Nature News has gained access to an independent report that offer a comprehensive assessment of radiation doses received by workers following last year's meltdown at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Japan. The draft report, to be presented tomorrow (24 May), is from a sub committee of the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR) and assesses many aspects of the accident, including the doses to workers. A second, a report by the World Health Organization, estimates doses to the public from inhalation, ingestion and fallout of radioactive material.
Independent experts contacted by Nature say that the risk presented by the doses described in each report are low, even though some are above guidelines and limits set by the Japanese government. Few people are at risk of to developing cancer as a result of their exposure, and those who do may never be able to conclusively link their illness to the accident. Further analysis by UNSCEAR in the coming year should provide a clearer picture of the accident and its consequences.
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