BBC ONLINE 28 February 2013
Last updated at 11:20 GMT
The Fukushima plant was devastated by an earthquake and tsunami
People
living near the damaged Fukushima nuclear plant in Japan have an
increased risk of developing some cancers, the World Health Organization
says.
The increased risk is limited to communities and some
emergency workers exposed to radiation after the 2011 earthquake and
tsunami, analysis shows.
For those living in the rest of Japan there is no health risk, it said.
Experts stressed the increased lifetime risk of cancer remained small.
The report is part of an ongoing assessment by international
experts on the fallout from severe damage to the Fukushima Daiichi
plant.
In March 2011, a powerful tsunami generated by a
magnitude-9.0 earthquake out at sea slammed into the nuclear power plant
in north-eastern Japan, damaging four of six reactors at the site.
Around 16,000 people were killed by the impact of the earthquake.
A substantial amount of radiation was released into the environment and a 20km (12 miles) evacuation zone was set up.
The latest analysis has found that those living in the most
contaminated areas around Fukushima are expected to have a small but
higher than expected risk of cancer.
The biggest lifetime risks were seen in those exposed as infants, compared with children or adults.
For girls exposed to radiation from the accident as infants,
the report found a 4% increase above the lifetime expected risk of solid
tumours and a 6% increase above that expected for breast cancer.
Boys exposed as infants are expected to have a 7% increased risk of leukaemia above that expected in the normal population.
The biggest risk was seen in thyroid cancer, which for infant girls could be up to 70% higher than expected over their lifetime.
Demographic factors
But the WHO was keen to stress that these risks were relative and remained small.
For example, the lifetime risk of developing thyroid cancer
over a lifetime for women is 0.75% and the additional risk for those
exposed as infants in the most affected area is 0.50%.
The report also found that a third of emergency workers
working in the plant after the disaster are at an increased risk of
cancer.
Radiation doses from the damaged nuclear power plant are not
expected to cause an increase in the incidence of miscarriages,
stillbirths or congenital disorders.
Dr Maria Neira, WHO director for public health and
environment, said: "The primary concern identified in this report is
related to specific cancer risks linked to particular locations and
demographic factors."
She added that the report underlined the need for long-term
health monitoring of those who were at high risk, along with medical
follow-up and support.
"This will remain an important element in the public health response to the disaster for decades."
Prof Richard Wakeford, visiting professor at Dalton Nuclear
Institute at the University of Manchester and contributor to the WHO
report, said: "The release of radioactive materials into the environment
during the Fukushima nuclear accident was substantial but based on
measurement data, the radiation doses received by the surrounding
population are small, even for the most exposed communities.
"These doses produce an extra risk of cancer over a lifetime
of about 1% at most, in addition to background lifetime cancer risks
from all other causes of, on average, 40% for men and 29% for women."
He added: "Radiation exposure from the Fukushima accident has
had only a small impact on the overall health of the nearby population,
and much less outside the most affected areas."
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