, and made about a quarter of a million people homeless in the devastated north.
In a briefing around midnight in Tokyo, the vice-president of under-pressure TEPCO apologized for making people even more worried with the announcement -- but stressed the traces of plutonium 238, 239 and 240 were not dangerous.
"Plutonium found this time is at a similar level seen in soil in a regular environment and it's not at the level that's harmful to human health," Sakae Muto told reporters.
Muto said the readings were similar to those found in the past in other parts of Japan due to particles carried in the atmosphere after nuclear testing abroad.
TEPCO said it was unclear where the plutonium was from, though it appeared two of the five finds were related to damage from the plant rather than from the atmosphere. Read More
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