Tokyo, Aug 17 (ANI): Nearly half of 1149 children tested in Japan's Fukushima prefecture have radioactive iodine in their thyroid glands, but have no chances of developing thyroid cancer, a report has revealed.
Satoshi Tashiro of Hiroshima University told a meeting of the Japan Pediatric Society that the highest level measured was 35 millisieverts.
Tashiro, however, said that Radiation doses below 100 millisieverts are not considered dangerous, and therefore thyroid cancer will probably not increase in the future.
Gerry Thomas, who runs the Chernobyl Tissue Bank at Imperial College London, saw no cause for concern as a result of Tashiro's data.
"I would agree with the Japanese that the levels they found do not pose a risk for future increases in thyroid cancer in that population," she said.
According to NewScientist, in case of Chernobyl disaster about ten million children in the region around the plant were exposed to high levels of iodine-131, and many received more than 100 times the maximum dose recorded in Japan.
Since 1986 there have been 6000 cases of thyroid cancer, and of these, one per cent may prove to be fatal over the next 30 to 50 years, Thomas said.
There have been 15 deaths from thyroid cancer attributable to Chernobyl so far, but Thomas said that there probably wouldn't be a single death in Japan as radiations levels are very low.
"First, there was lower exposure to radio iodine in Fukushima. Second, iodine pills were quickly distributed. Third, the Japanese enjoy natural protection as there is a high amount of iodine in the diet," said Thomas.
"Finally, thyroid cancer is quite treatable, and Japan has efficient testing and treatment options," she added. (ANI)
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