Pumicekikagakkyoku – Gift from Ogasawara
The volcanic eruption in the Ogasawara Islands has caused many pumice stone to drift ashore in Okinawa every day, devastating the fishing industry. This has also had a negative impact on the tourism industry due to the lack of marine sports activities. Corals in the ocean that are blocked by the pumice stones cannot breathe, and if they are not removed soon, the ocean will die as well.
This is the situation, but the local government is working hard to remove the pumice stone, but because it comes intermittently every day, the number of pumice stones is not decreasing at all.
On the other hand, I find it romantic that a pumice stone washed up on an island from an island 1,000 kilometers away.
Many people visit the beach and pick up pumice stones. The purpose is to put the pumice stone in farmland or planters to improve drainage. Pumice has been used for a long time. They are also used to exfoliate elbows and knees, and are appreciated by women. (However, the pumice stone used this time is more brittle than those sold in the market.)
Also, people started taking them home as souvenirs and some even sold them on Mercari and Yahoo! The government has asked people not to take the pumice stone because its contents are unknown, and in response, auction sites have stopped selling it, but I wish people would do more scientific “fact” research before sending out information.
Okinawa Prefecture finally announced on November 6 that no dangerous components had been detected. Well, it’s easy to find out if there is any radioactivity by checking with a Geiger counter. Some people have been calling it a conspiracy theory, but everyone should at least do a search.
In addition, a research group in Kagoshima Prefecture and other areas has succeeded in creating crystals called “zeolites” on the surface of pumice by heating it in water of less than 100 degrees Celsius in which sodium hydroxide is dissolved.
The crystals could be used to adsorb radioactive materials and take other measures to prevent environmental pollution. Rather than emitting radioactivity, they could become a material that absorbs radioactivity.
This kind of groundbreaking news is not often reported.
So, I made a package of pumice stone to make everyone interested and to eliminate pumice stone damage in Okinawa as much as possible. I would like to send it to anyone who wants it. Of course, free of charge on the web.
From our villa, it looks as if it came from the holy island of Hisaka, so I guess it is a “gift from Hisaka Island.
If you want it, I’ll send it to you on delivery, so please message me. As soon as we run out of stock.
◆ Reference
Zeolite” on the surface of pumice stone Hopes for measures against environmental pollution｜NHK Kagoshima News
Okinawa Pumice Hazardous Substances “Below Standard” Prefectural Component Analysis (November 6, 2021)
Ridgeway releases web app that uses satellite imagery to track pumice stone drift, assess damage and predict drift to the mainland.
Pumice: “Witness to Earth’s Activities” or “Nuisance Intruder”?
