Japan started releasing treated radioactive wastewater from the Fukushima nuclear power plant into the Pacific Ocean on August 24, 2023. Following the controversial discharge of the wastewater, China right away banned seafood from Japan.
In a September 7, 2023 edition of Lei’s Real Talk on YouTube—A radioactive “pandemic” rising?—Lei, the host, said nuclear radiation detectors are selling like hotcakes in China. “Sales surged 232 percent in less than a week. Now they were sold out, and on back order. This is because Beijing has stirred up a national publicity campaign over the release of treated Fukushima water.”
It turned out that the Geiger counters, or nuclear radiation measuring devices, were needed by millions of Chinese citizens concerned about the risk of being exposed to radiation, not from Japan but from Inner Mongolia, which is about 500 kilometers away from Beijing.
In the capital city of Inner Mongolia, Hohhot (Huhehaote), people have been lining up in hospitals to be treated for ashma-like symptoms. China Central Television (CCTV) reported that on the night of September 2, there was a sudden surge of asthma cases in the city after a thunderstorm. The report quoted the Deputy Director of the Pediatric Department at the Inner Mongolia Medical University Hospital as saying “we admitted more than 400 children.”
Dr. Li-Meng Yan, a scientist who worked at the Hong Kong School of Public Health, posted on X: “There is a large-scale radioactive material leakage from a mine near Ordos city of Inner Mongolia. Since September 2, numerous people got radiation injuries, especially acute respiratory injuries. According to our exclusive sources in CCP’s Central Military Commission and Ministry of Emergency, the radioactive materials were mined by PLA’s Armed Police to make dirty bombs. Armed Police thought they have mined all the radioactive materials, so they abandoned the place. Then PLA sold the concession of the coalmine to some business owners. Recently they mined it in the open air, so the radioactive materials were spread by convectional rainfall.”The official Chinese Communist Party (CCP) media gave the disease a name—“Thunderstorm asthma.” They said it was caused by the Artemisia plant, which allegedly has a high pollen concentration in August to September. But people wonder, Inner Mongolia always has had this type of plant, so why is this year particularly bad.
On September 4, some Chinese social media posts said people in Inner Mongolia have been exposed to radioactive uranium, like those used in nuclear plants, and the uranium has been reportedly excavated from a local coalmine. This is where the radioactive dust particles inhaled by people reportedly came from.
The CCP has reportedly deployed its Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear Regiment to manage the emergency.
Dr. Yan added: “There is no official registration of the radioactive mine. Based on classified report from our sources in Ministry of Emergency Management, the radioactive coalmine is in Shiguai district of Baotou, Inner Mongolia. Based on official data, radiation dose around the coal stockpiles is over one millisievert [mSv] per hour. The annual limit for radiation exposure for a member of the public is one mSv per annum. The government is still covering up the leakage. Currently, there are patients of such respiratory radiation injuries in Tianjin and Beijing. But the government insists on “Thunderstorm asthma related to plants,” claiming it would last for another two to three weeks.”
Open pit mining activities in the area started on August 20, 2023. A few days later, something bizarre happened. Two haul truck drivers suddenly developed ulcers all over their bodies, and passed brown urine. Sexually transmitted disease was the initial suspicion, but later, they were sent to the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, where they died. China’s CDC discovered they had radiation infection and reported the case to higher authorities. The two drivers were buried in lead-lined coffins.The Ministry of Emergency Management traced the source of the radiation back to the open piles of coal in the Ordos coalmine. Unfortunately, all but a negligible quantity of the newly mined coals have already been shipped to other coal yards and thermal power plants across China. So it was difficult to track where all the coal went. At this point, the Ministry of Emergency Management requested the People’s Liberation Army to help. Until now, Lei said this information is not being shared with the public.
