[ RadSafe ] Few Received High Radiation from Japanese Reactor

[S L Gawarecki]

Few Received High Radiation from Japanese Reactor
By Michael Smith, North American Correspondent, MedPage Today
Published: November 16, 2011

Few people had elevated radiation levels in the weeks after the
nuclear reactor explosions that followed the Japanese earthquake and
tsunami on March 11, researchers reported.

And none of those had levels high enough to require decontamination,
according to Ikuo Kashiwakura, PhD, and colleagues at Hirosaki
University in Hirosaki, Japan.

The findings come from data collected by emergency medical teams sent
to the stricken Fukushima Prefecture by Hirosaki University's
Radiation Safety Organization, Kashiwakura and colleagues reported
online in PLoS ONE.

The earthquake and tsunami caused severe damage at the Fukushima
Dai-ichi nuclear power station. The tsunami flooded the station to a
depth of 13 to 17 feet, even though the buildings are 45 to 50 feet
above sea level, the researchers noted.

An explosion the following day led to an evacuation order for all
residents within 20 kilometers (12.5 miles) of the plant. After a
second explosion two days later, teams began leaving Hirosaki
University for Fukushima.

The first team took radiation measurements at various spots along the
road and found that levels were essentially normal – about one-tenth
of a microgray per hour – until they reached the city of Oshu, about
180 kilometers (112 miles) from Fukushima.