Researchers have found very low amounts of radioactivity in the bodies of about 10,000 people who were living near the Fukushima No. 1 power plant when three of its reactors melted down.
The first published study that measured the radiation within a large number of residents reassured health experts because the numbers reported imply only negligible health risks. The threat appeared to be considerably lower than in the aftermath of the Chernobyl disaster, the experts agreed.
"Exposure levels were much lower than those reported in studies even several years after the Chernobyl incident," said Masaharu Tsubokura of the University of Toyko, lead author of a short paper published in the Thursday issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.