Nuclear accident’s radiation effects on health not known for years
The events have already alerted the world to the dangers of nuclear power and will certainly be a game changer in terms of international perceptions of nuclear power.”……lower level contamination impacts are much harder to identify….. there is no capacity for individual monitoring of lower levels of internal radiation exposures … these will be estimated AFTER the event.”
Unfolding Nuclear Disaster in Japan highlights health risks of nuclear reactors. Melbourne, 14 March 2011: The unfolding tragedy in Japan has highlighted the dangerous reality of nuclear power and its potential severe health consequences, said the Medical Association for the Prevention of War (MAPW) and International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) today in a joint statement.
“The situation in Japan is still unstable and unpredictable, and authorities are scrambling to avoid further catastrophic developments. The events have already alerted the world to the dangers of nuclear power and will certainly be a game changer in terms of international perceptions of nuclear power.”
“The medical effects of the nuclear reactor malfunction can be anticipated in two categories.”
“Firstly, high level contamination especially to workers and emergency responders, can lead to acute radiation effects- vomiting diarrhoea, bleeding, infection, convulsions, coma, death.”
“Secondly, lower level contamination impacts are much harder to identify. It requires a longer lag time, which may take years or decades – rather than hours or days – to assess. Exposure to radioactive materials is initially through inhalation, but then via the food chain and thus ingested.”
“After the Chernobyl accident, thousands of people developed thyroid cancers because of radioactive iodine ingestion, mostly thru cow’s milk contamination. The habitat in parts of Europe is still excessively radioactive from Cesium deposition 25 years ago.”
“While Geiger counters as demonstrated on news reports will identify people with higher level exposures, but there is no capacity for individual monitoring of lower levels of internal radiation exposures … these will be estimated AFTER the event.”
“Now is the time to reduce our global reliance on nuclear power, to boost the roll-out, research and development of genuinely sustainable energy energy sources,” said Williams.
For further comment contact Bill Williams – 0428616245
For further media enquiries contact James Norman – 0415248768
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