Radioactive material detected in air, water in New York

NEW YORK, March 30, Kyodo News Agency

Trace amounts of radioactive iodine believed to have come from Japan's quake-hit Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant have been detected in the air and rainwater in New York, the state's health department said.

There is no threat to public health, the department said in a statement published Tuesday. ''The most recent analyses show that levels range from 0.01-0.1 picocuries (one-trillionth of a curie) per cubic meter in air. These levels are similar or below what other states are reporting,'' it said.
In the United States, trace amounts of radioactive materials believed to have come from the Fukushima nuclear plant have also been detected in several other states, including Hawaii, California, Nevada, Florida and Massachusetts.

The amount detected in New York is ''dramatically below levels that would cause human health concerns,'' State Health Commissioner Nirav Shah said in the statement, adding that exposure to this level of radiation is thousands of times lower than common medical imaging procedures, such as chest X-rays.

''We continue to advise New Yorkers that they do not need to take any precautions because of the radioactive emissions from Japan's nuclear plants,'' Shah said.