Very Small Radiation Level Detected In Minnesota

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says it has detected slightly elevated levels of radiation in rainwater in St. Paul. The EPA says elevated levels were expected after the March 11 tsunami in Japan and are not dangerous.

The EPA says Sunday the radiation levels are far below the levels of a public health concern.

EPA scientists routinely test precipitation samples from more than 30 sites in the United States. The agency announced Saturday that samples from California and Idaho also showed slightly elevated levels of radiation.

Radioactive substances exist in the air around us, the food we eat, and the water we drink. The mere presence of detectable radioactivity - or even somewhat elevated levels - does not necessarily imply any health risk.

(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved.)