The EPA’s air monitoring data have not shown any radioactive elements associated with the damaged Japanese reactors since late 2011. Even during the incident, the levels found in the air were very low—always well below any level of public health concern. The following links provide the most current information from trusted scientific organizations that continue to monitor the situation:
- Situational Updates – For situational, status updates and monthly reports issued by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) regarding the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station, visit Fukushima Dai-ichi Status Updates at IAEA.org.
- Current Radiation Air Monitoring in the U.S. – Current, near-real-time, and historic air monitoring data is compiled for 140 U.S. cities by the EPA's RadNet system. This monitoring network evaluates the nation's air, precipitation and drinking water to track radiation in the environment, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. For more information about current radiation levels in your area, visit RadNet.
- Food Safety – The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is responsible for protecting public health by assuring the safety of our nation’s food supply. In a March 2014 statement, the FDA indicated that there was no evidence that radionuclides from the Fukushima incident were present in the U.S. food supply at levels that would pose a public health concern. To view the FDA reports, or to stay informed about FDA food safety alerts, visit FDA’s Response to the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Facility Incident.
- Ocean Monitoring - In late 2015, ocean monitoring by Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), a marine research organization, detected very small amounts of radioactivity from the 2011 Fukushima incident 1,600 miles west of San Francisco. Radiation levels in the seawater were minute and pose no health risk. The WHOI is no longer monitoring ocean water for radioactivity after the Fukushima incident. To read the 2015 press release, visit Higher Levels of Fukushima Cesium Detected Offshore at whoi.edu.
At the state level, the Oregon Public Health Division is monitoring the air, sand and water on the northern, central and southern coasts of Oregon for higher than normal levels of radiation due to the Japan tsunami. For more information, visit Japan Tsunami Marine Debris Information.
Operating outside of the U.S., the Integrated Fukushima Ocean Radionuclide Monitoring (InFORM) network compiles data to assess radiological risks to Canada’s oceans associated with the Fukushima nuclear disaster. InFORM includes members from Canadian governmental and academic sectors, along with the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute in the United States, to assess environmental and human health risk from Fukushima radiation on the west coast of Canada and North America. Monitoring data compiled is part of the InFORM network and reported for the Pacific Ocean. For more information about the InFORM network and to view the data, visit Fukushima InFORM.