Thursday, March 8, 2012

89 Millisieverts Equivalent Dose at Thyroid from a Resident in Namie-machi, Fukushima, Says Hirosaki University Researchers

Professor Shinji Tokonami, Department of Radiation Physics, Institute of Radiation Emergency Medicine, Hirosaki University and his researchers say people who escaped from the coastal areas of Fukushima Prefecture after the accident and people who continued to live in Namie-machi after the March 11, 2011 nuclear accident were found with high levels of radiation exposure on the thyroid.

They tested 65 residents in April 2011, and it is in the news on March 9, 2012. Another case of nearly one-year delay in disclosing the information that would have made the difference if known earlier. Like 11 months ago.

From Asahi Shinbun (3/9/2012):

東京電力福島第一原発事故で、放射性ヨウ素によって甲状腺に90ミリシーベルト近い被曝(ひばく)をしていた人がいることが分かった。弘前大学被ばく医療総合研究所の床次眞司(とこなみ・しんじ)教授らが、事故の約1カ月後に行った住民65人の測定結果を分析した。被曝した人の約半数が10ミリシーベルト以下だったが、5人が50ミリシーベルトを超えていた。

It has been disclosed that someone was exposed to nearly 90 millisievert radiation [equivalent dose] on the thyroid from radioactive iodine during the Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant accident. Professor Shinji Tokonami, Department of Radiation Physics, Institute of Radiation Emergency Medicine, Hirosaki University and his researchers analyzed the test result of 65 Fukushima residents. The test was conducted 1 month after the accident. Of people who were exposed to radiation, about half had equivalent dose of 10 millisieverts or less, but 5 people had equivalent dose exceeding 50 millisieverts.

 甲状腺被曝はがんのリスクがあるが、ヨウ素は半減期が短く、事故直後の混乱などで、きちんとした計測はされておらず、詳しい実態は分かっていなかった。

The radiation exposure on the thyroid increases the risk of cancer. However, radioactive iodine has a short half life, and the exposure was not measured properly in the confusion right after the accident and the details were not known.

 床次さんらは昨年4月11~16日、原発のある福島県浜通り地区から福島市に避難してきた48人と、原発から30キロ圏周辺の浪江町津島地区に残っていた住民17人を対象に、甲状腺内の放射性ヨウ素の濃度を調べた。この結果、8割近い50人からヨウ素が検出された。

From April 11 to 16 last year, Professor Tokonami's group measured the density of radioactive iodine in the thyroid of 48 people who evacuated from Hamadori (coastal 1/3 of Fukushima) to Fukushima City and 17 people who remained in Tsushima District of Namie-machi, right outside the 30 kilometer radius from the nuclear power plant. Radioactive iodine was found in 50 people, nearly 80% of people tested.

 この実測値から、甲状腺の内部被曝線量を計算した。事故直後の3月12日にヨウ素を吸い込み、被曝したという条件で計算すると、34人は20ミリシーベルト以下で、5人が、健康影響の予防策をとる国際的な目安の50ミリシーベルトを超えていた。

From the actual measurement, the researchers calculated the equivalent dose at the thyroid. Assuming they had inhaled radioactive iodine immediately after the accident on March 12 and were exposed to radiation, the calculation showed that 34 people had equivalent dose of 20 millisieverts and less, and 5 people exceeded 50 millisieverts, which is an international standard for intervention to prevent negative effect on health.

 最高は87ミリシーベルトで、事故後、浪江町に残っていた成人だった。2番目に高かったのは77ミリシーベルトの成人で、福島市への避難前に同町津島地区に2週間以上滞在していた。子どもの最高は47ミリシーベルト。詳しい行動は不明だ。

The maximum equivalent dose was 87 millisieverts, from an adult who remained in Namie-machi after the accident. The second highest was 77 millisieverts from an adult who had spent more than 2 weeks in Tsushima District of Namie-machi on his/her way to evacuate to Fukushima City. The highest dose in children was 47 millisieverts. There is no information of whereabouts of the child during the weeks in March and April.

 国が昨年3月下旬、いわき市、川俣町、飯舘村の子ども1080人に行った測定では、35ミリシーベルトが最高値と公表されていた。

In the test done by the national government late last March on 1,080 children in Iwaki City, Kawamata-machi, and Iitate-mura, 35 millisievert equivalent dose was announced as the maximum.

From Asahi's extremely convoluted tabulation, here's what I've figured out (I think, maybe):
  • 48 people from Hamadori (coastal 1/3), 17 people who remained in Tsushima District of Namie-machi, total 65 people

  • Radioactive iodine detected in 50 people

  • 25 people below 10 millisieverts equivalent dose

  • 9 people between 10 and 20

  • 11 people between 20 and 50

  • 5 people above 50
Why can't Asahi say it straight? (Rhetorical question in case you're wondering.)

