France checks Japanese cargo for radiation

France checks Japanese cargo for radiation Cargo from Japan is undergoing extensive checks for radiation in conjunction with the French government's determination to inspect 100 percent of Japanese shipments, the Port of Le Havre said.
   Veterinary and phytosanitary teams are taking samples from all food and animal products for analysis, and other inspectors are checking manufactured goods for the presence of radiation.
   France's checks stand in contrast to European Union guidelines that 20 percent of Japanese cargo be inspected for radiation following the partial meltdown of the nuclear plant in Fukushima.
   The danger of radioactive contamination from shipments originating in Japan is slight because most ports are located far south of the contaminated zone around the plant, the half-life of most of the radioactive elements is shorter than the 35- to 40-day ocean transit time to Europe and Japan has set up measures to ensure outbound goods are free of radiation, the port said.
   In the United States, Customs and Border Protection is following normal procedures at all inbound ports to check for the presence of radiation. Those procedures are in place to stop weapons of mass destruction and radiological dispersal bombs from being smuggled into the country. All containers and trucks pass through radiation portal monitors as part of standard operating procedures, and alarms are resolved by handheld radiation isotope identifiers and other methods. Inspectors also carry personal radiation detectors on their belts that alarm in the presence of radiation.
   Officials say the short half-life of the radiation means there is little danger and that trace elements they detected early after the crisis last month are now rare.