Were deformed daisies found near Fukushima caused by radiation?

VIDEO:  Watch how Fukushima radiation has deformed flowers and butterflies

In August 2012, LiveScience published photos of deformed butterflies. The images of the pale blue grass butterflies were taken in Shiroishi, Fukushima, Motomiya, Koriyama, Hirono, Iwaki, Takahagi, Mito, Tsukuba, and Tokyo and show the creatures with dented eyes and misshapen wings, among other defects.

Radioactive waste taints fruits and vegetables by the roots

Even though the Nukushima meltdown occurred more than four years ago and 70 miles away from Nasushiobara City, the radiation was still able to taint the daisies by the roots. The tsunami that slammed the coast of Japan claimed the lives of approximately 18,500 people. Radiation has not been reported to be a cause of any of those deaths; however, high levels of radiation have been found in groundwater near the plant, which can cause abnormalities in fruits, vegetables and, if consumed, people.

Daisies may be particularly susceptible to the radiation from the Fukushima meltdown. This isn’t the first time that mutated plants have been found after the disaster, however. In 2013, the Daily Mail posted pictures of mutated fruits and vegetables tainted by toxic groundwater from the Fukushima plant.

The pictures compared mutated fruits and vegetables to their natural counterparts. The photographs reveal four oranges joined to one stem, a cabbage four times larger than its normal size and a tomato covered in tumors, among other mutated fruits and vegetables.

Groundwater contaminated by radiation extends to marine life as well. Nearly 300 tons of radioactive water has been leaking into the Pacific Ocean everyday, which is enough to fill an Olympic-size swimming pool. Groundwater from hills behind the Fukushima plant has been used and disposed into the Pacific Ocean in an effort to keep the nuclear reactors cool. Local fishermen have opposed the decision to pour radioactive water into the ocean.

The type of deformity afflicting the daisies is known as fasciation – or cresting. The condition is reportedly caused by a hormonal imbalance in vascular plants. The rare condition causes plants to increase in both volume and weight. There is reportedly no treatment for plants with this type of deformity.

“The right one grew up, (and) split into 2 stems to have 2 flowers connected (to) each other, having 4 stems of flower tied belt-like,” the tweet accompanying the deformed daisies photo by a user named San Kaido, read.

Although the daisies are capturing the attention of the internet at the moment, the deformed flowers are definitely not the only plant and animal mutations stemming from the area to cause alarm. Photos of “twisted” vegetables and purportedly mutated rabbits have also been shared from the Fukushima disaster area of Japan.

Approximately 300 tons of radioactive water is believed to still be leaking from the nuclear plant into the Pacific Ocean on a daily basis.

A video of the mutant bunny born near the Fukushima nuclear meltdown went viral in 2011. The rabbit was born without any ears. The physical deformity may have been just a birth defect which happened to coincide with the disaster or a result of the radioactive environment created after the earthquake and tsunami prompted the meltdown.

The twisted vegetables allegedly from the nuclear plant area reportedly found their way onto the market in Korea in 2013.

All computers emit electromagnetic fields (EMFs) on many different frequencies. These EMFs can be extremely harmful to your health. Cancer and other serious diseases have been linked to these exposures – studies indicate pregnant women and small children are particularly vulnerable.

Set your computer screen brightness to a level that is comfortable for viewing. According to reports, the brighter the screen, the highest the radiation and vice versa. Also, make sure the screen brightness is not too low as it may be harmful for your eyes. An ideal viewing distance should be 50 to 75cm away from the screen.

It is advisable to attach a radiation filter plate in front of your computer’s screen to reduce the hazard of radiation. Avoid putting any metal substances within the place where you place your computer as these metal substances may have reflected some of the electromagnetic waves that are harmful to your health. Adjust the brightness of your computer before using it. The brightest the screen the highest the radiation there will be and vice versa. Thus, try to adjust the screen brightness that is not too bright or too dark for your eyes to capture. In contrary, lowest level of brightness may irritate your eyes and cause your eyes strained easily. Take note that the brightness of the screen should make your eyes feel comfortable to gaze at.

The first thing to do is to let go of your old PC, especially if it still has a CRT monitor. According to studies, the old box-shaped cathode-ray tube (CRT) computer monitors emit high levels of radiation.

LCD monitors relatively emits less radiation. According to reports, LCD screens create an EMF (Extremely Low Frequency) of 0.3 milligauss at 30 cm, from the front or back and practically nothing at the sides.

Reports also suggest that old computers release upto twice the amount of radiation compared to the new models developed using advanced technologies.