"Minuscule" amounts of iodine-131 was found in milk from Washington state. Image courtesy of stevoarnold.
Reuters reports that trace amounts (0.8 pCi/L) of radioactive iodine-131 was found in milk from cows in Washington state, though officials stress this is nothing to be alarmed about.
"These types of findings are to be expected in the coming days and are far below levels of public health concern, including for infants and children," said the Food and Drug Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency in a joint statement.
Though the levels found in the US are 5,000 times below the FDA's standard, this particular isotope of iodine is not normally present in milk. When milk is contaminated, iodine-131 can accumulate in the thyroid and lead to cancer.