Comparisons

The reports saying the detected radiation levels are safe (safe reports) are based on comparisons of the detected radiation level with other radiations.  However, the comparisons may not be appropriate due to the following reasons.

1. Comparison with Animal or Human Tests  

Some safe reports may compare current detected radiation level with the animal or human radiation tests levels, and concluded it's safe. 

However, in animal or human tests, the participating animals or humans were exposed to a radiation for only a short period of time (e.g. X-ray, CT, PET, MRI scans, etc).  Above radiation levels may be relatively safe when people are exposed to them for a few seconds.  However, in medicine there are many statistics proofing that the scan radiations are not safe when people are exposed to them for longer time.   

Current situation is people everywhere around the globe are receiving the radiation 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for weeks or even months and years. 

So far, there is no scientific experiment done by putting animals or humans under a radiation continuously for such a long time.  There is no proof that above radiation level is safe when people are exposed to it 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for weeks, months, or years.  The accumulated radioactive dose can make above radiation level very dangerous. 

2. Comparison with Cosmic Radiation

Some safe reports may compare current detected radiation level with the cosmic radiation people receive while taking airplanes, and concluded that it is safe. 

However, taking airplanes only lasts for a few hours.  Now people are receiving the radiation 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for weeks or even months and years.  Even though the radiation may be safe when exposed to it for a few hours, it can be dangerous when exposed to it for such a long time. 

So far, there is no safety test done for people to take airplane 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for weeks, months, or years.  There is no proof that the radiation level is still safe when people are exposed to it for such a long time. 

Another difference between cosmic radiation and the detected radiation is that the radioactive sources of cosmic radiation are in the universe.  Cosmic radiation is not man-made.  During million years of evolution, human beings have got used to the cosmic radiation, which is safe to humans.

But the radioactive sources of current detected radiation are in the air.  They are man-made.  Now people are receiving radiation from the radioactive sources in the air at home, school, work place, stores, etc.  People have direct contact with these radioactive sources through the skin.  People also breath these radioactive sources into lungs.  The radioactive sources then can get into blood stream and spread all over the body.  As a result, current detected radiation level can be very dangerous to the public. 

3. Comparison with Background Radiation

Some safe reports may compare current detected radiation level with the background radiation level, and concluded it's safe. 

Background radiation is composed of two parts: natural background radiation and man-made background radiation.  Natural background radiation comes from cosmic radiation and radiation emitted from underground radioactive soil, rocks, and mines.  The natural background radiation is safe since it has been tested through millions of years of evolution (if it were not safe, human would not have been existed).  

The sources of radiation from underground are radioactive soil, rocks, and mines, which are usually far away from us.  These radioactive sources will not get into human body.  In addition, after penetrating through the earth, the underground radiation has been significantly reduced when it reaches the surface of earth.

Man-made background radiation is not safe.  For example, since the advent of man-made radiation, the total background radiation level has been increased significantly.  Accordingly, human cancer rate has been increased despite the fact that people living standard has been improved.  There are numerous other evidences also indicate that no radiation is safe if it is man-made.

The radioactive sources of current detected radiation from Fukushima nuclear power plant are in the air.  People are receiving these radioactive sources in the air at home, school, work place, stores, etc, having direct contact with them on the skin, and breathing them into lungs.  The radioactive sources then can get into blood stream and spread all over the body.  Since the radioactive sources can get into human body, they are very close to humans, which is very different from the background radiation.  The close distance between radioactive sources and human body can be very dangerous to the public. 

Time Factor

One factor affecting the radiation safety is the time exposed to the radiation.  Current radiation level in air, water, milk, foods, etc. may be lower than the radiation level of medical scans.  However, medical scans last for only a second. 

Now people around the world are exposed to current radiation from multiple channels simultaneously (all over the skin, along respiratory tracts, inside blood stream, and in deposited organs) continuously 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

If the radiation leaks from Fukushima power plant are not stopped right away, the nuclear radiation damages to human bodies around the globe will be amplified by thousands and millions of times due to continued exposure to the radiation in air, water, foods, etc.

Distance Factor

Another factor affecting the radiation intensity is the distance from the radioactive materials.  The radiation intensity is inversely proportional to the square of distance from the radioactive source.  As the distance from the radioactive sources tends to zero, the radiation intensity can be increased significantly. 

Now the radioactive sources of Japan nuclear plant radiation are in the air, water, milk, foods, etc. all over the world.  After these radioactive sources enter into the body through breathing and ingestion, the human distance from the radioactive sources tends to zero. 

Therefore, no matter how small the radiation dose is, as long as the radioactive materials are inhaled or ingested into body, the distance from the radioactive materials tends to zero, and radiation intensity will be greatly increased.  As a result, current low level radiation can be very dangerous to the public after the radioactive materials are inhaled and ingested into the body. 

With so many people in the world have been exposed to the radiation at such close distances, the consequences will be very dangerous if the nuclear leaks are not stopped right away. 

Comparing with Chernobyl

Both the Fukushima incident and the Chernobyl accident of former Soviet Union are considered the worst nuclear power plant accident in history, and both are classified as level 7 event on the International Nuclear Event Scale.

Although the two nuclear incidents are classified as the same level, current Fukushima incident might cause more harms to people around the globe because:

(1) Although the radiation intensity in Fukushima incident is about 1/10 of the intensity in Chernobyl incident, the Chernobyl nuclear leak had been quickly stopped.  As a result, in Chernobyl accident, the radiation had mainly affected former Soviet Union and Europe. 

(2) However, more than 1 month has passed, the Fukushima nuclear leaks are still continuing.  Due to the accumulated radioactive materials leaked into air and water, the radiation from Fukushima incident has already affected not only Europe, but also America, Asia, and many other countries around the globe.  Therefore, the Fukushima incident is more serious than Chernobyl.

In Chernobyl accident, four hundred times more radioactive material was released than had been by the atomic bombing of Hiroshima.  If Fukushima incident lasts longer time, how many atomic bombs of radioactive materials will be released into the air and water? 

So far there is still no plan to stop the Fukushima nuclear leak right away.  This means the radiation leaks will continue for longer time, which will pose greater dangers to people in the world. 

Conclusion

If people around the globe continuously receive the man-made radiation 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, for many weeks, months, or years within a close distance from the radioactive sources in the air, contact them through skin and inhale them into lungs, the outcome can be very dangerous and unpredictable. 

Above dangerousness may not appear instantly.  However, if the Fukushima nuclear power plants continue to release radiation materials to the air and water to the world, many people in countries from Asia to Europe, America, etc. probably will develop radiation related diseases (including cancers) in 10 to 30 years. 

 
Back to top