Japan is facing shortages of bottled water after dangerous radiation levels were detected in water supplies in Tokyo and other areas. Store shelves were empty across Tokyo after Japanese authorities warned that tap water was too dangerous for consumption by infants. Thousands of people remain without water in areas of northern Japan ravaged by the earthquake and tsunami. James Lyons of the International Atomic Energy Agency said radiation levels around the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station could be on the decline.

James Lyons: “More data has become available from the Japanese authorities, and their measurements indicate that the radiation dose rates at the Daiichi site are decreasing. There are some positive indications on the site. Precautionary restrictions around the site on certain foodstuffs have been put in place. A monitoring of the environment continues to expand beyond the evacuation zone and out to sea. Overall, no significant risk to human health has been identified.”

Despite the apparent improvements, the IAEA has warned Japanese officials continue to withhold crucial data, including the temperatures of spent fuel pools at the plant’s reactors.
The toll of the dead or missing in Japan has topped 26,000.