User:Jluow/Capsule in Tokyo park found to be source of radiation

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Tuesday, May 5, 2015 

A Tokyo park has been reopened on April 26, after a capsule, found to be the catalyst of a reading of extreme radiation, was removed.

The park, Ikebukuro Honcho Densha no Mieru Koen, located in Tokyo's Toshima ward, was closed the previous week, after nuclear regulators were alerted to a high level of radiation in the area by a concerned local. Upon their investigation of the site, the regulators found an area underneath a slide in the children's playground had reached 480 microseiverts per hour. The legal limit is 0.23 microseiverts per hour.

Upon excavation of the site, a stainless steel capsule, measuring 3 millimetres in both diameter and length, was discovered and removed. Experts found the capsule contained radium 226, and the Japan Radioisotope Association, who assessed the object, suggest it may be a device used in checking the function of radioactivity detection equipment.

It is believed the capsule was buried on the site before it was transformed from a garage for city garbage trucks.

Sources

• The Japan News/Asia News Network. "Capsule identified as source of high radiation in Tokyo park" — Asia One, May 3, 2015
• Jun Hongo. "Tokyo Park Reopens After Removal of Radiation Hotspot" — The Wall Street Journal, April 27, 2015
• ITN. "'High levels' of radiation found at Tokyo playground - video" — The Guardian, April 25, 2015
• Kyodo, Jiji, Afp-jiji. "Park in Ikebukuro closed after hot spot detected in playground" — The Japan Times, April 24, 2015
• "Kids at risk: Extremely high soil radiation detected in Tokyo playground" — RT, April 24, 2015