1st Fukushima worker diagnosed with radiation-linked cancer

first confirmed case since the 2011 accident could be just the “tip of the iceberg”

Right, how about first "officially" reported case. I find it hard to believe that with so many workers going in and out of that facility for as long as they have that there haven't been cases up until now.

Forgive me for not "trusting" the media and TEPCO on this one.

The first of many no doubt. "It's all under control!"

I remember when the earthquake happened, the tsunami came, and the power plant burst. So many foreigners I knew left. Blue Man and Tokyo Disney's Cirque de Soleil were gone almost overnight. Every other country's government was saying this is nuts, you need to expand the evacuation zone.

But I stayed here.

Then there are reports everyday of radioactive water leaking by the tons into the ocean. Radioactive water seeping into the groundwater. I found my local supermarkets trying to sell Fukushima vegetables until there were complaints. The Fukushima fishermen trying to sell their fish. Fukushima held an Ocean Day celebration right off the coast and had families swimming in that same water. They want Olympic events held there.

But I'm still here.

I'm not a scientist, I only know what I read and can study on my own. I do wonder about the long term health effects of staying here. I know the government and TEPCO will never tell me the whole story. I can take lying politicians, every country has them, but I don't want my life shortened by something they're afraid to tell me about.

Japanese officials said Tuesday, and an expert said the first confirmed case since the 2011 accident could be just the “tip of the iceberg”.

There are recruited former Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant Workers scattered all over the country. From Okinawa to Hokkaido. They have to be located and Tested.

“This is a massive blow to the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency), which stated in September this year that no discernible health effects are to be expected due to the exposure of radiation released by the accident,” Greenpeace said.

The children of Fukushima are suffering from increased cases of thyroid cancer.. Why are the Parents of the children and citizens over 18 of age in Fukushima Prefecture and beyond NOT being tested for cancer for free is beyond my understanding. It shows a great Lack of Responsible Governance by Parliament. This is boarding on Criminal Neglect.

But by all means necessary J Govt feels the need to Restart Nuclear Reactors.

A huge quake-sparked tsunami, which leveled Japan’s northeast cost and killed more than 18,000 people, swamped cooling systems at the plant and sent some reactors into meltdown.

SPEEDI remember SPEEDI the environmental prediction system that predicted events 40 some odd minutes before the catastrophe? The Prediction was IGNORED. Peoples lives could have been saved just by taking the information provided by SPEEDI seriously.. Now J Govt can not even sell the SPEEDI system to the US because the US thinks it is unreliable.

Radiation was released into the air, sea and food chain in the worst nuclear accident since the 1986 Chernobyl disaster.

Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant still emitting Radioisotopes En Mass and still to this day contamination is going into the Environment. Gaseous Radioisotopes are in the air, water, food and landing onto the citizens everyday all day without end.

Entomb Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant and Stop this Arcane Madness. There is nothing worth reusing from that plant that is worth enough to cost the lives of the citizens of Japan. This is Criminal and Blatant Neglect.

The man was thought to have been exposed to a “relatively low” amount of radiation—less than what Tokyo has deemed as a safe level for Fukushima-area residents to move back to their homes, Kimura said.

“This is an alarm bell for that policy,” he added.

Entomb Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant and Evacuate the Repopulated town of Naraha. Naraha is too dangerous a place to live.

Every other country's government was saying this is nuts, you need to expand the evacuation zone.

The Italian Embassy announced that the radiation in Rome was higher than in Tokyo, the British Embassy went at lengths to play down the risks. The US government suggested that the exclusion zone should be larger but was criticised as their own evacuation rules are the same as Japanese.

The children of Fukushima are suffering from increased cases of thyroid cancer..

Based on one research paper. One much criticised research paper.

4 Years of testing the Children of Fukushima after the accident at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant showed an increase in thyroid Cancer because of the accident. Other scientists said Years ago like in 2012 that it was too soon to tell. It is 2015 Heda

"It's regrettable that he caught this terrible disease that's unrelated to his workplace."

This kind of news should frustrate efforts to resettle the area.

I just wish the Japanese population would deeply think about how callous the government has been about the plight of people in Tohoku and remember that next time the government wants to use the us vs them to bolster nationalism. Where is the help and acknowlegment of the Japanese gov of the plight of the cancer ridden and homeless?

People should remember that when the cards are on the table, the J gov cares less about the people of Japan than the foreigners who criticize and complain about what's happening there. We care, that's why we complain.

Utrack, the vast majority of international scientists who have studied both Chernobyl and Fukushima have said that the spike in thyroid problems is due to the aggressive and more detailed testing of the children of Fukushima.

There has been one solitary paper, which has been criticised, that states that it is not due to the increased testing and can be solely blamed on the accident. We have scientists spending weeks in the area eating only Fukushima produce who have shown no increase in unnatural radiation.

You are basing your claim on enenews and one single scientific report. Which flies in the face of the lessons we learned in Fukushima. And even if there is an increase in thryoid cancer, given what we know about thyroid cancer and the recovery rates of people found to have it early. Very few people will die. Something that international scientists have also been saying for years.

According to some reports, Cat's Claw is supposed to help in the treatment of this cancer. See below report about the Nuclear accident in Tokaimura, Ibaraki Prefecture. The Peruvian ambassador to Japan presented the Ibaraki government with Cat's Claw pills.

http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Peruvian+envoy+expresses+sympathy+after+nuke+accident.-a058159729

And even if there is an increase in thryoid cancer, given what we know about thyroid cancer and the recovery rates of people found to have it early. Very few people will die.