NHK, reporting on the same news, says the researchers are yet to tell the residents about the test result:

調査チームでは、今後、検査を行った住民に対し結果を報告することにしています。

The researchers plans to tell the residents about the test result in the near future.

How nice of them.

Hirosaki University is one of the 86 national universities in Japan.

11 comments:

Viola said...

What the heck...
They didn't tell them?????
Criminal!

Anonymous said...

So then the Japanese government EVACUATED them to a place without radiation? Remember, some have already reached the max allowable radiation in the first year. Where do they stay after that? And the child, how is he/she at this point in time?

Or are we just treating this population like laboratory rats? Guinea pigs? Probably the lab animals get better care....

Anonymous said...

hasn't the Japanese government told that the limit is 100 msv? Bellow that, no health effect.
There are already plenty of fukushima caused thyroid cancer and problems happening, yet the Dr. Nazishima (Damashita) says that they are not caused by Fukushima, so the government seems to be clean and not responsible and it seems that nothing is going on, just our imagination.

Anonymous said...

Thyroid dose and total absorbed dose (the famous 20 mSv the set for evacuation) are not the same. In Chernobyl the average thyroid dose for the evacuees was around 500 mSv or something like that.

doitujin said...

english version: http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311disaster/fukushima/AJ201203090071

Anonymous said...

It is absolutely sickening that over and over vital information was/is withheld from the public by the government and/or research organizations, be it the Speedy data that supposedly didn't exist or actual measurements. Trying to avoid panic in the population is absolutely no excuse. The public has a right to accurate and timely (i.e., immediate information), and if panic is to be avoided where panic is uncalled for, you educate - not withhold. Heck, as far as I'm concerned, the public even has a right to panic. How dare anyone, whether government or other organizations, treat the public who funds them like brainless idiots with no right to make decisions about their lives?

I agree with the first poster: criminal!

Nancy said...

Has the university released this as a report with a spreadsheet etc of results? I couldn't find it on their website but I can't read Japanese very well.

These people's results need to be added to the total "log" of all the exposures being found. In the US some groups are citing the small amount of testing done by the govt. survey and declaring nobody in Fukushima was exposed or will get sick. Then I see results like this and just want to bang my head on my desk.

These results are what I have been expecting to see. Some people with fairly low exposures and some with really high exposures based on where they were during those critical days.

How many people have yet to be tested but have high exposures. Or were exposed to high levels by have had it die off or purged like Iodine?

Anonymous said...

Just a food for thought on radiation damage.
This is the most painful form of the process of dying.
This man was already an adult.

1906
Luis Andrew Weigel (doctor from the U.S.). Dally presented as well as Radiguet
X-ray tubes and got her during the making huge amounts of radium and
X-ray radiation. Dally suffered them to severe hair loss and a severe dermatitis
the hands and face. 1902 were all conservative methods of treatment
exhausted, so that he nearly six years of terrible pain and extensive
Ulcers suffered. After formation of cancer in both hands extended and amputations,
Dally was the first American X-sacrifice. He died of mediastinal metastases.
Suffered the same fate Elisabeth Fleischmann, according to the daily, up to twelve hours
X-rays, an arm and had to make and can Skapulaamputation
of lung and pleural metastases died. Professor Weigel was diagnosed with metastases to the
Axillarlymphknoten who took his hands from cancer growths originated.

Anonymous said...

OT
Nancy, Would you post the reason behind the closing of the ScribbleLive account on Simply Info please. The "temporary" move to Hipchat has left many of your readers behind.

Anonymous said...

Cartilage


With increasing juvenile cartilage, it comes as a result of ionizing radiation to the disturbance of endochondral ossification. This refers to the process of ossification of cartilage from birth until the age of 9-11 years, the endochondral ossification, which split up in endochondral ossification and perichondral ossification. In the perichondral ossification of the ossified cartilage externally, in the endochondral ossification of the cartilages ossify internally. These two processes occur in parallel. Due to the disturbance of the epiphyseal marrow space are compressed ago by a bone lid closed. It is the growth of the epiphyseal plate to a conclusion. In the adult, resting cartilage occurs in consequence of a disturbance of the circulation in the periosteum to disturbances. These disorders are joined by a late injury infectious processes and tumor burglaries. The resting cartilage, however, is less sensitive than the growing cartilage.

Anonymous said...

http://tekknorg.wordpress.com/2012/03/04/japanese-children-cancer-outlook-children-need-absolutely-clean-food/

Was für eine dreckige Umgebung für das Wachstum

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