West Coast Radiation Monitors Not Working Properly

LOS ANGELES (KTLA) -- The EPA has reported that at least eight of 18 air monitors along the West Coast are "undergoing quality review."

According to a statement on their website, the monitors in California, Oregon and Washington were set up after nuclear fears spread across Japan and are listed by the EPA as being in review for reporting an abnormal reading.

Scientists must now evaluate the readings, which indicate that the monitor may not be working properly or merely measured a spike in radiation levels due to environmental change.

Earlier this week trace amounts of radiation were registered on monitors in Southern California but at levels too low to pose a threat.

EPA's samples were captured by three monitors in California, including Riverside, Anaheim and last week in Sacramento. One monitor in Washington registered higher than normal amounts as well.

"The radiation levels detected on the filters from California and Washington monitors are hundreds of thousands to millions of times below levels of concern," the EPA said Tuesday.

The EPA also stressed that Americans have no reason for concern, saying that in a typical day, "Americans receive doses of radiation from natural sources like rocks, bricks and the sun that are about 100,000 times higher than what we have detected coming from Japan."

Last week many people were fooled by an official-looking email that was sent out, claiming radioactive particles could mix in with the recent rainfall.

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