Fatalities within an acceptable (almost coincidental) range.

Face can be saved, and the Mama-sans of Ginza rest easy.

Walk past TEPCO's HQ here in Tokyo, it's packed with guards. Says it all, really. They're on the nose of the Japanese public. Alas, the government will just protect them, no matter how deep the corruption gets - as seen here. Coverups being the daily norm!

It seems the cancer rate has increased as a result of Fukushima. Well, at least by one confirmed case. Now the last time I went to math class one is still an increas over 0!

Furthermore, we were all told that we would not see cases for about 5 years. Well, that was almost correct. It made it 4 1/2 years.

No Government or media of it's country can be trusted!

Former Fukushima plant manager Masao Yoshida died two years after the accident at the age of 58, but TEPCO has disputed whether his esophageal cancer was linked to radiation.

There is no dispute. Mr Yoshida was a heavy smoker who dies of a smoking-related cancer. AFP wants to twist the story.

There is also the strange absence of this piece of information:

“While the causal link between his exposure to radiation and his illness is unclear, we certified him from the standpoint of worker compensation,” an official of the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry said.

AFP=shoddy journalism

Fatalities within an acceptable (almost coincidental) range.

And compare those fatalities with the fatalities that have been caused by an increase in Fossil Fuels and you will see that yes, it is more acceptable to have a few fatalities than it is to have thousands.

Science.

Now wait for for all on Nuclear village's payroll, those accepting "donation" from TEPCO & contractor selling expensive equipment starting to contest this..."being ethical and having compassion" is not part of their live style.

Let's me get this straight. One person out of 45000 has been diagnosed with "radiation-linked" leukemia. This we are confidently (and I'd say a little gleefully) told represents "the tip of the iceberg". No information is give as to what the rate of leukemia is in the general population. Then we are told three others are awaiting confirmation that their cancers are "radiation linked". No information is given as to how this determination of "radiation linked" is reached. No wonder I stopped considering the corporate media a credible source of "information" on nuclear issues years ago.

I can assume by the negative rating that the person (or people) that disagree with my statement prefer thousands to die from fossil fuels as opposed to a few dying from nuclear?

Utrack, the vast majority of international scientists who have studied both Chernobyl and Fukushima have said that the spike in thyroid problems is due to the aggressive and more detailed testing of the children of Fukushima.

Heda the cover up runs deep and you know it. Your research paper of vast scientists was refuted by the New York Times as staged by the J Govt.

Concerns Over Measurement of Fukushima Fallout

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/17/world/asia/concerns-over-measurement-of-fukushima-fallout.html

Erm. Your article is based on measuring of radiation. Nothing to do with the consumption of contaminated food, and nothing to do with the testing of citizens.

And compare those fatalities with the fatalities that have been caused by an increase in Fossil Fuels and you will see that >yes, it is more acceptable to have a few fatalities than it is to have thousands.

Like I wrote, lacking compassion, "we" can give people the cancer and they must accept it, because we do kill less than fossil fuel, we do kill less than solar too, yes google it, see how many people are falling their roof installing solar panels, solar is not a safe alternative and asking professional to install solar panel will never work, we are the only alternative, dumping nuclear waste all around the country, right into the chain food, is part of the job since we need to make money and cut cost at all....cost, finally "being on denial" is unavoidable otherwise people will panic and our business will be disturbed. Now have this little talk with the parents of a little child that will develop leukemia because of your industry and see how much they will step into your rhetoric.

The health risks to those living in Tokyo and Chiba are minimal. However, there is still some risk from contaminated produce and tap water. The real problems are for residents of Fukushima. It's impossible to believe a damn thing either government or TEPCO say in regards to radiation levels. They keep spouting how there have been no deaths attributed to the fallout, but there are several cases of workers getting cancer and the report stating thyroid cancer in children is three times higher than the national average, which has been heavily disputed, but facts are facts. The fact is, at present, there have been no deaths related to the Fukushima meltdowns, but this statistic will change in a dramatic way over the next decade or two.

@Aly Rustom

"I just wish the Japanese population would deeply about how callous the government has been about the plight of people"

I hear your point but the majority dont think they follow, and as for the callous part its always that way in any culture with a "community" type of governing power, imo.

Speaking to the family of a child that has thyroid cancer would be pretty horrific, but would it be more horrific than speaking to the families of the five or six thousand people that will have died as a result of the fossil fuels. And that number will continue to grow by thousands a year. The nuclear waste hasn’t been dumped around the country nor has it been dumped into the food chain. Less than 1% of the radiation from the Pacific comes from Fukushima. Look at Nagasaki and Hiroshima… look at the radiation released there… yet you were more likely to die from traffic accidents than you were from subsequent cancers. Despite there being nothing done to prevent the contamination entering the food. You could also look at Chernobyl and the return of the wildlife to the area. Wolves, and Boars that hadn’t been seen for generations. In the areas with far more contamination than those outside of the exclusion zones in Fukushima.

I don’t work for the industry. But it’s not rhetoric. It’s simple facts. Few people will die from Fukushima. Substantially more will die from the switch to fossil fuels.

It’s not rhetoric. It’s fact. Simple, scientific facts.

Heda the article gives an example of the cover up. The Nature.com article you so proudly displayed last week as the of all is all to which I gave you proof to the contrary via the New York Times article that refuted your claims as hot air.

