The disaster that occurred in Fukushima, March 11, has caused serious long-term health risks on the people of Japan. These people that were exposed to radiation leaks by multiple nuclear meltdowns are being tested for thyroid abnormalities; Japanese officials plan on studying 360,000 children that were younger than the age of 18 during the accident. After the research of the 2006 Chernobyl nuclear disaster, it was evident that children and pregnant women are mostly sensitive to the radioactive iodine, possibly causing thyroid cancer. Depending on whether or not doctors discover abnormalities, those who were recently tested will be tested until they are 20 years old and every 5 years after that. Thousands of deaths took place in the earthquake and tsunami in the region, which led to the radioactive waves; thousands of people fear returning to their homes because they feel it is an unsafe environment to live in. Although the government has reassured that it is safe to return, many feel otherwise. Places, such as playgrounds and buildings, have been hosed down by officials who feel that they may be off limits for decades. A team of experts from the International Atomic Energy Agency arrived in Japan to monitor decontamination efforts; the team will meet with government officials.
The people of Japan have every right to fear returning to their homes. Although the government is "sure" that it is safe to return, I would not feel safe either. Children's lives are at risk--places where kids are constantly near, like playgrounds and schools, are being hosed down and monitored. The fact that you can so easily suffer from cancer just by living in the radioactive waves is definitely something to fear. I would not want my own child to grow up living in such a harmful environment.
Source: Effects of Radiation Leaks in Japan
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