Levels of radioactive iodine in tap water at a water treatment center in downtown Tokyo are more than twice the recommended limit of 100 becquerels per liter for infants.
They're extremely vulnerable to radioactive iodine which can cause thyroid cancer. However, officials say the levels found in Tokyo tap water do not pose immediate health risks to adults. It's recommended that babies in Tokyo are not given tap water to drink in the long-term but can be bathed in it.
Tokyo governor Shintaro Ishihara said, "Early on the Water Bureau of Tokyo Metropolitan Government reported that we have detected radioactive materials, the concentration over 200 becquerels per kilogram. This detected level is lower than the safety standard for adults, there is no immediate health threat. Nevertheless for infants if you blend tap water with powdered milk for infants, please refrain from using tap water. We will continue to report on detection levels that we measure in tap water here in Tokyo. So please stay calm as we try to consume water wisely."
