Nuclear Fallout?
13.03.2011 um 17:23Weitet sich die Katastrophe in Japan weltweit aus? Oder ist die Sache lokal begrenzt, was denken die Experten?
Original anzeigen (0,3 MB)
The 8.9 magnitude earthquake that devastated the northeastern coastal region of the island of Honshu, in Japan on March 11, 2011 was only the beginning. Deaths from the Tsunami soon followed, and now, an explosion has engulfed the building housing a reactor at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear facility. Radiation is leaking, and the remaining reactors are at risk. Worst-case-scenarios could be comparable to the Chernobyl melt-down in 1986, but as the U.S. offers aid, there is still hope for the residents of northern Japan.
Symptoms of Radiation Exposure
We’re all exposed to radiation every day, in low levels, from everything from the sun to electronic devices. Nuclear radiation, released from a power plant, can cause severe symptoms or death depending on two main factors: your distance from the source of radiation, and the duration of your exposure.
The closer you are to the source of the radiation, the more severe your symptoms will be. A 2002 study examining the effects of a potential nuclear disaster in the United States found that residents for a 500 mile radius would suffer severe symptoms. Outside the 500 mile range, the effect of the blast diminishes as the distance grows.
Duration of exposure is also a key factor in the severity of symptoms. The longer that you’re exposed to intense radiation, or nuclear fallout, the more pronounced your symptoms will be. Early symptoms can include everything from weakness and fatigue to headache, nausea and vomiting, diarrhea and fever. In patients that are exposed to larger amounts of radiation, symptoms such as bloody stool and bloody vomit, hair loss, and dizziness may occur right away. In milder cases, these symptoms may take up to a month to emerge.
Efforts to Help the People of Japan
In Japan, police are mobilizing to provide iodine, a measure to protect the body from thyroid cancer, which is a common long-term result of nuclear fallout, to residents in the area of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear facility. The American Red Cross is on alert, ready to aid in the emergency, and is accepting donations at this time, and U.S. President Obama has promised to help in any way necessary.
Due to the extreme distance between Japan and the United States, close to 6000 miles, it is highly unlikely that even the west coast region of the United States would be affected by fallout from nuclear explosions in Japan. Compassion for the plight of those affected, however, is always appropriate.
UPDATE: According to the latest update from Misawa Air Base in Northern Japan, power is out across the base, although there have been no reported injuries as a result of the various disasters.
(newsticker, real news reporter)
Original anzeigen (0,3 MB)The 8.9 magnitude earthquake that devastated the northeastern coastal region of the island of Honshu, in Japan on March 11, 2011 was only the beginning. Deaths from the Tsunami soon followed, and now, an explosion has engulfed the building housing a reactor at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear facility. Radiation is leaking, and the remaining reactors are at risk. Worst-case-scenarios could be comparable to the Chernobyl melt-down in 1986, but as the U.S. offers aid, there is still hope for the residents of northern Japan.
Symptoms of Radiation Exposure
We’re all exposed to radiation every day, in low levels, from everything from the sun to electronic devices. Nuclear radiation, released from a power plant, can cause severe symptoms or death depending on two main factors: your distance from the source of radiation, and the duration of your exposure.
The closer you are to the source of the radiation, the more severe your symptoms will be. A 2002 study examining the effects of a potential nuclear disaster in the United States found that residents for a 500 mile radius would suffer severe symptoms. Outside the 500 mile range, the effect of the blast diminishes as the distance grows.
Duration of exposure is also a key factor in the severity of symptoms. The longer that you’re exposed to intense radiation, or nuclear fallout, the more pronounced your symptoms will be. Early symptoms can include everything from weakness and fatigue to headache, nausea and vomiting, diarrhea and fever. In patients that are exposed to larger amounts of radiation, symptoms such as bloody stool and bloody vomit, hair loss, and dizziness may occur right away. In milder cases, these symptoms may take up to a month to emerge.
Efforts to Help the People of Japan
In Japan, police are mobilizing to provide iodine, a measure to protect the body from thyroid cancer, which is a common long-term result of nuclear fallout, to residents in the area of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear facility. The American Red Cross is on alert, ready to aid in the emergency, and is accepting donations at this time, and U.S. President Obama has promised to help in any way necessary.
Due to the extreme distance between Japan and the United States, close to 6000 miles, it is highly unlikely that even the west coast region of the United States would be affected by fallout from nuclear explosions in Japan. Compassion for the plight of those affected, however, is always appropriate.
UPDATE: According to the latest update from Misawa Air Base in Northern Japan, power is out across the base, although there have been no reported injuries as a result of the various disasters.
(newsticker, real news reporter)