Here is your link Heda

http://www.nature.com/news/fukushima-data-show-rise-and-fall-in-food-radioactivity-1.17016

“This is a landmark decision from the viewpoint of workers’ rights, and it’s probably just the tip of the iceberg,” Shinzo Kimura, associate professor of radiation and hygiene at Dokkyo Medical University, told AFP.

i agree with the first half of this statement. this ruling is quite shocking in that the gov't accepted responsibilty for causing the disease. i don't think many readers realize how difficult it is to directly link cancer to any type of agent, since there could be hundreds of reasons for it to appear. i have to disagree with his claim that this is just the "tip of the iceberg." unless the gov't has given him some data that know one else knows about, then this claim is preposterous.

klausdorth: (Sorry that I can't give a "thumbs up" ..... maybe I am being monitored or put o a special list? Admin, any advice?)

I had the same problem the other day. I just tried it and works for me, tho. Maybe you have a script blocker interfering with JT's Javascript libraries.

It is absolutely hillarious that you maintain that the nature article us hot air when you followed up by posting a link. Using the research that is quoted in the nature article and said it was 'proof'. And none of that is remotely relevant to what we're discussing here.

Disillusioned...interested to know how tap water in Tokyo or Chiba is of a concern. No matter how slight... any international standards that the water has failed? Apart from that one day in march 2011 when there was a concern for infants under japanese standards...which wouldn't have made the news elsewhere as the Japanese are the strictest.

If this is the first, there must be dozens that are misdiagnosed.

Nuclear energy is not evil by definition, what is evil and inducing cancers and genetic diseases to population are all the shady operations done by the Nuclear Village to cut cost and make money out of something which is not cheap. You guys cannot manage a nuclear plant without dumping nuclear waste all around, those are normal practices for you, people will be shocked to learn that nearby ocean dumping has been done in Japan since a long time ago, way before 2011, simply put the Nuclear industry cannot be economically viable without using covering up and doing regular nuclear waste dumping slowly poisoning the surrounding population. Well all those shady operations could be avoided by there are real people behind those decision to make money, there is no fatality.

The fact is that radioisotopes are still present in Tokyo drinking water why is Cesium 134 still detectable in the drinking water of Fukushima, Hitachinaka, Utsunomiya, Maebashi and Tokyo. It has a half life of 2.0652 years which turns to its daughter Barium 134 and then stable Xenon 134.

http://radioactivity.nsr.go.jp/en/contents/11000/10073/24/194_20150731.pdf

TEPCO's Fukushima and management of Nuclear plants are all inducing contamination and exposure for years to come, only fools will contest and claim they do have full control behaviors on sub-atomic particles. For risk and effect see the link:

http://emergency.cdc.gov/radiation/contamination.asp

I've always thought that nuclear power plants should be built in Tokyo, where people consume the most amount of electricity in Japan, instead of passing them off to local areas like Fukushima. Then the government would take every possible measure to make nuclear plants as safe as possible.

Millions of people have died from Fukushima and this is just the beginning. Oh wait, that didn't happen.

Good luck Heda_Madness. :)

Then there are reports everyday of radioactive water leaking by the tons into the ocean. Radioactive water seeping into the groundwater. I found my local supermarkets trying to sell Fukushima vegetables until there were complaints. The Fukushima fishermen trying to sell their fish. Fukushima held an Ocean Day celebration right off the coast and had families swimming in that same water. They want Olympic events held there.

But I'm still here.

I'm not a scientist, I only know what I read and can study on my own. I do wonder about the long term health effects of staying here. I know the government and TEPCO will never tell me the whole story. I can take lying politicians, every country has them, but I don't want my life shortened by something they're afraid to tell me about.

Precisely why I got the heck out. I chose not to put my financial, psychological and physical well-being in the hands of Japan Inc. and the LDP any longer -- the folks who created the mess in the first place.

Citizen2012,

Now wait for for all on Nuclear village's payroll, those accepting "donation" from TEPCO & contractor selling expensive equipment starting to contest this..."being ethical and having compassion" is not part of their live style.

As the "shill claim", of used by those without a logical argument and the paranoid.

Aly Rustom,

I just wish the Japanese population would deeply think about how callous the government has been about the plight of people in Tohoku.

No one seems to care when big multinationals close up shop in Tohoku. Nobody seems to care about our poor access to services, our low standard of living. If the Japanese population wanted to help us the could try buying our produce.

LOVE some of the excuses! "Well... there's no proof he got it at FUKUSHIMA, since he's worked at other plants before this" -- meaning, he got it from exposure at NPPs, and even those considered 'safe' by people like Heda. AND he has cancer despite the 'lower than the limit level', of which the recently reopened areas have the limit. Fukushima is DEFINITELY going to be another Minamoto Disease "we couldn't have known!" denial topics by the government and power companies, with thousands being affected, if not more.

What is surprising is that THIS version of the news does not include the careful statement that this case of cancer cannot be proven not to have been caused radiation from the facility. I have found that in all other versions of this story around the net. But failing to prove a negative hypothesis is not a positive statement. (You can't prove that there is no God. Therefore God must exist. Really?)

I have known several people during my life who died from leukemia, and they were not nuclear plant workers.

What this article does have is a lot of comments by the usual suspects saying "I told you so" in one capacity or another. Pretty ghoulish stuff. I see Greenpeace, fresh from desecrating Nazca, is doing its part to kill people in Fukushima with stress and anguish.

Tell ya what. Let's try this. Find the annual incidence of leukemia among the general population and multiply that number by the population of Fukushima and then by 4.5 years. I think the number will come out to be greater than 1. Even after adjusting for age and various cohorts, I would be surprised if the number of deaths from cancer in Fukushima is greater than the general Japanese population. That's right. I am doubling down. I think the cancer rates in Japan are higher than they are in Fukushima, but let's wait for those data.

