Kids 45 miles away from Tepco plant to be issued dosimeters
30 Jun 2011
Tens of thousands of children living near the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant would be given personal radiation monitors, as concerns rise over the long-term health effects of exposure to radiation.
Dosimeters would be given to 34,000 children aged between four and 15 living in Fukushima city, 45 miles from the plant, following reports of readings of abnormally high radiation readings in the area.
The world's worst nuclear accident since Chernobyl has already driven 80,000 people from homes within 12 miles of the plant due to radiation fears.
Many of the children of those evacuated attend schools in Fukushima, a city of 300,000 people.
Though local authorities have provided monitors to schools outside the exclusion zone, this is the first time individual pupils would get monitors. Data from the dosimeters would be analysed to assess the risks from cumulative radiation exposure.
The move comes amidst growing parental anger over patchy official information about the risks of radiation exposure.
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