Tuesday, June 4, 2013

How Far We've Fallen


Enenews today had an important story from Kyodo:

Enenews: Kyodo: 27 Fukushima minors with confirmed or suspected thyroid cancer — Almost tripled since last report in February
Fukushima survey lists 12 confirmed, 15 suspected thyroid cancer cases Kyodo News June 5, 2013 
An ongoing study on the impact of radiation on Fukushima residents from the crippled atomic power plant has found 12 minors with confirmed thyroid cancer diagnoses, up from three in a report in February, with 15 others suspected to have cancer, up from seven, sources familiar with the matter said Tuesday. [...] Researchers at Fukushima Medical University, which has been taking the leading role in the study, have so far said they do not believe that the most recent cases are related to the nuclear crisis. They point out that thyroid cancer cases were not found among children hit by the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear accident until four to five years later. [...]http://english.kyodonews.jp/news/2013/06/228639.html
Majia here: To repeat, researchers at Fukushima Medical University said ‘they do not believe that the most recent cases are related to the nuclear crisis’ because thyroid cancer cases were not diagnosed among Chernobyl children until 4 to 5 years later.

Is it possible that Fukushima children are getting thyroid cancer earlier than Chernobyl children because
1. They were exposed to more radiation and/or
2. Fukushima children are being screened earlier

While the researchers at Fukushima Medical University might acknowledge the latter possibility, they are likely to reject the first because UNSCEAR, the UN organization studying the biological effects of radiation, has already stated that, based on the data provided by Tepco and the Japanese government, Fukushima children’s collective thyroid dose was 3.3% the dose from Chernobyl:

Y. Oiwa (27 May 2013)U.N.: Post-Fukushima collective thyroid dose about 3.3% the dose from Chernobyl’, The Asahi Shimbun, http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311disaster/fukushima/AJ201305270089
The health effects from the Fukushima nuclear accident are substantially smaller than those from the Chernobyl disaster, and the increase in cancer incidence in Japan will be negligible, according to a U.N. panel’s estimates.

The collective thyroid dose of Japanese people from radioactive materials released from the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant will be about one-30th of that of the exposed populations from the 1986 Chernobyl accident, according to a draft report by the U.N. Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation obtained by The Asahi Shimbun. The draft also said the cancer incidence in Japan will rise only marginally and will be difficult to detect. However, the report cautioned that data on released radioactive materials or actual measurements of radioactive iodine are insufficient, and that many uncertain factors remain about dose statistics.[end]
Majia here: I’ve already posted about why I think this UNSCEAR report is NOT valid. Please see my discussion here http://majiasblog.blogspot.com/2013/05/the-children-of-fukushima.html

I can only hope that the researchers at Fukushima Medical University find it in their heart to get behind the effort to evacuate Fukushima’s children and their families.

We cannot turn our back on these people and others whose lives have been upended and  property destroyed by human-caused environmental catastrophes. Those who eat their young will not survive long.




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