Putting Tokyo's Radioacativity Exposure in Perspective

I have mentioned to some of you that I am really sick of the way the media is covering this tragedy in Japan. I feel like they are trying to sensationalize every detail and create fear and panic. It is irresponsible for them to do this for political and financial gain. It takes away from the true tragedy and struggles of the Japanese people. Things are tenuous in Japan right now, there is no doubt about that. The impact of the earthquake, tsunami and nuclear plant crisis are devastating and it is going to take a very long time to get back to any sense of normal. But when it comes to the "scare" at the nuclear power plants, I  don't know how many times I can say, "It is not as bad as it looks on tv." I sat listening to one "nuclear expert" the other day preach doom and gloom on the morning news and it occurred to me--They have THE BEST people in the world working on the nuclear power plant issues right now. They are working diligently around the clock to resolve the issue with the least possible damage to property and people. I don't know who this guy on TV is, but if he has time in his day to make the rounds on the morning talk shows, he obviously wasn't good enough to make the team.

 I saw the following posted on facebook and thought it was informative and helpful.

Putting Tokyo's Radioacativity Exposure in Perspective

by Kevin Oconnor on Tuesday, March 15, 2011 at 9:00pm

Dear Family and Friends:

Wanted to let you know that as of our last report , Yokota Air Force Base shows no increase in radiation levels.  I know media outlets are reporting that radiation levels in Tokyo have risen since the explosion this morning, but we are still not terribly concerned.

We're not nuclear physicists, but we gathered information from reports made from the Government of Japan (GOJ) and we explored the EPA's website to find comparable radiation measurements.  To give you an idea of the minuscule amount of radiation levels Tokyo is experiencing presently, here are some measurements for you to consider:

the typical chest x-ray is .06 millisieverts (mSv)
the typical flight is .02 mSv - .05 mSv
the typical person is exposed to 3 mSv per year

Tokyo's exposure as the latest reading was .00089 mSv.  Tokyo is 35 miles east of Yokota.

This means that the radiation exposure we may be exposed to is significantly less than getting an x-ray, and certainly less than what we would be exposed to by getting on a flight out of here.

We still feel safe for now and are focused on what we can do to help the relief effort.

Our thoughts go out to the workers who are exposing themselves to radiation to prevent any further danger.

At the gate of the nuclear plant the rate was at it's highest, 11.930 mSv--or about 4 times the amount of radiation one gets each year; then it dropped to .496 mSv by 3:30 in the afternoon, so it is dissipating quickly.

Compare this to Chernobyl, the poorly-constructed Soviet nuclear plant that exploded in 1986.  It released 20,000 mSv on the day of the explosion -- almost 10,000 times the amount released at Fukushima.  Media comparisons of this disaster to Chernobyl are clear hyperbole.

Research indicates that there is no health risk to humans until one's exposure reaches 100 mSv.

I hope this puts some of your fears to rest.

Aloha, Janet & Kevin