Can radiation travel from japan to Hawaii?

Answer 1

First. I am not a nuclear physicist nor am i an expert on radioactivity.

You will generally be as safe as any other normal day. Go about your daily business and watch local advisories and the news.

There is not going to be a plume of deadly radiation that rains down on you in California causing noticeable short term damage. The heaviest and most damaging radiation isotopes would have likely fall nearby into the Pacific Ocean. They will be 'diluted' into the Pacific ocean or the atmosphere and continue their half life expectancy cycle. While doing so the isotopes could be taken up by some of the sea life and may cause minimal damage in the ocean. The bypass water cooling the reactors is hopefully diluted enough not to damage sea life far away. I would hazard a speculation and say crustaceans would be most affected nearby Japan. Some gaseous airborne radiation such as Radon may pose a slight risk in the short term, but the most stable form of this isotope has a half life of 3.8 days.

In simple terms: you will be okay, however there will be increased levels of background radiation in nearly unreadable amounts across the world. Very very small amounts.

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Putting the situation in real terms, you will receive more radiation from a window seat in an airplane than you will from this situation in the United States. Background levels in Tokyo have increased to almost half of the normal levels you will see in London every day. Realistic levels are ignored to promote sensational journalism. The levels are foolishly exploited by the media.

Answer 2

The actual nuclear radiation (the particles released by radioactive material) cannot travel the distance between Japan and Hawaii. However, the radioactive material itself that was released can travel that distance and much more (the plume is expected to make landfall in California on the 3/18/2011). Whether it will or not will depend on the wind and weather systems along the way.

Answer 3

The breakout was to small to even affect all of Japan... so no it cannot reach over the entire pacific ocean

Answer 4

Yes.There is 220svr amount of radiation caused by an earthquake that caused the Fukushima nuclear plant to expload.

Hope this helped!