And I might as well point out the obvious. It is in the interest of the worker to claim that the disease arose from radiation exposure. It is probably in the interest of his insurance company, and by extension, probably his doctor, and even the governments of Japan and Fukushima to claim that radiation caused this. If they all get their way, the only victims will be TEPCO and truth itself.

interested to know how tap water in Tokyo or Chiba is of a concern. No matter how slight... any international standards that the water has failed? Apart from that one day in march 2011 when there was a concern for infants under japanese standards.

That 'one day' in March 2011 was an after-the-fact announcement that the water supply had been contaminated, maybe for a couple of days before the announcement was made. Maybe there is no problem with the water supply in Kanto now, but I know many parents of small children who still try to make sure that their kids get nothing but water shipped in from far away; it's insurance against the next 'Ooops sorry, yet another leak from Fukushima means Tokyo's water has been contaminated for the past week or so.' It's the uncertainty - and the certainty that the government is lying about nuclear - that bothers people, and no amount of 'but, but, not many people have died (yet - and if they did we wouldn't tell you, or we'd claim it was from other causes)' is going to make nuclear palatable to ordinary people.

Look at Nagasaki and Hiroshima… look at the radiation released there…

Oh yes, forgot all about Hiroshima and Nagasaki. After all, the most devastating bombs ever used in wartime were dropped there, and now look, they're both thriving, vibrant cities. Heck, the Peace Parks even bring in tourist revenue, what's not to like?

Well, by August 2011 Fukushima had released the equivalent of over 168 Hiroshimas. Little Boy released 69 tera becquerels in a single flash; most fatalities and injuries were caused by the heatwave of the mid-air explosion and the fallout from the mushroom cloud, causing acute radiation poisoning. The amount of caesium-137 released from Fukushima as of August 2011 was estimated at 15,000 tera becquerels. Other estimates indicate that the official TEPCO figures were off by a factor of roughly 1.5. Again, it's the uncertainty, coupled with the almost certain certainty that People Are Lying about inconvenient facts, that puts people against nuclear. If people know you have to lie to sell your product, who's going to be happy buying it?

A Japanese politician might say in the coming days, this is regrettable....

But, that's what they always say....

Great here come the conspiracy nuts again. More fuel for theie fire talking about how kids have increased thyroid cancer. That is false. Completelyfalse. And iits a lie spread by ignorant people who dont know anything about nuclear isotopes. They found high levels of certain isotopes in the thyroid gland but the results were consistent with normal levels found in the larger population. The reason they found those 8ncreased levels is because they went looking for it. If you increase testing you will find more people with cancer. The Fushima event is not related. If you incteased testing in any population you would find similar results. Thefear mogering from uneducated people needs to stop if you would like to see a similar comparable event study the long term effects of 3 mile island. Ive had people ignorantly say its like Chernoble. Its not. Workers doing cleanup for a year i understand and expect increased cancer. All the idiot foreighners who left Japan out of fear and ignorance incased exposure to radiation on the plane ride home. Your more a risk if dying from worrying about that any radiation.

Heda,

You're banging your head against a wall here. Facts don't matter.The science doesn't matter. What does matter is allowing fear and ignorance to flourish.

I quit participating in this debate some time back when it became abundantly clear anti-nuclear folks are in no way, shape, or form interested in science, facts, or truth.

Its easier to say a plant workers Leukemia was caused by the incident because they get tested often and where badges that testtheor expose. I worked in a nuclead radiation department and we had to wear those badges.

Big business and government nuclear power advocates are probably thinking deep-down, "A case like this is small cost to feed the massive Tokyo electricity needs inexpensively." The cost of nuclear power varies greatly depending on how you assess the cost of human lives when disaster strikes. If the advocates can underplay cases like this, they'll succeed in reducing the total nuclear cost quite a lot.

J Govt must pay real well to posters who promote the J Govt way of thinking or there are Trolls posting propaganda. The everything is fine and dandy is just a dream.

I don't doubt the assertion by Utrack above. As I stated all along, a lot of the posts on this site are absurdly pro-Jp to the point that no logic is even apparent, much less a balanced view.

In this case, how on earth are things 'not really affected' by Fukushima/radiation exposure , esp those poor part time workers. This is just the tip of the iceberg, and at least 30-60 percent of these workers, if not all, are severely damaged in their bodies.

Japan points fingers at others about transparency, but again it is just a shameless hypocrisy. Jp can't even be straight with its own citizens who risk their lives to clean up Tepco/Jp's mess.

Well is common sense soon or later someone will have cancer with the exposition of high docis of radiation from a nuclear disaster. I support this workers are out there to save us and clean the mess of this c disaster they supposed to give them a Medal of Honor! Hoping the best for the workers and this nuclear disaster will soon over.

J Govt lifted an evacuation order for part of the town of Kawauchi in October 2014. The citizens who went back have been living within 20 kilometers of the stricken Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. You can not tell me it is safe to live there. Even if Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant were Entombed. J Govt has to Re-Evacuate the citizens they are trying to resettle into their old towns near the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant.

http://www.japantoday.com/category/national/view/evacuation-advisory-lifted-for-part-of-town-near-fukushima-nuclear-plant

This is interesting - daily radiation levels in Shinjuku back to 2011 - see how they quadrupled in a couple of days at the time of the disaster: http://monitoring.tokyo-eiken.go.jp/en/mp_shinjuku_air_data_1day.html

Japan lifted the evacuation order near the stricken Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant for first time since nuclear disaster in April 2014. The order was lifted for part of Miyakoji district in Tamura City, Fukushima Prefecture in eastern Japan. J Govt needs to reassess its decision to resettle citizens now. Right Now

https://www.rt.com/news/japan-fukushima-evacuation-nuclear-673/

What you don't see cannot hurt you..or so Tepco and the J-Govt would like all of us to believe....these guys are seriously screwed up.

