Radiation exposure can be dealt with
Public fears rose after high levels of radiation were detected near the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant and many residents were exposed to radioactive substances.
But while higher than normal levels of radiation have been recorded in various parts of Japan, experts and government officials said the figures do not represent levels that could immediately affect human health.
Throughout their daily lives, humans are exposed to radiation from outer space and the land. Over the course of a year, an individual is exposed to 2,400 microsieverts (one millisievert is the equivalent of 1,000 microsieverts).
Although anyone exposed to a high level of radiation at one time will be seriously affected, an individual is exposed to 50 microsieverts when taking a chest X-ray exam, 200 microsieverts when taking a round-trip flight between Tokyo and New York and 6,900 microsieverts for a chest CT scan.
Prefectures in eastern Japan announced radiation levels in the air detected on Tuesday. (One microgray per hour was converted as 1 microsievert per hour).
The highest radiation level recorded was 23.18 microsieverts in Fukushima Prefecture. Ibaraki Prefecture had a recording of 5.575 microsieverts, while Tokyo had a reading of 0.809 microsieverts.
Tokyo's figure was much greater than the 0.035 microsieverts that is considered normal.
During the 1999 criticality accident in Tokai, Ibaraki Prefecture, at a nuclear fuel reprocessing facility operated by JCO Co., neutron rays were leaked, and about 660 residents who lived nearby were exposed to radiation.
However, in 2000, when experts considered the health effects, they concluded that the radiation levels were not at a level that could clearly affect health.
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