The World Health Organization has issued a preliminary estimate of radiation doses received as a result of the Fukushima accident. Using conservative assumptions, the assessment indicates that total effective doses in the two most affected areas of the Fukushima prefecture are from 10 to 50 millisieverts (mSv).In the rest of the prefecture, total effective dose is estimated to be from 1 to 10 mSv. Total effective doses in most of the Japanese population are estimated to be within a range of 0.1 to 1 mSv. Throughout the rest of the world, all total effective doses are below 0.01 mSv and usually far below this level. For reference, radiation sickness requires a dose of about 2000 mSv. There has never been a study that has shown any measurable health effect from a radiation dose of 100 mSv or less. Typical background radiation in the US is 2 or 3 mSv per year; in some parts of the world, natural background radiation can exceed 70 mSv per year. People living in those areas also show no health effects.
I have some annoyance to this whole event. The press blew the whole situation out of the water with their graphics and reports showing how many people will be killed if the reactor melted down, and the damage to the environment this would cause. Lets put the event into perspective. The plant was hit by a massive earthquake which will have flagged the safety systems. At this point the reactor was probably scaled down just in case, if not shutdown. This was then followed by a 40ft tsunami. Now this is a pretty freakish event for anyone to predict. The press then said the reactor was live and they were having trouble cooling it. OMG ITS GONNA BLOW ANY MINUTE was the headlines or there abouts any case. This then shifted this disaster into a new chernobyl event and attention was diverted. Governments listened to the pointlessly scared public of their countries and said that nuclear power was bad. Germany pretty much shutdown all of its nuclear power stations and said it will not be building more. Am I the only one who thinks this is a ridiculous idea. Nuclear power is clean, efficient, cheap and safe. Yes their have been accidents, however this was in the technologies infancy and we have actually come along way. Safety systems are ridiculously backed up and even a massive earthquake and 40ft tsunami didn't cause a chernobyl incident. Does that alone not ease concern? Finally I think the thing that really got my goat about this whole incident was the fact that the tsunami, that did relatively little damage to a nuclear power plant. actually killed 20,000 men, women and children. This was whitewashed by scare mongering and hippy nonsense regarding nuclear power safety. Oh and on topic... As stated a pathetic amount of mSv and will cause few, if any, issues. Lion.
