Fukushima disaster poses small increased risk for cancer, says report

BBC : Because of radiation exposure following the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster in March 2011, there is a small increased risk of cancer for emergency workers and people living in the immediate area, according to a recent report by the World Health Organization. As part of an ongoing assessment by international experts, the WHO determined that the biggest lifetime risks for cancer will be for those exposed as infants. No increase in miscarriages, stillbirths, or congenital disorders is expected. For those at high risk, long-term health monitoring is recommended. “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,” said report contributor Richard Wakeford of the University of Manchester’s Dalton Nuclear Institute in the UK.