Wild monkeys have been enlisted by Japanese researchers to obtain detailed readings of radiation levels in forests near the troubled Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Plant.
Professor Takayuki Takahashi and his team of scientists at Fukushima University are fitting nearly 1000 animals with radiation meters and GPS transmitters in order to track the spread of radiation leaked from March’s nuclear accident, the worst in Japan’s history.
Until now, radiation monitoring has been conducted primarily by air, using helicopters equipped with testing devices. Takahashi says aerial monitoring can track radiation across a wide area, but it only gives a general idea of radiation levels on the ground, not specifics on its movement.
“The monkeys can help us get more accurate readings in areas that aren’t so accessible,” Takahashi said. “We’ll get a better idea of how radiation is spread by rain, by plants, by rivers in the forest.”
Researchers also hope to monitor the amount of radiation exposure in wild animals. . .