WHO Spokesperson Says Risk to Public From Nuclear Reactor Leak is Low
Posted on March 12, 2011
Reuters reports that The World Health Organization (WHO) says the risk to the public from Japan's leaking Fukushima Daiichi nuclear reactor is currently "quite low." This would change if more radiation starts leaking from the reactor. MSNBC reports that officials at the plant say the radiation leak was decreasing, despite a widely reported explosion at the plant.
WHO spokesman Gregory Hartl told Reuters, "At this moment it appears to be the case that the public health risk is probably quite low. We understand radiation that has escaped from the plant is very small in amount."
A photograph here shows officials in protective gear checking a boy for radiation. Officials are checking evacuees for radiation signs. Japanese authorities are also reportedly making preparations to distribute iodine to people living near the nuclear power plant. The country has been widening the evacuation zone around the nuclear plant over the past several days.
There is no safe level of radiation for a human begin and the effects of radiation are cumulative. The less radiation exposure a person gets the better. You can read more about radiation and the impact on human health here.
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