Japan is second largest economic power in the world having 55 nuclear reactors in 17 locations. The earthquake smashed the nuclear power plant near Tokyo damaging the cooling system of nuclear reactor which makes the total malt down of reactor fear. There is hope that this fear remains fear and will not become a nuclear disaster as this nation already suffer nuclear radiation twice. But the risk of radiation remains until containment efforts are successful.
On March 14 Japan’s nuclear energy reports that the level of radiation outside the plant is not higher then the legal limits but yesterday morning March 15, the radiation level suddenly raised up to 400 millisieverts per hour which is above the danger zone. For comparison of the radiation level we consider X-ray for chest which is having radiation level 0.02 to 0.65 millisieverts per hour. A U.S resident is exposed total of 3 millisieverts per year approx.
The radiation in Tokyo is reported to be not in danger zone but on March 14, officials ordered evacuation of the residents living within 30 kilometers (about 18 miles) and yesterday they advised to remain indoors. It is reported that people are fleeing form Tokyo and there are around 100,000 people reported to be in danger zone. In the recovery efforts some of the workers already suffered from radiation sickness and injuries.
“The scariest outcome from such releases of radiation are the immediate effects, which are going to be only felt by personnel who have to go into the building and shut it down,” said radiation biologist Jacqueline P. Williams, PhD, Department of Radiation oncology, University of Rochester, N.Y.
Williams also said that long term effects of radiation exposure will result in cancers and the most common cancers associated with the radiation are Leukemia, Thyroid, Lungs and breast.
This disaster would be devastating to the environment and human if the nuclear radiation will not be controlled and this radiation can travel to other countries with the help of wind blowing to other countries.
There is no fear that this radiation will blow towards the U.S. “No radiation of Japan disaster is expected to hit the U.S” said a radiologist from Department of radiation health physics at Oregon State University.
