Radioactive import cars from Japan

[SPArKy_Dave]

Read an interesting article.(see below)

Apparently, some countries customs, have been scanning cars imported from Japan (Mazda's, etc) and found a percentage to be contaminated with radiation from the Fukushima nuclear disaster.

http://smh.drive.com.au/motor-news/j...510-1egde.html

Apparently Australian customs were not bothering to check incoming cars, but are possibly now going to start scanning them, after the latest detection in Russia.

300 contaminated cars were detected by Russian customs, who are already savy with radiation detection, from their own nuclear disaster.

http://www.rt.com/news/radioactive-j...an-border-624/

[SPArKy_Dave]

If ever we needed another reason to buy Australian cars -

Fords new marketing slogan -

The Aussie Falcon..... guaranteed to be radiation free.

[au2000]

or mazda,s new add for the 2012 mazda 3.. easy to park, easier to find....
offical car of the green lantern !

[mcnamg]

Congratulations sir your new Mazda has been upgraded with our new High Visibility glow in the dark paint work

[THABOSS]

In my work place we dont let Radioactive cars off site, would be funny if a brand new Toyota comes in and is immediatley controlled, and not let off site.

[windowlicker]

We got a mar 11 Toyota, a Yaris, made in japan the week after the emergency. Arrived here April. They're assembled south west of Tokyo, in the Nagoya bay area, so I doubt its a glow in the dark car.

[Rodge]

This one is. Line up, who wants one in radioactive blue/ green
http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/used...-496346798.htm
Seriously, with components made all over Japan, this has to be a real concern.
I was discussing this with my neighbour a few months back and he was looking at buying a Toyota as a run-about for his Mrs and we joked about the possibility of some of the components being radioactive. He ended up buying a non Japaneese car.

[mik]

how sad is it that Australian customs did`nt even think to look into this !

[FPV-HSV]

The poor people that brought them jap cars... Just to think all the money they would have spent on them since then... All the cannons and body kits and 15 inch rodney janes etc ;( hehe..

[bobthebilda]

Originally Posted by SPArKy_Dave

Read an interesting article.(see below)
Apparently, some countries customs, have been scanning cars imported from Japan (Mazda's, etc) and found a percentage to be contaminated with radiation from the Fukushima nuclear disaster.
http://smh.drive.com.au/motor-news/j...510-1egde.html
Apparently Australian customs were not bothering to check incoming cars, but are possibly now going to start scanning them, after the latest detection in Russia.
300 contaminated cars were detected by Russian customs, who are already savy with radiation detection, from their own nuclear disaster.
http://www.rt.com/news/radioactive-j...an-border-624/

Oops, I've jumped straight from a car forum to an uninformed redneck forum.

At worst, the articles quoted say ""We have inspected 150,000 vehicles as part of this monitoring mission. Three hundred units that have been seized indicated a level of radioactivity,” said Gennady Onishchenko, the head of Russia’s consumer rights watchdog. "

A level of radioactivity = touching your smoke detector, or flying for an hour in an airplane, or even worse as one of the articles say - the same that is found in everyday soil.

Did you ever consider that one of the reasons why the australian government cuts back on essential services is because they waste a hell of alot of money on an unproductive car industry.

[AndrewR_AUII]

http://www.arpansa.gov.au/News/Media...visory_faq.cfm
Are imported goods from Japan contaminated?
It is highly unlikely that any Japanese goods arriving in Australia will be contaminated. The Japanese Government and industry have established processes for monitoring goods exported from Japan that is consistent with Australian and international guidance. ARPANSA will continue to coordinate with the Australian Maritime Safety Authority, the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service and other Government Agencies on the transport of goods into Australia to ensure the Australian public is protected.

