Re:Fukushima’s nuclear signature found in California wine
by 24gttghh on Thursday July 19, 2018 @12:22PM
(#17567795)
The article seems less about the toxicity of the cesium levels, and more about their use as a signature in dating the wine, which I find is still interesting.
Re:Fukushima’s nuclear signature found in California wine
by GW150914 on Thursday July 19, 2018 @12:39PM
(#17568014)
The article seems less about the toxicity of the cesium levels, and more about their use as a signature in dating the wine, which I find is still interesting.
And rightly so, by far the most toxic thing in these bottles is alcohol, not vanishingly small traces of cesium.
Re:Fukushima’s nuclear signature found in California wine
by ajross on Thursday July 19, 2018 @12:32PM
(#17567915)
If the bottle was sealed, it won't pick up measurable cesium. That arrives via atmospheric transport, being picked up by rain water and eventually grape plants.
Re:Fukushima’s nuclear signature found in California wine
by topspin on Thursday July 19, 2018 @12:49PM
(#17568126)
> So nothing to see here, move along.
The unit of measure in this are mBq/l; millibecquerel per liter. The paper reports 14 mBq/l in CA wine immediately after Fukushima. So the common 750ml bottle of 2011 CA wine will average one cesium-137 decay event every 53.5 seconds.
How could you properly date a bottle if it was in Fukushima during the event, vs a 1960's bottle during the Cuban Missile Crisis?
> the levels of cesium-137 are barely detectable, and even then, only if the wine is destroyed.
So nothing to see here, move along.