Fukishima Radiation Report

[martybegan]

So basically it was closer to TMI than Chernobyl.


Experts Foresee No Detectable Health Impact from Fukushima Radiation - NYTimes.com

The additional exposures received by most Japanese people in the first year and subsequent years due to the radioactive releases from the accident are less than the doses received from natural background radiation (which is about 2.1 mSv per year). This is particularly the case for Japanese people living away from Fukushima, where annual doses of around 0.2 mSv from the accident are estimated, arising primarily through ingestion of radionuclides in food.

No radiation-related deaths or acute effects have been observed among nearly 25,000 workers (including TEPCO employees and contractors) involved at the accident site.

Given the small number of highly exposed workers, it is unlikely that excess cases of thyroid cancer due to radiation exposure would be detectable. Special health examinations will be given to workers with exposures above 100 mSv including annual monitoring of the thyroid, stomach, large intestine and lung for cancer as a means to monitor for potential late radiation-related health effects at the individual level.

The assessment also concluded that although the rate of exposures may have exceeded the levels for the onset of effects on plants and animals several times in the first few months following the accident, any effects are expected to be transient in nature, given their short duration. In general, the exposures on both marine and terrestrial non-human biota were too low for observable acute effects.

Yes, there were meltdowns, and radioactive water and gases were released, but the cores themselves were not ejected and combusted like you saw at Chernobyl, and that is probably the key reason the radiation released was low relative to Chernobyl.

It is also a testament to the resliliency of even decades old western nuclear technology. A 9+ earthquake, a 40ft high wall of water, multiple aftershocks and a ruined infrastucture, while resulting in permanent damage to the reactors and a decades long onsite cleanup (Like TMI) did not adversely impact the larger surrounding area.

 

[Old Rocks]

Fukishima is far from over and there is still considerable danger of it getting out of hand once more.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/30/w...rils-fukushima-plant.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

 

[Mad Scientist]

There's no radiation coming from Fukushima.

 

[martybegan]

Fukishima is far from over and there is still considerable danger of it getting out of hand once more.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/30/w...rils-fukushima-plant.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

Yes, of course they have to watch the equipment and processes for further treating the immidiate site.

Also, I hate when journalists say "high levels of X" without giving at least some indication of the concentration, and also They did not say which Isotope of Strontium is found in the water. Its probably Strontium 90, but it could be Strontium 89 the 1/2 life for each of those is vastly different.