Official: Trace radiation detected in NY

Trace amounts of radioactive iodine believed to be linked to Japan's nuclear reactor leak have been found in New York but are still dramatically lower than levels that threaten human health, state Health Department officials said Tuesday.

The state's drinking water and air remain safe and the radiation levels are thousands of times lower than a chest X-ray, state health officials said.

"Our most recent testing has detected extremely low levels of radioactive iodine," state Health Commissioner Dr. Nirav R. Shah said in a statement.

The most recent analysis shows radioactivity levels ranging from 0.01 to 0.1 picocuries per cubic meter in the air. A picocurie is one-trillionth of a curie.

Official said residents do not need to take potassium iodide, which is used during a nuclear emergency to protect people from radiation's affects.

Several agencies, including the state Health Department, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Environmental Protection Agency are involved in the testing.

Testing is done at 12 sites across New York, including Brookhaven National Laboratories in Upton and Fishers Island.