Such dreadful news pierce through my heart like that of steel, the steel of a legendary blade tampered in the deptes of hell, skillfully wielded by none other than the legendary miyamoto musashi himself.

No matter how many lives are sacrificed, how many pages are written in history of the dangers posed by such weapons, we humans never seem to learn.

How many more lives need be sacrificed before we humans learn? Are the pages in history set in stone? Are we humans doomed and destined to destruction by our own hands? Is there no other way to sway the will of faith? Must we continue to rely on such destructive power?

I need not remind ye of the many nuclear related disaster the world over.

I want all who read my post to put all BS/personal gains aside and honestly ask themselves one question, is this a technology that we want to leave for our future generations to suffer?

****“This is an alarm bell for that policy,” he added.

What would a nuclear plant bring us?

we would be less reliable on coal fuels, out of shortage in nature energy, competitive business.

Thanks to a nuclear, we have enough sufficient supply. But, how could we keep enjoying many supply, that would give damages to our health. That would prevail an extremely big ripple effect on health of people near nuclear plant. More and more we depend on nuclear plant, we would be closer to death.

It is the easiest question, which one is more important to keep health safe or boosting economy???

That 'one day' in March 2011 was an after-the-fact announcement that the water supply had been contaminated, maybe for a couple of days before the announcement was made. Maybe there is no problem with the water supply in Kanto now, but I know many parents of small children who still try to make sure that their kids get nothing but water shipped in from far away; it's insurance against the next 'Ooops sorry, yet another leak from Fukushima means Tokyo's water has been contaminated for the past week or so.

Cleo, it was a day. And it was at levels at approximately 10% of what would have been acceptable in the rest of the world. That the Japanese levels are so stringent created unnecessary and irrational panic. As the rest of your post shows. There is no scientific reason to think that the water in Kanto is or has been contaminated.

Oh yes, forgot all about Hiroshima and Nagasaki. After all, the most devastating bombs ever used in wartime were dropped there, and now look, they're both thriving, vibrant cities. Heck, the Peace Parks even bring in tourist revenue, what's not to like? Well, by August 2011 Fukushima had released the equivalent of over 168 Hiroshimas. Little Boy released 69 tera becquerels in a single flash; most fatalities and injuries were caused by the heatwave of the mid-air explosion and the fallout from the mushroom cloud, causing acute radiation poisoning. The amount of caesium-137 released from Fukushima as of August 2011 was estimated at 15,000 tera becquerels. Other estimates indicate that the official TEPCO figures were off by a factor of roughly 1.5. Again, it's the uncertainty, coupled with the almost certain certainty that People Are Lying about inconvenient facts, that puts people against nuclear. If people know you have to lie to sell your product, who's going to be happy buying it?

My comment about Hiroshima and Nagasaki is very relevant. Many on here expect there to be thousands of people dying from the effects of radiation but what we learned from Hiroshima and Nagasaki is that despite there being a large release of radiation over a wide area that the vast majority of victims came from the initial blast and that those who survived that blast were more likely to be killed in a traffic accident than from cancer. Fukushima is a localised incident. It is continuing to leak but it's in a localised area. It's not gushing out over wide swathes of land. Which is what happened in Chernobyl etc. And there is so much science that shows the impact is very limited.

There are some on here, Utrack for example, who are desperate for this to be worse than Chernobyl. Chernobyl contaminated half of western europe but the predicted increase in cancer hasn't happened. The area around the plant was a write off - nothing could grow there. Nothing could survive. Yet it's a thriving ecosystem with species returning that had long gone thanks to man's input.

Few people will die from Fukushima. More will die from the switch to fossil fuels. And any irrational hatred of nuclear by numerous contributors to this board won't change that scientific fact.

LFRAgain... yeah, I know... but it's like watching reality TV... you know you shouldn't do it but you just get drawn in to it...

Heda you are a scientist or you worked in a laboratory anyway so I figure you are giving this everything is okay pipe dream for a reason. A triple reactor meltdown will never be less than a single reactor meltdown. That is simple mathematics and the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant incident is an ongoing triple meltdown incident. Still exposed and still contamination the Air, Land, Sea and the People of Japan. So respect the fact of the concern.

Why would anyone be diagnosed with cancer affects if our government raised the minimum exposure limits because the previous standards were set to low and were inaccurate? Please TEPCO and our government ministers knew full well the outcomes and more yet to come would be devastating to Japan and the outlook from those country's looking in I am surprised that the media was allowed to post this story considering tourism is up and outlook towards the Olympics is high on the agenda

It’s a concern if you don’t understand how things work. It’s a concern that when Chernobyl, in a single, meltdown exploded it leaked radiation across western Europe that led to banning the sale of lamb in the UK from certain regions for over 20 years. Based on standards that are substantially less strict than the Japanese. Find areas of Japan that have that level of radiation. Find areas of Japan that the food is that contaminated. Chernobyl is like a damn breaking – the impact is far far reaching. The situation in Dai Ichi is like a damn leaking. It’s very wet in the local area but has no significant impact elsewhere.

