2011-03-28 06:24

BEIJING - China detected low levels of radioactive material iodine-131 in the air above northeast Heilongjiang province for the second day on Sunday, though public health and the environment remained unaffected, according to authorities.

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China's National Nuclear Emergency Coordination Committee issued a statement on Sunday, saying the level of iodine-131 has largely remained the same as Saturday.

On Saturday, Chinese monitoring stations detected radioactive material in the air for the first time. The material was believed to be released from Japan's crippled Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, according to the committee.

The committee reiterated that public health and the environment remain unaffected by radioactivity and no protective measures are needed, as levels of the radioactive material are below one-hundred-thousandth of the average level.

The conclusion was based upon monitoring and analysis by a Beijing-based emergency response center affiliated with the World Meteorological Organization, the International Atomic Energy Agency, the State Oceanic Administration and the Ministry of Environmental Protection, according to the statement.