Ask Slashdot: Radiation Detection For Tokyo Resident?

An anonymous reader writes "I'm an American who is living in Tokyo. Stories have started popping up about 'radiation hot spots' in Tokyo and surrounding prefectures so I have begun to worry. I live on the first floor of my apartment building and right by our washing machine there is a gutter out there that is clogged with rain water and mud, which has me especially worried because my wife and I are planning to have kids soon. Obviously no one from the government is going to come by to check our gutter so I feel the need to take matters into my own hands. I have absolutely no idea so I'm asking you guys. What kind of radiation detector should I get? A Geiger Counter? If it measures Gamma rays is that enough? Are alpha and beta dangerous too? I know no one has all the answers regarding radiation but any advice you guys could give me would be great."

Comments

Re:I can't figure out Slashdot . . .

[Idou]

Wow, that must be pretty embarrassing . . . being in YOUR field and having never heard of Safecast, the first community network for monitoring radiation. That area could be measured for free with the help of "experts." Perhaps an "expert" such as yourself should recommend people contacting a groups like that instead of sticking your nose up and saying their concerns are not worth being addressed?

But I understand your need to mystify measuring radiation. I mean, if measuring radiation becomes so easy that it just becomes another phone app, then how are you going to pay off that student debt of yours?