Stores everywhere in South Korea see salt disappear shelves. Buyers say they want to stock up ahead of possible contamination from radiation in the Japan. Others feel that ingesting it offers protection against radioactive iodine.
The South Koreans went on a buying frenzy salt. That pushed the price of salt almost doubling since this time a year ago.
Some he call an irrational response of the nuclear accident at the Japan.
Housewife Seoul Lee Jeong-hwa says that she heard that sea water could start affected by radiation from the Japan by Wednesday, if not earlier.
Lee said this is why she was now going to buy some salt produced before the nuclear accident. She explains that it is seeking to become pregnant and does not want to eat contaminated salt.
The Director of the branch of a market for Lotte in downtown Seoul, Kang Dae - hee, said his shop used to sell one or two packets of salt per day.
Kang, said recently that increased to seven or eight packs and, even, sometimes 10 per day. He explained that foreign tourists come by often and also buy unusual amounts of seaweed products, such as kelp, who is also a source of iodine.
Purchase of salt panic was reported month last in China. That prompted the Government to launch a crackdown hoarding and price gouging.
Scientists and authorities express skepticism about such reactions of consumers. They note that radiation, except for the immediate areas surrounding the Fukushima, nuclear installation of the Japan, are not likely to enter at any level of concern for human health. They say also salt ingestion does not protect against the impact of radioactive iodine.
Dr. Ahn Young-sil, Professor of nuclear medicine at the Medical Centre Ajou in the city of Suwon, said the seaweed and salts products do not contain enough iodine to prevent the thyroid gland to absorb the amount of radiation that could be common to a significant nuclear disaster. And it prevents that consume these products in large quantities may cause other health problems.
Salt, at the United States Institute, says that a person would have to eat more than one-and-half kilograms of iodized table salt on a daily basis to stop the thyroid can absorb harmful particles.
The South Korea nuclear safety Institute reports that very small amounts of radioactive iodine and caesium were detected in the country. He says the analysis of the air samples from 12 sites across the country Sunday and Monday revealed traces of radioactive iodine in all areas.
The Fukushima-1 nuclear plant, on the northeast coast of the Japan, was seriously damaged by a magnitude 9.0 earthquake and tsunami resulting March 11. Overheat bar nuclear fuel and the crippled plant steam ventilated radiation in the atmosphere. During this time, radioactive water installation was spill in the Pacific Ocean. Which includes water containing radioactive iodine measured at the level of the millions of legal time limit.
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