It’s simple science. The facts remain that Chernobyl was significantly worse than Fukushima. And their relatively high (substantially less than predicted) cancer rates were due to allowing the highly contaminated food in the market and continued to do so. Yet wildlife is thriving in the area.

This guy was interviewed on NewStation last night and I feel for him as he has young children and now has to live with this for the rest of his life, however long or short that may be. The cancer seems to be in remission right now, but who knows in the future.

The Health ministry officially called this a work related illness, and he should be covered by workman's comp because of it.

My question is how many others have actually applied or tried to get workman's comp because of radiation related sicknesses and were turned down.

The first one reported.

Heda 3 reactors Exploded there is nothing leaking about that. Sending debris far and wide you have seen the bags of radioactive waste. That will probably cause health problems to the workers and citizens bagging up the radioactive waste in the first place. Tests of the environment are still being conducted and so the monitoring for every prefecture in Japan. The monitoring should be on the ground for every prefecture but it isn't. There is nothing leaking about gaseous emissions of radioisotopes that are daily going into the environment. the water accumulation underneath the reactors is leaking, gushing but that is the only thing that is. Everything else is Spewing

So currently, the reactors are spewing radiation all over Japan are they? yet, there's no evidence on all of the monitoring stations - both domestic and international. As I mentioned yesterday during the early part of the crisis the radiation levels in Rome were higher than on the Italian embassy in Tokyo, You're hypothesizing based on fiction, not scientific facts.

Do some research on Chernobyl. Understand the differences. Understand why this is a localised problem. And try and stay clear of Enenews.

If the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident were localized Radioisotopes would not have reached Tokyo or Chiba. Radioisotopes would not be washing up on the shores of the west coast of the US if it were localized as you say. I have read research Heda and I know the difference between hot air and fact.

Yes, but you seem to be of the opinion that small amounts of radiation in Tokyo are the same as substantially higher levels of radiation across western europe... thousands of kilometres...

Less than 1% of the radiation in the Pacific is from Fukushima... on the West Coast it will be a hell of a lot less than 1%...

And you also seem to be of the opinion that any radiation is bad.

I'm amazed you eat any food. Given the amount of carciogens in everything you consume. Are your vegetables grown in some sort of bubble?

Heda you give a lot of percentages of this and that but no link to prove what you say is accurate. At Least provide some form of evidence

A rather fascinating exchange of opinions on the subject, bravo for keeping the discussion civilised.

Might I add, the facts remain that this fellow (A former Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant worker) has indeed been diagnosed with radiation-linked cancer, are we implying that this cancer is somehow the results of the amount of carciogens in the food that one consumes? I think it rather impossable for one to suffer radiation-linked cancer from food consumption alone. Perhaps the plant worker was exposed to high levels of radiation from a visit to Western Europe?I doubt it.

Regardless of which way we look at the situation, this is a former Fukushima Daiichi plant worker who's effected, did the radiation levels increased once the meltdown/explosion and leaking began? Yes, it's as clear as black and white.

Utrack,

A triple reactor meltdown will never be less than a single reactor meltdown. That is simple mathematics.

Well, it is an over-simplification. Chernobyl was a reactor, without a containment dome, with a graphite moderator which caught fire and lofted large amounts of radioisotopes into the troposphere where it was transported all over Europe.

http://www.borenv.net/BER/pdfs/ber15/ber15-019.pdf

@5SpeedRacer5

Find the annual incidence of leukemia among the general population and multiply that number by the population of Fukushima and then by 4.5 years.

I could not find data for Japan but in USA the annual incidence is 43000 cases per year, for a population of 320 mil that is one case per year per every 7500 people. Assuming no elevated risk the "Fukushima radiation exposed workers" population of 44,000 would mean that we would expect 5.7 cases of leukemia every year on those workers, a total of 26 people developing leukemia between radiation cleaning workers since march 2011. If anything it appears that working on radiation cleaning in Fukushima protects against cancer (26 times less probability!).

Of course I do not mean to reach that conclusion, I just want to make clear that the report is overly exaggerated when information that should be included is left out. It may very well be the first of a series of cases and a really important call for attention, but at this point is more likely that one person out of 44,000 would get leukemia than none of them, even without any exposure to radiation.

He should of course get all the compensation that is possible, its his right as he was working in a known risky environment, but at this point its too soon to make wild accusations based on his single case, if later statistics fail to show an important elevation of leukemia on Fukushima workers, this unjustified alarm could be used as a (faulty) argument to "prove" that people should not worry too much and that the government can focus again in Nuclear power.

Short version, at this time this is like crying wolf at shadows. In the long term its better to act cautiously and not cry "cancer epidemic" after a single case.

@Strategist

I think it rather impossable for one to suffer radiation-linked cancer from food consumption alone. Perhaps the plant worker was exposed to high levels of radiation from a visit to Western Europe?I doubt it.

Actually the cancer is radiation-linked because the patient is a radiation exposed worker If he were a fisherman in Okinawa his cancer would not be described as radiation-linked. Many people get leukemia because of other risk factors and some even when no factor could be identified.

The model of the reactor does not matter we are not counting spent fuel rods. We are talking about 3 exploding reactors and a 4th damaged reactor. The force of the blasts and the black smoke it created carried the radioisotopes far and wide and although we do not see any smoke emitting from the reactors does not mean gaseous radioisotopes are not being emitted and in the environment.