I have just purchased a Japanese car. Should I get it tested for radiation contamination?
No. The risk of cars being contaminated due to the Japanese nuclear accident is negligible and it is extremely unlikely that any cars from Japan will show significantly elevated radiation levels. The Japanese Government and industries have established a process for monitoring exports, including cars, that is consistent with Australian and international standards. In addition, ARPANSA tested over 100 cars exported from Japan in June 2011. No radiation contamination from the Japanese nuclear accident was detected on any of these cars.

[bingoTE50]

Hmm and whaling for scientific purposes....

[2011G6E]

Originally Posted by bobthebilda

Oops, I've jumped straight from a car forum to an uninformed redneck forum.

At worst, the articles quoted say ""We have inspected 150,000 vehicles as part of this monitoring mission. Three hundred units that have been seized indicated a level of radioactivity,” said Gennady Onishchenko, the head of Russia’s consumer rights watchdog. "

A level of radioactivity = touching your smoke detector, or flying for an hour in an airplane, or even worse as one of the articles say - the same that is found in everyday soil.

Did you ever consider that one of the reasons why the australian government cuts back on essential services is because they waste a hell of alot of money on an unproductive car industry.

Exactly...even sleeping next to another person you are giving each other a dose of radioactivity every night. Literally everything around you emits radiation, sit inside out of the suns rays (radiation) and you are still being bombarded by cosmic rays, inside a house you are being exposed to radiation from various objects (and not just the obvious ones like the microwave).

It's a little like the cosmetics that laughably say "chemical free"...which is odd because everything is made of "chemicals".

Even around Fukishima it is pretty much Ok to go back and live there...the reason no one has isn't really the radiation, it's the devastation from the tsunami that wrecked the place and made it uninhabitable.

Too much worry over the little stuff...

[mik]

Originally Posted by 2011G6E

Exactly...even sleeping next to another person you are giving each other a dose of radioactivity every night. Literally everything around you emits radiation, sit inside out of the suns rays (radiation) and you are still being bombarded by cosmic rays, inside a house you are being exposed to radiation from various objects (and not just the obvious ones like the microwave).

It's a little like the cosmetics that laughably say "chemical free"...which is odd because everything is made of "chemicals".

Even around Fukishima it is pretty much Ok to go back and live there...the reason no one has isn't really the radiation, it's the devastation from the tsunami that wrecked the place and made it uninhabitable.

Too much worry over the little stuff...

i don`t think i`d be going back to live there.

[brett7777]

My understanding is that the Japanese only test their domestic models, but not those intended for export.
There are people talking about it here in NZ, as there is no testing as they come in.
If there's currently no testing at our border, how do we definitely know that they're not contaminated?

[a-total-tool]

All of the manufacturers are claiming that their cars are not affected

http://www.caradvice.com.au/123945/a...iation-tested/

While this is an old article, it does say that Japan checks all vehicles that are marked for export.

I did have a look at this... as I have just bought a 2012 Mazda 3. If I am dead or suffering from Radiation poisoning - we know why. That being said, the Mazda 3 is built in the Hofu plant (in the south of the country). The other 2 Mazda factories are in Hiroshima. This means that all 3 production lines are in the south of the country. How likely is it that they would be sourcing their parts from the other end of Japan?

[aussie muscle]

Originally Posted by SPArKy_Dave

300 contaminated cars were detected by Russian customs,

now we know why they got them so cheap

[JG34JA]

I've wondered about this as well. Overall, it's been a taboo subject, to the point of people being labelled a 'redneck' if they raise the question...

Hard data, please.

[2011G6E]

http://www.npr.org/2011/03/30/134974...diation-Update
http://www.lifeslittlemysteries.com/...dioactive.html

We're surrounded by radiation all day, every day, no matter where we are, in varying amounts. There is even a suspicion that our bodies need a little bit of radiation every day as a natural part of the environment. Depending on where you are standing, you will be getting bombarded by horror death rays of radiation...but you don;t know it and it doesn't hurt you.

The "safe" level of radiation is an average. The "danger" level is still safe for a long time...it's just some level that you wouldn't want to be around for a long time or on an ongoing basis.

