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45% of children tested near Fukushima plant have radioactive elements in thyroid glands

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I cannot understand why the Japanese are not out on the streets. These poor kids. Japan is starting to resemble Libya or Syria in its propaganda. Maybe the result will be the same one day when people have had enough. Surely for even this tolerant society there is a limit to what they will be prepared to put up with. "Moushiwake gozaimasen" society does not work any more.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Of around 4000 thyroid cases in children after Chernobyl, 98.8 percent were successfully treated. The cancers are common knowledge, the treatment success is a fact on the brink of extinction.

http://bravenewclimate.com/2011/04/05/measuring-our-monsters/

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The children tested came from three municipalities—Iwaki city, Kawamata town and Iitate village—where especially high levels of radiation had been estimated after the accident, the official said.

Remember these three cities are NOT covered in the Red Zone--a.k.a. 20k NO-GO area. There is a place in which local school was designated as an evacuation site in spite of its proximity--just 6 miles off from the crippled reactors. Students are not staying there anymore. But they were stuck in a wrong place until the school principle got the news about the overflow of radioactive substances, and decided to re-locate the students to a safe place.

“The government’s official position is that none of the children showed radiation levels that would be problematic,” he told AFP.

It should be warned that it takes many years (i.e., 14 years for the Three Miles Island, 25 years for Chernobyl) to detoxify the nuclear radiation. This means that children’s health risk needs to be monitored regardless of the radiation level which is considered non-problematic.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Greed and more greed. For electricity look up TESLA. he gave us all fee electricy ,but they couldn't charge for it. Please read about TESLA.

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"No immediate health risks", huh? Very convenient for Tepco and the government not to mention long-term health risks. I feel very sorry for all the children, who have to pay with their health for mistakes done by the greedy nuclear lobby.

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@horrified

There are scientists who are now stating this has surpassed Chernobyl. The danger to children is real.

Exactly, let's thank the Japanese government for their shameless incompetence, lies, corruption, greed and DECEIT. Because, I for sure, will never get tired of pointing my finger at them. DAMN!!!

All I can think of is about the small children, babies and pregnant women suffering all that radiation every day. Unbelievable~

p.s. We DO NOT welcome these dirty Gov. bureaucrats and TEPCO staff in Okinawa!! STAY AWAY!! (>o<)/3

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Chris Busby does every nuclear disaster victim in Japan a huge disservice with his unsubstantiated claims. I wish people would not give him (and other self-serving trolls like him) the attention he so desperately craves.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Interesting. He starts off by saying he's against all forms of nuclear power. He then says that he found one hot spot in Tokyo that had higher doses of radiation than in the exclusion zone for Chernobyl but he fails to give any detailed data on the amount in Tokyo or the amount in Chernobyl where he is comparing the data. I could pretty much guarantee that I could go to Minami Soma with the same equipment and then go to a hill farm in Wales or the Lake District or wherever the 400 farms that still can't be farmed in the UK as a result of Chernobyl and 'prove' that the radiation levels are lower on the edge of the exclusion zone than in the UK.

He clearly is a smart man but he also clearly has an agenda.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

http://radiationnews.blogspot.com/2011/08/8172011-christopher-busby-chernobyl.html Chris Busby is one smart guy who knows what he's talking about. Google and you'll find high levels of radiation in parks and pools in Kawasaki.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

I am aware that the danger to children is real and all those in the affected area should be tested regularly for the rest of their lives and Tepco should pay for it.

The local area of Fukushima may be as badly affected as Chernobyl but Chernobyl had a massive impact on Western Europe. This is more localised and the effects will be felt on a much smaller scale.

None of which helps the people of Fukushima.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Thanks TEPCO for not preparing for what scientists knew was inevitable and thanks LDP for letting TEPCO do whatever they wanted to do for decades. Thousands of people will suffer radiation poisoning further reducing the population of Japan, why, greed for profits and zero concern for people. That is the LDP formula.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

There are scientists who are now stating this has surpassed Chernobyl. The danger to children is real.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Incidentally, I'm pretty sure I never said " there are no meltdowns, it is all contained inside the containment vessel" But I did say that this wasn't anywhere near as severe as Chernobyl.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

You must have a special skill to read white space and create sentences.