Radioactive cedar pollen detected in Fukushima National Dec. 29, 2011 - 06:30AM JST

High radiation levels of more than 250,000 becquerels per kilogram of radioactive cesium have been detected in male flowers of Japanese cedar trees in the restricted zone around the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.

http://www.japantoday.com/category/national/view/radioactive-cedar-pollen-detected-in-fukushima

What has changed?? Were the cedar trees cut down?? Pollen stopped traveling in the wind??

There were hot spots detected all over Japan, I do not think radiation traveling on the wind is a localized thing here.

Radiation hotspot in Chiba linked to Fukushima

http://www.japantoday.com/category/national/view/radiation-hotspot-in-chiba-linked-to-fukushima

Stringent tests planned to map radiation spread after hotspot found in Setagaya

Radiation hotspot found in residential Chiba

http://www.japantoday.com/category/national/view/radiation-hotspot-found-in-residential-chiba

Radioactive ash causes Kashiwa incinerators to shut down

http://www.japantoday.com/category/national/view/radioactive-ash-causes-shutdown-of-kashiwa-incinerators

The radiation that was released into the air, sea and food chain as a result of the Fukushima disaster will linger for ever, the effects of the poisoning is like a cold virus, a virus you can NEVER kill perhaps maybe control it but it never goes away. These effects will linger for years to come unsighted the results will be large numbers of people who were in the hot zone and live with in miles and perhaps the region will start to drop off, and of course TEPCO will continue to dispute whether these large number of cancer rates and deaths are linked Japan should forget about fertility rates it just won't happen with this monster lying dormant!

Melissa - they were in 2011, not now. Utrack has claimed that Dai ichi is continuing to spew radioactive waste across Japan at dangerous levels. Which is simply not true.

Yes Utrack trees in the restricted zone had high levels of radiation. Guess that's why they're in the restricted zone...

The force of the blasts and the black smoke it created carried the radioisotopes far and wide and although we do not see any smoke emitting from the reactors does not mean gaseous radioisotopes are not being emitted and in the environment.

You couldn't see the radioisotopes from Chernobyl polluting Western Europe. What they did find was lamb exceeded European Limits (higher than Japanese) from certain regions of the UK. What they then did was test the areas and found them to be highly polluted. Any evidence of Fukushima contaminating food, thousands of kilometres away to dangerous levels. And when I say dangerous I mean at the levels that international governments and scientists accept?

Might I add, the facts remain that this fellow (A former Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant worker) has indeed been diagnosed with radiation-linked cancer, are we implying that this cancer is somehow the results of the amount of carciogens in the food that one consumes? I think it rather impossable for one to suffer radiation-linked cancer from food consumption alone. Perhaps the plant worker was exposed to high levels of radiation from a visit to Western Europe?I doubt it.

Strategist. A former worker at Daiichi is more likely to get cancer from radiation than Jun Tanaka from Fukushima. I am not suggesting that he died as a result of the eating too many carciogens in his food. Nor from a visit to Western Europe. But Utrack seems to suggest on regular occasions that a) Fukushima is worst than Chernobyl (it's not) and b) that many people in Japan will die as a result of Fukushima (they won't).

The vast majority of illnesses/deaths caused by Chernobyl were due to the initial workers exposure to cancer and the systematic poisoning of the local populace by allowing contaminated food to continue to be sold and consumed. The former is a risk in Japan as people are working with a leaking nuclear power plant. The latter isn't.

Hence the assertion by numerous scientists that few people will die as a result of the nuclear disaster in Fukushima.

Heda you know the half life of Cesium 137 is like 30 years so what happened in 2011 will have the same radiation readings today or worse due to accumulation levels and for a long time to come. Shame on you for making light of this incident. It should be a scientist duty to educate the populace correctly

Heda you know the half life of Cesium 137 is like 30 years so what happened in 2011 will have the same radiation readings today or worse due to accumulation levels and for a long time to come.

Melissa. That's assuming that it stays in a nice pile without any exposure to wind or rain or anything else that could dilute it. Never mind in the areas of hot spots that the top soil was removed. You also realise that if you had a quantity of cesium that exceeded international safe levels but you spread that out over a field it would no longer be above the internationally accepted safe levels? And you know that the places that were hot spots in 2011 are no longer hot spots don't you?

Think of it as a chili. If you test a chili it will say it's 100% chili. If you bite it will be very hot. Now if you add that one chili to a stew and test it, it will no longer be 100% chili. It will no longer be very hot. It will have diluted and dispersed dramatically. And although the cesium has a half life it is substantially more diluted than it was in those few hot spots in 2011. There's a reason you no longer hear of hotspots outside of the evacuation zone. And that reason is that they simply don't exist.

It is a scientist duty to educate the populace correctly. And if you read what the majority of scientists are saying is that the fears of radiation have been over played. This is not anywhere near as bad as Chernobyl. And that few people will die as a result of the disaster of Fukushima.

Instead of you accusing me of making light of the disaster, may I suggest you actually read up on the scientific journals.

There's a recent article in the New York Times that you may enjoy? But I guess that the author, and the scientists he's quoting are down playing the risks as well. Shame on them.

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/22/science/when-radiation-isnt-the-real-risk.html?_r=0

Radioisotopes do not dilute, they contaminate whatever they come into contact with.

If radiation could be diluted there would be no need to decontaminate towns in Fukushima. The wind and the rain would do it. NOT

Lifting the top soil lessens the radiation reading because you removed the highly contaminated soil, it was not diluted but by the wind and rain it was bagged up.

