Wall Street Journal: Fukushima Contamination of Automobiles Reported

A worker checks a new vehicle's radiation levels at a Nissan Motor warehouse in Sanyi Japan

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June 25, 2012   New York, USA Consumers concerns for the possibility of   Japanese cars contaminated with ionizing radiation from Fukushima fall-out prompting questions regarding possible contamination of purchased vehicles has been well founded with recent reports out of Japan and China..

News report from Wall Street Journal  4/19/2012. "The Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association said Monday that the country's auto makers have started testing their vehicles for radiation prior to shipments to domestic and overseas markets, in a bid to mitigate concerns among customers about purchasing Japan-made products due to the crisis at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant....."

"The move comes on the heels of increasing import restrictions on Japanese products. A total of 29 countries and regions have suspended or tightened controls on agricultural and dairy product imports as well as processed foods from Japan.......".

"Japanese shipping company Mitsui O.S.K. Lines Ltd. said in late March that its container ship had to head back to Japan, after Chinese authorities claimed to detect high levels of radiation from the vessel. China detected radiation worth 3.5 microsieverts per hour, compared to a radiation dose of around 100 microsieverts to which a chest X-ray typically exposes a patient......" Full story.

With increasing awareness and concern owners of suspect contaminated vehicles are having them checked for an possible contamination especially vehicles made in the Fukushima area or from the local transport areas. Experts in the measurement of ionizing radiation are being called upon to inspect suspect vehicles that may have been unknowingly contaminated with radiation.