Okay maybe this is extreme paranoia.. however a friend of mine recently returned a Panasonic camera because it was a Made in Japan. She was worried bout the nuclear dust that might have gathered on it or something. She has young kids, so its understandable.
Just wondering if anyone out there agrees with her? Should we be really careful about the stuff that's coming from there? What is the nuclear dust?
EDIT: ha ha yeah well i had forgotten about the nuclear issue too until I heard her!
Sure hope things turn out fine for the Japanese! What a tragedy!
Holy cow.
But she probably buys lead-tainted stuff from China at WalMart every week!
You're right about O. thing--it IS extreme paranoia!
I don't find that understandable, kids or no kids, but to each their own.
The 'dust' is particulate matter (either radioactive isotopes themselves or isotopes that attach to dust). The US screens foreign shipments for radiation and has done so since the September 11th attacks. I'm pretty sure Japan is screening their products prior to shipping as well.
I'm sorry, but I don't find anything understandable about returning a camera that is made in Japan due to worries about nuclear dust. That sounds fairly looney to me. Unless she has a giant dome over her own personal world, she's already been exposed to more nuclear fallout from Japan through regular air than could be invisibly hanging about on her new camera or any other product made in Japan.
Her cellphone probably came from Japan, too. Right there with a lot of electronics. Japan is pretty reputable, actually. She should be worrying about China. Or BPA. Or chemicals in our soil. Or antibiotics in our water system. Or a million different things in OUR country. She probably doesn't.
Is it terrible, that this level of paranoia actual made me laugh? Like...a big face palm...and shaking my head laugh.
First it would depend on when the camera (or cell phones) were shipped here to the US. I don't think too many things have been coming out of that area in Japan since the nuclear issue. I can't imagine the US would let items come in if they are from the affected area, I would think someone would be testing them for radiation. You also need to remember that the radiation also travels through the air, the west coast would have gotten the worst of it. I would be more concerned about food items coming from there.
I’m not sure how old you are but Chernobyl’s leak was much worse than this leak.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chernobyl_disaster
Silly. Of course if she were my friend, I wouldn't SAY so! I'd just nod my head in a serious way and change the subject.
Then, I'd take 1 part information, and 2 parts common sense, mix them together and live my life.
Geez, what's next?
:(
Oh, jeez. Then have her check the labels for her appliances, clothes, kids toys, television, DVD, CDs...oh, and yes... her car.
Customs screens shipments for radioactivity.
And so does Japan.
"Paranoia, paranoia...everybody's comin' to get you..."
Electronics factories are well sheilded against electronic and radioactive contamination. They have to be...to protect the products.
I forgot about the nuclear issue :-(. Id prefer something made in Japan because of the technology though......Wouldn't you worry about lead if it were made in China though? Lots to worry about. Do hope things are getting better in Japan.
I always say- when it comes to the safety of your children, go with your instinct. If her instinct was telling her to take it back, then she did the right thing. Better safe than sorry, right? And she didn't hurt anybody in the process, so all is well.