If you live near a coal fired power station, you are actually absorbing more radiation than d a similar distance from a nuclear power station.

Amazingly, it also takes a fair bit of radiation to actually harm you...we evolved in an environment that is chock full of various levels of radiation, so if we had no tolerance for it, our species wouldn't exist.

Anti-nuclear propoganda is easy to spread...remember the "hundreds of thousands" who died at Chernobyl and from the effects? Nope...something like 59 people died from direct effects, and many more only had a slightly increased chance of cancer over thier lifetime. Three Mile Island caused no deaths either. There was a widely publicised "nuclear accident" at a power plant in Japan back in the 1990's...but it was actually a steam pipe that burst at a power plant, scalding workers. No nuclear material was released at all, but because it was at a nuclear power plant, it was reported as a "nuclear accident"and the media got all excited...the exact same accident could have happened at a soft drink factory or anywhere else they used steam...

Or, for a light-hearted but accurate description of the stuff:
http://www.cracked.com/funny-6612-radiation/

When it comes to nuclear power, people are really easy to scare...which suits activists just fine...morons...

[Rodge]

I find it an interesting coincidence that the coutry in the world that would have the most and most ready access to giega counters, (Russia, for obvious reasons), is the one that finds cars with radiation level's that appear to be a concern.

You can't tell me that if more countries had more access to a ready supply of giega counters they wouldn't have also discovered problematic cars.

Maybe I'm cynical but I think Japaneese car companies wouldn't be the first to compromise best practice in the name of making an acceptable profit and they most certainly won't be the last.

Why take chances with the family jewel's ?
Line up here and collect your free giega counter before you visit the Japaneese car sales yards

[pottery beige]

Originally Posted by 2011G6E

http://www.npr.org/2011/03/30/134974...diation-Update
http://www.lifeslittlemysteries.com/...dioactive.html

We're surrounded by radiation all day, every day, no matter where we are, in varying amounts. There is even a suspicion that our bodies need a little bit of radiation every day as a natural part of the environment. Depending on where you are standing, you will be getting bombarded by horror death rays of radiation...but you don;t know it and it doesn't hurt you.

The "safe" level of radiation is an average. The "danger" level is still safe for a long time...it's just some level that you wouldn't want to be around for a long time or on an ongoing basis.

If you live near a coal fired power station, you are actually absorbing more radiation than d a similar distance from a nuclear power station.

Amazingly, it also takes a fair bit of radiation to actually harm you...we evolved in an environment that is chock full of various levels of radiation, so if we had no tolerance for it, our species wouldn't exist.

Anti-nuclear propoganda is easy to spread...remember the "hundreds of thousands" who died at Chernobyl and from the effects? Nope...something like 59 people died from direct effects, and many more only had a slightly increased chance of cancer over thier lifetime. Three Mile Island caused no deaths either. There was a widely publicised "nuclear accident" at a power plant in Japan back in the 1990's...but it was actually a steam pipe that burst at a power plant, scalding workers. No nuclear material was released at all, but because it was at a nuclear power plant, it was reported as a "nuclear accident"and the media got all excited...the exact same accident could have happened at a soft drink factory or anywhere else they used steam...

Or, for a light-hearted but accurate description of the stuff:
http://www.cracked.com/funny-6612-radiation/

When it comes to nuclear power, people are really easy to scare...which suits activists just fine...morons...

roooly.. suppose if you cant see it cant hurt you....

/ uraninimumum miner..