I said that the radiation levels in Kawasaki are not at Chernobyl levels. I said nothing about the children of Fukushima.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

As Chris Busby says, there is Chernobyl like levels in Kawasaki too

No there aren't.

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Even if it takes a trillion dollars, get them OUT of there!! As Chris Busby says, there is Chernobyl like levels in Kawasaki too, so does this mean evacuation should be further than just Fuk-u-shima?

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So life long tests mean that they have only tested once since 3/11 and only give the results out 5 months later?

And the boy who had 0.1 mSv (half the limit) was only told recently? Maybe this is a silly question ...but wouldn't it be a good idea to test him again repeatedly? iow, what is his level now after another 5 months of living in such a kiddy-friendly environment?

The govt it hopeless. But at the same time, if I lived there and my kid had been tested, I wouldn't be sitting around waiting 5 months for them to send me the results. Then again, I wouldn't be there.

People need to take more responsibility. I'd rather be safe than have my kids get sick and spend the rest of my life blaming the government.

5 months? Ridiculous. Amazing with all the technology and everyone having email on cellphones etc, that it takes 5 months. But even stranger that parents will just wait 5 months without breaking down the doors and saying they won't leave until they give them the results.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Disaster. They needed to have evacuated these children of danger zone instead of denying severity of radiation.

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These tests were done 5 months ago and the effects of radiation are cumulative. (meltdown is still out of control). @smithinjapan. I am really impressed with your post. I had a different impression from some of your other posts, but we are at one on this one. The sadness is is that information is empowerment. I understand that TEPCO/govt/Todai had to implement a damage control reaction and if I was in their same expensive shoes I would do the same maybe...but if they were honest and factual, at least people could take preventative measures to protect the lives of themselves and love ones. If I had the most correct information, I would abandon my house, business and all the money in the world to save my family from harm. start again without the threat of fate over my head. Shame on those who deserve it. Forever.

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'The governments official position is that none of the children showed radiation levels that would be problematic.

I think there's a difference between your whole body receiving a dose, and your thyroid getting that entire dose constantly. I think this is very much not good news for those unfortunate children - a properly functioning thyroid is, um, pretty important.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Seriously? Tepco and the Japanese government have been inept on a series of fronts, but over-exaggerated and generalised comments like "killing their children", do nothing but add needless hysteria to the situation

caffeinebuzz -- agree with the first half of your comment, but the second part is somewhat ignorent. As stated, these tests were taken roughly two weeks after the 3/11 disaster. If you have been following this crisis, you know that radiation has continued to spew from the plant, also, many of these kids have been playing in radioactive dirt in school yards and playgrounds. Not to menation the contaminated food they may have eaten. So, it is entirely likely that these readings would be higher if taken today, especially since it takes radiation some time to work its way into the thyroid. Smithinjapan's "killing their children" comment may be somewhat over the top, but saying that they are willfully endangering their futures would certainly not be. And, again, respectfully, he has every right to post as often as he wants. Especially since he has been spot-on about the incompetence of TEPCO and the J-government since this crisis started. Which is way more than can be said by the "J-defenders".

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Ainu Russia handed to the Government of Japan for disease prevention technology of radiation, which allows you to save tens, perhaps hundreds of millions of Dallara. We hope that it will benefit and those who have suffered from radiation children.

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Some participants complained that the team took months to inform them of the detailed results despite the gravity of the nuclear accident, the world’s worst since Chernobyl 25 years ago, the Asahi Shimbun daily reported.

Not surprised at all...

The government official said the task force did not consider informing the families of the details results as a priority since no child had shown contamination levels beyond the safety limit.

