Japanese radiation exposure toll may rise to 8
Source: Agencies |
June 14, 2011, Tuesday
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Print Edition
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SIX more workers at Japan's tsunami-damaged nuclear power plant may have exceeded the radiation exposure limit, bringing the total to eight, the government said yesterday.
The health and labor ministry released the preliminary results of tests on how much radiation they had been exposed to as they worked at the Fukushima Dai-ichi plant.
Three men are control room operators and the five others worked to restore power that was knocked out by the earthquake and tsunami March 11.
Operator Tokyo Electric Power Company said none of them was showing immediate health problems but would require long-term monitoring as they have an increased risk of cancer. All eight have been transferred to desk jobs.
"We find it extremely regrettable," said Tadashi Mori, a health ministry official in charge of occupational health, referring to the six likely additions. Mori said the ministry plans to take "appropriate steps" over TEPCO's violation when the results are confirmed.
The government soon after the disaster raised the radiation limit for workers to 250 millisieverts from the standard 100 millisieverts so workers could tackle the emergency.
The health ministry also said yesterday that at least 90 others have exceeded the earlier limit of 100 millisieverts, including several who are nearing the higher limit.
On Friday, the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency said that the first two workers who reached the government's limit had been exposed to more than double that amount. It reprimanded TEPCO and demanded an investigative report within a week. The health ministry separately submitted a written warning over the two workers' exposures and is likely to do the same for the six additional workers if their cases are confirmed.
The two control room operators were exposed to more than 600 milisieverts - about 100 CT scans - mostly by inhaling radioactive particles, NISA spokesman Hidehiko Nishiyama said.
The health and labor ministry released the preliminary results of tests on how much radiation they had been exposed to as they worked at the Fukushima Dai-ichi plant.
Three men are control room operators and the five others worked to restore power that was knocked out by the earthquake and tsunami March 11.
Operator Tokyo Electric Power Company said none of them was showing immediate health problems but would require long-term monitoring as they have an increased risk of cancer. All eight have been transferred to desk jobs.
"We find it extremely regrettable," said Tadashi Mori, a health ministry official in charge of occupational health, referring to the six likely additions. Mori said the ministry plans to take "appropriate steps" over TEPCO's violation when the results are confirmed.
The government soon after the disaster raised the radiation limit for workers to 250 millisieverts from the standard 100 millisieverts so workers could tackle the emergency.
The health ministry also said yesterday that at least 90 others have exceeded the earlier limit of 100 millisieverts, including several who are nearing the higher limit.
On Friday, the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency said that the first two workers who reached the government's limit had been exposed to more than double that amount. It reprimanded TEPCO and demanded an investigative report within a week. The health ministry separately submitted a written warning over the two workers' exposures and is likely to do the same for the six additional workers if their cases are confirmed.
The two control room operators were exposed to more than 600 milisieverts - about 100 CT scans - mostly by inhaling radioactive particles, NISA spokesman Hidehiko Nishiyama said.
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