[bruceynz]

Hello,

I am currently living in Tokyo, the levels here spiked during the incident and there have been some places that have showed higher levels of rads than others, its is like smoke when it went over, when it rained it bought it down on the city, when it rains the stuff pools like when you see pollon in the water when it rains. Up around Fukashima and anyone driving through it would get all over and through the car, in the air vents, upholstery, caught in filters, all around the engine etc. In some cases these levels would be very low, others could be of concern, the back ground radiation levels and the amount you get from a chest xray or air travel could easily exceed what is in the car, no radiation is good for humans but its part of life, some of those people around Fukashima are in for a long haul, the gov acted faster than what the Russian's did but still lots of rads got out. I suspect that it is only going to effect used imported cars from Japan. New cars should be fine. The Japs are a pretty switched on crowd, although not perfect, there has been concerns on how the plant was run and that maybe this disaster did not need to happen, well hind sight is 20/20 but they have to deal with what is happening now. The disaster is far from over, there are pools with spent fuel rods, for people who don't know what "spent" means it is a fuel rod that can no longer boil water but still very hot. These rods need to cool down, so they put them in big pools of water, as long as they are not exposed to the air they are fine they just keep the water warm and slowly run out of life, this stuff takes years to run down. The spent fuel rods are now just sitting under a tarp exposed to the elements since the top has blown off the building, if another quake happens or a typhoon does something nasty and that pool empties down to expose the fuel rods you can get a nuclear fire, if that happens it is bad news for the world!!! These rods will emit huge amounts of rads into the atmosphere possibly and it is not exactly known the whole of the northern hemisphere could be contaminated. Will be more to worry about than a few rads on a car. Anyway I am no nuclear physicists just an average jo who has been reading since it is in the country I live.

Go the mighty Falcon!

Thanks
Bruce

[Rodge]

Thanks for your post and experience Bruce. N.Z. takes heaps of Jap imports as you may know and there won't be the same checks on used exports imported to N.Z. that there may be on new vehicles.

Even if there's only a small chance of dangerous level's of radiation being emmitted from a used import the point is it may be emmitted for the life of the car so the owner may be exposed to xray type level's of radiation on an ongoing basis. The question in my mind at least, is why take a chance when there's very good cars, (often much better) made in other safer parts of the world ?

[bruceynz]

Hello Rodge,

NZ is screwed, they have made the laws to tight and got on the emssions band wagons and with free trade in NZ all the car makers pulled out of NZ, NZ core market for cars is second hand Japanese hand me downs and new car sales are very small for private drivers. Yes that crap emits all its levels for years, some of that stuff has a half life of days, others 30 years and other very long time!

BTW although fukashima doesn't probably make news in Oz anymore it is still a very dangerous situation going on, it makes news here on a weekely basis. Generally small steps some good some bad. If you want to keep up to date here is the Japanese news paper online in english http://www.japantoday.com/

[mik]

Originally Posted by 2011G6E

http://www.npr.org/2011/03/30/134974...diation-Update
http://www.lifeslittlemysteries.com/...dioactive.html

We're surrounded by radiation all day, every day, no matter where we are, in varying amounts. There is even a suspicion that our bodies need a little bit of radiation every day as a natural part of the environment. Depending on where you are standing, you will be getting bombarded by horror death rays of radiation...but you don;t know it and it doesn't hurt you.

The "safe" level of radiation is an average. The "danger" level is still safe for a long time...it's just some level that you wouldn't want to be around for a long time or on an ongoing basis.

If you live near a coal fired power station, you are actually absorbing more radiation than d a similar distance from a nuclear power station.

Amazingly, it also takes a fair bit of radiation to actually harm you...we evolved in an environment that is chock full of various levels of radiation, so if we had no tolerance for it, our species wouldn't exist.

Anti-nuclear propoganda is easy to spread...remember the "hundreds of thousands" who died at Chernobyl and from the effects? Nope...something like 59 people died from direct effects, and many more only had a slightly increased chance of cancer over thier lifetime. Three Mile Island caused no deaths either. There was a widely publicised "nuclear accident" at a power plant in Japan back in the 1990's...but it was actually a steam pipe that burst at a power plant, scalding workers. No nuclear material was released at all, but because it was at a nuclear power plant, it was reported as a "nuclear accident"and the media got all excited...the exact same accident could have happened at a soft drink factory or anywhere else they used steam...