Corruption and DECEIT are the Japanese government's best traits. Money and Image over people's lives.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

That this story comes out now is very suspicious. The children were tested in March. This is nearly 6 months later.

So what is the real truth for children near Fukushima and other parts of Japan, after 6 months of exposure to radiation?

Please, let's be honest and open with the people of Japan.

It is unfair and disrespectful to Japanese people and others to continue to withhold and massage the true story.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

The little pee-shooter of a radiation detection monitor in the photo is for surface radiation NOT internal radiation. These life long checkups need to be for internal radiation

1 ( +1 / -0 )

1,149 children aged up to 15 about two weeks after the March 11

There are more children this amount in the three prefectures.

Of the valid test results collected for 1,080 children, 482 or 44.6% were confirmed to have some level of radioactive contamination in their thyroid glands

What happened to the other 69 kids tests.

The Fukushima government plans to conduct life-time medical checks for the estimated 360,000 people aged 18 or younger who were in the prefecture at the time of the nuclear accident.

They should up the age of the life-time medical checks to people age 50 and younger.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Really sad. Much, much worse things lies ahead for Japan.

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Oh come on now, this is beyond a joke,beyond farcical.I cannot comprehend the logic that fails to evacuate the children and their parents in total.GET THE KIDS OUT

2 ( +2 / -0 )

The Fukushima government plans to conduct life-time medical checks for the estimated 360,000 people aged 18 or younger who were in the prefecture at the time of the nuclear accident.

and the least TEPCO rich people should do is to pay for those medical bills, including medical bills for any radiation-related sickness that might appear later in those now young lives

1 ( +1 / -0 )

The government’s official position is that none of the children showed radiation levels that would be problematic,”

B.S!!!

Now my heart dropped and I am VERY angry at TEPCO and J. Gov. This is a crime against humanity!!

3 ( +3 / -0 )

@Elbuda Mexicano

Tepco and the stupid J government have lots of blood on their hands!!!!

100% Agreed. They are monstrous and history will judge them provided it is not successfully buried. I cannot see how it could be in this day and age but there is a lot of disinformation and propaganda done on their end.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Tepco and the stupid J government have lots of blood on their hands!!!!

2 ( +3 / -1 )

from coal or gas generation, that is!

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Seriously? Tepco and the Japanese government have been inept on a series of fronts, but over-exaggerated and generalised comments like "killing their children", do nothing but add needless hysteria to the situation. I'm hardly a fan of nuclear power, but in a densely populated country like Japan, imagine how many people would develop lung disorders, and how many of your precious (and apparently dead) Japanese children would have respiratory illnesses. So, yeah, get the people out of the danger zone by all means, but enough of the loony harping already.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

The Japanese are killing their children through radiation. Is nuclear power really worth that much?

2 ( +3 / -1 )

You'd better put all the millions of people who paid TEPCO for electricity in the slammer for aiding and abetting this monstrous slaughter. The U.N will no doubt be appalled and write us all a very angry letter.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

I am happy not to find similar contents from previous contaminations like "four times the legal limit but poses no immediate health threat."

-4 ( +0 / -4 )

I'm surprised it wasn't more. Still, that's 55 percent of kiddies that don't have the radioactive elements. The level is pretty low overall, and could be lower still if people weren't naively led into thinking the local produce was totally safe. I saw one woman on a news program the other night packing up her things to leave her village in Fukushima, and her comment was along the lines of : "You can say 'Ganbarou Tohoku' all you want, but you have to be realistic when considering the contamination of children". I reminded some of my Japanese coworkers last week how they badmouthed and swore off Chinese products a couple of years ago, after some people in Chiba got sick from some dodgy gyoza. While understandable given China's food safety history, people here should definitely have been a bit wiser and not so keen to promote the region's products until they could be tested and cleared- and definitely NOT reintroduce Fukushima beef and milk into the school lunch system like they did. As someone living in Fukushima, I'm careful to check the labels of what I buy at the supermarket (and source/region codes), but I'm surprised more people around me aren't, given how particular Japanese people are about other things that I'd consider inconsequential.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

darnname,

Trace amounts of less than 0.1mSV is not radiation poisoning.

