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The importance of the nuclear accident rating of Fukushima

The assessed INES level reflects negative impacts on health and the environment. It will be important to carefully monitor the incidence of leukemia and cancer as well as soil contamination. The crisis also could strongly affect the international image of Japan.

Effect of nuclear crisis on health, environment The Yomiuri Shimbun/Asia News Network, Apr 13, 2011  By Kyoichi SasazawaFor an incident to be rated on the International Nuclear and Radiological Event Scale (INES), it is assessed by the nuclear supervisory authorities in the nation where it occurred and is then reported to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

In Japan, the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency is in charge of the assessment.

Last month, the nuclear safety agency provisionally rated the Fukushima crisis at level 5. However, domestic and international experts argued the provisional level should be 6 or higher based on the facts that high levels of radiation were measured around the facility and significant amounts of radioactive material had escaped.

In the Chernobyl crisis, about 5.2 million terabecquerels of radioactive material was emitted into the air in the space of 10 days.

The amount of radioactive material aerially emitted from the Fukushima No. 1 plant right after the accident was about 10 percent of that of Chernobyl. But the scale of the Fukushima accident still stands out among other nuclear power accidents that have happened around the world.

Also, a large volume of radioactive material has been dumped into the sea in the current incident. Since work to bring the situation under control has run into one complication after another, an end to the crisis could be months or even a year away, with the amount of nuclear leakage increasing.

The assessed INES level reflects negative impacts on health and the environment. It will be important to carefully monitor the incidence of leukemia and cancer as well as soil contamination. The crisis also could strongly affect the international image of Japan.

Effect of nuclear crisis on health, environment

April 13, 2011 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | - Fukushima 2011