Originally Posted by **********

Baddog there is a huge difference.

Microwave radiation is non-ionizing. This means that it has enough energy to move the atoms inside molecules around or cause them to vibrate, but not enough to move electrons. Other types of non-ionizing radiation are things like visible light and sound. Your microwave oven cooks food by vibrating atoms in molecules of water, causing friction and generating heat. No actual radiation except for heat is left over in the the food that you microwave.

Ionizing radiation like gamma rays and x-rays, which is the kind pouring out of Fukushima, can rip electrons away from Atoms or even break up the nucleus of atoms. It also deposits alot of energy onto a very small space so if a fish eats a radioactive plant, the fish will absorb most of that radiation into its body. This radiation can do all kinds of damage such as cause cancer, burn skin, damage DNA etc. If you eat fish with enough even a little ionizing radiation in it, your own tissue will be affected. You really could get cancer or other forms of radiation poisoning.

The world is fucked.

As for swimming in Santa Monica Bay, you're lucky. It was a real toilet in until they fixed they upgraded the sewage treatment plants in the 80's but I'm guessing they did alot more to clean it up since it was such a tourist hotspot. I read though that it used to be full of DDT's and other crap. It probably wouldn't hurt to get a checkup. Hopefully you're not sick.