Well what would you call it then if not radiation poisoning. Maybe you think of it as your daily source of radiation....

The amount is above natural levels and was introduced into the person as a result of the NPP disaster so yes poisoning would be a fitting word. Its not like they kids deliberately ingested it no is it?

1 ( +3 / -2 )

@Farmboy

You are not the one confused in this case, you are absolutely right

m = milli μ = micro

The same is true for any SI unit

3 ( +3 / -0 )

"...if you told me my kid had radiation poisoning..." -- smithinjapan

Trace amounts of less than 0.1mSV is not radiation poisoning. Why not knock off the wild exaggeration and stop hyperventilating about every single story, every single day? You post too much.

-2 ( +3 / -5 )

Not surprised they didn't tell the parents - sadly. This is a country that is known for not telling sick people their illnesses so to spare them the stress - well known to be done for cancer patients.

TEPCO needs to be responsible - as does the government for all the lies and cover ups. Why can't the bigwigs hand over all the money they have made off this instead of making us, the taxpayers, pay for this. How on earth is Fukushima going to be able to afford to test these people regularly if the population drops and they don't get enough tax money? PMs, like Koizumi, who over looked at the issues need to be paying out of their pockets for this. Not us.

-2 ( +2 / -4 )

“The government’s official position is that none of the children showed radiation levels that would be problematic,”

Ah, we're leaning back on this old catch-phrase again, are we? And these from tests FIVE MONTHS AGO, and assuming the same kids are still in the same place. And anyway, even if it's not 'problematic' (and sorry, if you told me my kid had radiation poisoning but it wasn't problematic you might just be the messenger that gets a pummelling, especially for keeping the results for so long), it's not problematic NOW. Who knows how it will affect them in the future? Ah, but wait:

"The Fukushima government plans to conduct life-time medical checks for the estimated 360,000 people aged 18 or younger who were in the prefecture at the time of the nuclear accident."

Yeah, until one or two new governments down the road when they say it's not economically feasible and start either charging for follow-ups or stop the testing altogether (likely the latter, since they won't have to keep hiding/announcing results that make them look bad). This is a disgrace! And yet the people are STILL there!!

1 ( +3 / -2 )

When will the people hold these criminals accountable for their greed, corruption, lies, incompetence and inhumanity? This cannot be forgiven!! All responsible MUST be held to account. It is a matter of honor. Japan do not let this slide.

-1 ( +4 / -5 )

Just have to put the level up again then............****

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

"found to have traces of radioactive elements in their thyroid glands ... were not considered alarming in terms of their health impact." - Yep sure, we'll take your word for it. Government has always been big on the truth. Health officials, hang your heads in shame.

0 ( +3 / -3 )

"The government official said the task force did not consider informing the families of the details results as a priority since no child had shown contamination levels beyond the safety limit. "

And these guys are paid with our taxes !

How were parents supposed to guess before they were given the results ? Everywhere in the world, when you do a medical check-up and the result is "everything OK", they tell the patient at once. It's only when something is odd that they make people wait as they need recheck, will have to do additionnal tests, announce the bad news in the best conditions. That's totally stupid to let people worry for nothing.

Especially given the fact that in Tchernobyl and any other toxic exposure cases, that was found that more people got sick due to the stress and worry about future consequences, than directly from the contaminations.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

It's good that the figures were 'low' and that there will be lifetime medical checks (though that's as much for radiation research purposes as it is for the children's welfare). It's also good that the commission is considering tightening the limit to 0.1 mSv.

But this is the kind of bureaucratic 'government knows best' attitude that really frustrates me:

The government official said the task force did not consider informing the families of the details results as a priority since no child had shown contamination levels beyond the safety limit.

This tells me they just see these people as data, not human beings.

6 ( +6 / -0 )

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