Fukushima fallout

A15-Fukushima Dai-ichi Sakae Nuclear Plant/Fukushima Dai-ichi Power Station Shrine

Can’t imagine what it’s doing to children:

Wild monkeys in the Fukushima region of Japan have blood abnormalities linked to the radioactive fall-out from the 2011 nuclear power plant disaster, according to a new scientific study that may help increase the understanding of radiation on human health.

The Japanese macaques (Macaca fuscata) were found to have low white and red blood cell levels and low haemoglobin, which the researchers say could make them more prone to infectious diseases.

[…] “This first data from non-human primates — the closest taxonomic relatives of humans — should make a notable contribution to future research on the health effects of radiation exposure in humans,” he said. The work, which ruled out disease or malnutrition as a cause of the low blood counts, is published in the peer-reviewed journal Scientific Reports.

White blood cell counts were lowest for immature monkeys with the highest caesium concentrations, suggesting younger monkeys may be more vulnerable to radioactive contamination. Hayama noted: “Abnormalities such as a decreased blood cell count in people living in contaminated areas have been reported from Chernobyl as a long-term effect of low-dose radiation exposure.” But other blood measures did not correlate with caesium levels, which vary with the seasons.

2 thoughts on “Fukushima fallout

  1. The right wing (Republican) PM of Japan, Shinzo Abe, gave the green light to the nuclear industry to put each and every nuclear power plant in Japan back on line. ASAP. Every time a fascist capitalist is elected to any office anywhere, the world becomes a less safe place to live in.

  2. Don’t believe your lying science. Nothing could be safer than nuclear energy. Nuclear industry money tells us so . . .

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