More evidence the nuclear genie is out of the bottle.
Plutonium believed to have been released from the crippled Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant after the March 11 earthquake has been detected outside the power plant site for the first time, it has been learned.
One of the spots found contaminated with the hazardous substance is 45 kilometers from the plant.
A map released by the Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Ministry on Friday shows plutonium was found in soil samples taken from a total of six locations in Futabamachi, Namiemachi and Iitatemura, Fukushima Prefecture.
The map is based on a survey conducted by the ministry to determine how much soil around the power plant contains plutonium and strontium, which is also a hazardous radioactive substance.
However, a ministry official said because amounts of both substances were very small, decontamination efforts should focus on radioactive cesium.
