Japan Nuclear Crisis: Highest Radiation Levels Detected in Seawater

March 30, 2011— -- Radiation levels in the seawater outside the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant in Japan reached their highest levels yet this morning.

Officials said the seawater contains 3,335 times the normal amount of iodine, the Associated Press reported.

Now government officials are considering draping special tarps over three of the reactors to contain the radiation. It's a plan that's never been tried before and is not without risk because officials don't want more pressure to build up.

To assist in containment efforts, the U.S. government is sending radiation-hardened robots to reach areas too dangerous for workers.

Earlier this week, officials acknowledged highly dangerous plutonium was found in soil near the reactors.

Increased levels of radiation have been detected in tap water and vegetables.

Meanwhile, Masataka Shimizu, president of Tokyo Electric Power Co.(TEPCO), the company that operates the plant, has been hospitalized with hypertension according to TEPCO spokesman Naoki Tsunoda.

It is the latest in a series of setbacks and criticism the company has faced after the 9.0 earthquake and tsunami knocked out the reactor's cooling system on March 11.

On the Fukushima Front Lines

An American expert is among those on the front lines near Fukushima.

Dr. Robert Gale spent years working in Chernobyl and is now in Japan to advise the prime minister's office directly on safety measures.

He spent a full day at what's called the "J-base" - the staging area for nuclear experts and doctors about 12 miles from the reactors.