Highest level of radioactive cesium in San Francisco-area milk since August 2011 — Now at 150% of EPA’s maximum contaminant limit (CHART)

title: UCB Milk Sampling Results
Source: UCBDepartment of Nuclear Engineering
Date: Feb 6, 2012

2/6/2012 (2:31pm): A new milk sample has been measured, this one with a best-by date of 2/16/2012. The results are posted to the milk sample page. Low levels of both Cs-134 and Cs-137 were still detected in the sample.

Best Buy Date of 02/16/2012:

Cs-134 @ 0.052 Bq/L
Cs-137 @ 0.115 Bq/L
0.167 Bq/L of radioactive cesium = 4.526 picocuries/L (1 Bq = 27.1 picocuries)

The EPA Maximum Contaminant Level for radioactive cesium in milk is 3 picocuries/L:

“EPA lumps these gamma and beta emitters together under one collective MCL [Maximum Contaminant Level], so if you’re seeing cesium-137 in your milk or water, the MCL is 3.0 picocuries per liter; if you’re seeing iodine-131, the MCL is 3.0; if you’re seeing cesium-137 and iodine-131, the MCL is still 3.0.” -Forbes.com

These are the highest cesium levels detected by UCB since at least August 2011 (As the MDA was higher over the summer, it’s hard to be sure of the exact levels at that time):