More Japan

[Jim Hardeman <Jim_Hardeman@mail.dnr.state.ga.us>]

RADSAFEr's --

More on the Japanese nuclear incident,
from Japan Times:

"The amount of that three of 14 workers
irradiated in a nuclear accident at
uranium-processing firm JCO Co. were
exposed to is estimated to have been at
least eight sievert, doctors said Thursday
evening.

Nanao Kamada, a professor at the
Research Institute for Radiation Biology
and Medicine at Hiroshima University, said
Ouchi and Shinohara are believed to be
suffering from acute radiation symptoms
and that it is difficult to provide proper
treatment for them.

Kamada, who examined the blood tests of
the three workers, said the third man,
Yutaka Yokokawa, 54, is also in a serious
condition.

Sodium-24, a radioactive substance, was
detected in the vomit of all three, the
officials said.

The number of leukocytes in the three
rose by two to four times the normal level,
according to the institute.

The ratio of lymphocytes in white blood
corpuscles, which averages 40 percent
among ordinary people, has dropped
below 10 percent, and the figures for
Ouchi and Shinohara are as low as 2
percent.

Kamada said the degree of radiation the
three were exposed to is high, estimating
the amount the two critically injured
workers absorbed was between 8 to 10
sievert, judging from their lymphocyte
count and overall condition."

The full article may be found at:

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/news9-99/news.html

Jim Hardeman
Manager, Environmental Radiation
Program
Environmental Protection Division
Georgia Department of Natural Resources
4244 International Parkway, Suite 114
Atlanta, GA 30354
(404) 362-2675  fax: (404) 362-2653
Jim_Hardeman@mail.dnr.state.ga.us
JCHardeman@aol.com

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