Worried about radioactive fallout from the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant? Don't wait for the government to help.
Experts advise people who live in and near Fukushima Prefecture where they face cumulative annual radiation exposure exceeding 1 millisievert — the legal limit for the general public — to quickly take the initiative in removing irradiated soil and other material where fallout might accumulate in their vicinity, instead of waiting for the government to carry out decontamination work.
Annual radiation exposure of 1 millisievert translates into 0.23 microsievert per hour, according to the government. Such readings have been observed in areas in the Kanto region, including Nasu in northern Tochigi Prefecture and Kashiwa in northern Chiba Prefecture. In Tokyo, only the Okutama forest area has had similar fallout.