Or, for a light-hearted but accurate description of the stuff:
http://www.cracked.com/funny-6612-radiation/

When it comes to nuclear power, people are really easy to scare...which suits activists just fine...morons...

of course you can say that the anti nuclear lobby will exaggerate the true cost of Chernobyl , but also the exact opposite can also be said of those who had some responsibility with Chernobyl, be it politicians or or others, or those with pro nuclear agenda , so perhaps the truth is in the middle somewhere.
some of the effects of radiation take years to come out, reading one article it says some effects may be felt in 6 generations from gene effects.
i would`nt be too quick to call everyone morons who has reasonable concerns about nuclear .

http://abundanthope.net/pages/Politi...ituation.shtml

http://www.ippnw-students.org/chernobyl/

[brett7777]

It didn't hurt Homer Simpson. And the TV is ALWAYS RIGHT

[AndrewR_AUII]

Originally Posted by brett7777

It didn't hurt Homer Simpson. And the TV is ALWAYS RIGHT

Actually, on the Simpsons this evening Marge said that he was sterile due to the Nuclear plant (the episode where Apu becomes a dad).

On subject, Radiation detectors can be incredibly sensitive...what exactly does 'some radiation' mean ??

[SPArKy_Dave]

According to recent test reports by the Jap government, the radiation fallout seems to have spread around a fair bit.

http://www.japantoday.com/category/national/view/radioactive-strontium-detected-in-10-prefectures

Therefore, I guess it's more then feasible for cars to be contaminated.
They could get assembled by contaminated workers, get rained on with fallout whilst in a holding yard, etc.

[aussie_rabbit]

Originally Posted by 2011G6E

http://www.npr.org/2011/03/30/134974...diation-Update
http://www.lifeslittlemysteries.com/...dioactive.html

We're surrounded by radiation all day, every day, no matter where we are, in varying amounts. There is even a suspicion that our bodies need a little bit of radiation every day as a natural part of the environment. Depending on where you are standing, you will be getting bombarded by horror death rays of radiation...but you don;t know it and it doesn't hurt you.

The "safe" level of radiation is an average. The "danger" level is still safe for a long time...it's just some level that you wouldn't want to be around for a long time or on an ongoing basis.

If you live near a coal fired power station, you are actually absorbing more radiation than d a similar distance from a nuclear power station.

Amazingly, it also takes a fair bit of radiation to actually harm you...we evolved in an environment that is chock full of various levels of radiation, so if we had no tolerance for it, our species wouldn't exist.

Anti-nuclear propoganda is easy to spread...remember the "hundreds of thousands" who died at Chernobyl and from the effects? Nope...something like 59 people died from direct effects, and many more only had a slightly increased chance of cancer over thier lifetime. Three Mile Island caused no deaths either. There was a widely publicised "nuclear accident" at a power plant in Japan back in the 1990's...but it was actually a steam pipe that burst at a power plant, scalding workers. No nuclear material was released at all, but because it was at a nuclear power plant, it was reported as a "nuclear accident"and the media got all excited...the exact same accident could have happened at a soft drink factory or anywhere else they used steam...

Or, for a light-hearted but accurate description of the stuff:
http://www.cracked.com/funny-6612-radiation/

When it comes to nuclear power, people are really easy to scare...which suits activists just fine...morons...

Bennett continued: “This was a very serious accident with major health consequences, especially for thousands of workers exposed in the early days who received very high radiation doses, and for the thousands more stricken with thyroid cancer. By and large, however, we have not found profound negative health impacts to the rest of the population in surrounding areas, nor have we found widespread contamination that would continue to pose a substantial threat to human health, within a few exceptional, restricted areas.”

http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/.../en/index.html

[pottery beige]

i use to take the stuff fairly serious if we had a breakdown in a certain part of the mine and the ventilation dudes were..

you have two minutes.. in and out...