So if radiation doesn’t disperse then where are these hot spots over Japan now? And why haven’t they continued to grow? Surely given the half life of caesium then what was deposited in March 2011 should be, minimum, exactly the same as it is now, or possibly even lower.

I mean… if you went to a field in Tokyo and measured the radiation on March 15, 2011 then that should be the same as now shouldn’t it? Because it doesn’t disperse. And it doesn’t dilute? The radiation level would be constant. Until the half life. Because RADIATION DOES NOT DISPERSE.

Though, if it doesn’t disperse and it contaminates everything it touches does that mean it multiplies? So if you have radiation attached to a spec of dust and that spec of dust lands in a pile of dirt it not only contaminates that patch of dirt but the other spects of dirt now no longer move in the elements.

This is genuinely groundbreaking stuff.

The fact is we lack proper data that is genuine to base our finding therefore, we simply can not be certain that our findings are accurate. Many people in the region may show radiation-linked conditions in the near future. The lack of monitoring in the region make it an unfair comparison to Chernobyl. The effects of Fukushima may be far worst than we know.

It is a known fact that radiation can be carried long distances by marine currents, concentrated in sediments, and carried in sea spray 16km or more inland.

For certain, the crippled Fukushima plant, continues to pose a hazard to coastal populations and any who consume produce from their farms.

The IAEA and other Government officials are simply failing to gather the required data, this has resulted in many ambiguity and incomplete findings.

My observation of the information provided by the official "Japanese marine monitoring programme," reveals that many officials are simply turning a blind eye to the risks of marine radiation from the stricken Fukushima site, such information is vital to carry out any research.

The strategy it has adopted, with the support of the IAEA, consistently ignores the latest evidence about the way marine radioactivity behaves in inshore marine environments and the potential radiological risks to coastal populations.

This strategy is based on a flawed hypothesis, developed by the nuclear industry through the late 1940s and early 1950s, when both oceanography and the study of the behaviour and fate of radioactivity in marine environments were in their absolute infancy.

As a result, the principal conclusions on the marine impact of the Fukushima event put forward in recent reports from the IAEA, the Government of Japan and it's relevant agencies, minimise the environmental and public health negatives and emphasise a range of hypothetical 'positives'.

This is a major flaw because the empirical evidence from 'non-aligned' research in the UK is that coastal communities are subjected to highly enriched doses of marine radioactivity through pathways of exposure, and from environmental parameters, which will not be analysed and researched under current Fukushima monitoring plans.

As a result, significant public health impacts of the event will not be documented, nor will important data about the way Fukushima marine radioactivity behaves at the coastline, such information is vital to carry out any research.

The nuclear industry hypothesis proposed that fully soluble radioactivity, such as Caesium, mixes very well in the marine water body and thus is dispersed and diluted to infinity or background. On page 39: of Technical Volume 4/5. of the IAEAs 2015 'Fukushima Daiichi Accident Report', the IAEA repeat this assertion.

The nuclear hypothesis proposed that insoluble radioactivity, like alpha emitting Plutonium and Americium (which partition out of the water column by ad-sorbing to the outer surface of suspended sedimentary particles), becomes attached to suspended particles in the marine water column, deposits out on the sea bed near the end of discharge pipelines and there remains immobilised and sequestered from human beings.

UK empirical evidence also refutes this claim and demonstrates that such 'insoluble radioactivity' is also highly mobile, can travel 100s of kms in marine water columns, deposit out in inshore mud flats and salt marshes where it can become enriched by a factor of ten.

In marine aerosols and sea spray it may be enriched by up to factor of 400 (relative to ambient seawater) and, wherever investigated, transfers across the surf line and into the coastal, terrestrial zone.

On the basis of their flawed original hypothesis it has become an article of faith for the nuclear industry and the IAEA to insist that dietary doses of marine radioactivity are only received by sea food consumers (seaweed, shell fish, crustaceans and fin fish). Thus the Japanese Government / IAEA plan sets out a strategy for the monitoring of such sea foods, but not to monitor other forms of dietary consumption of marine radioactivity.

Japan's failure to undertake any research in to the potential impacts of the Fukushima marine radioactivity upon this most exposed population group represents a dereliction of duty to both science and to the safeguarding of public health.

The lack of such data recorded in the region means the true extent of the effects of Fukushima will never be known, as a researcher, we need records and data to base our fundings.

Strategist

Thank you for your post and for being a researcher. Thank you

Strategist,

It is a known fact that radiation can be carried long distances by marine currents, concentrated in sediments, and carried in sea spray 16km or more inland.

Well, for the first two, yes that can happen to radioisotopes. For the last one, do you have a research reference?

This is a major flaw because the empirical evidence from 'non-aligned' research in the UK is that coastal communities are subjected to highly enriched doses of marine radioactivity through pathways of exposure, and from environmental parameters, which will not be analysed and researched under current Fukushima monitoring plans.

References for this research, please.

In marine aerosols and sea spray it may be enriched by up to factor of 400 (relative to ambient seawater) and, wherever investigated, transfers across the surf line and into the coastal, terrestrial zone.

How?

Thus the Japanese Government / IAEA plan sets out a strategy for the monitoring of such sea foods, but not to monitor other forms of dietary consumption of marine radioactivity.

What other forms of dietary consumption?

Melissa,

you know the half life of Cesium 137 is like 30 years so what happened in 2011 will have the same radiation readings today

Aren't you forgetting Caesium 134? Half-life of 2 years, and produced in almost equal amounts to 137.

Star Viking

No I have not forgotten Cesium 134. It is still measured in the drinking water in Tokyo. Although the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Incident happened 4 and a half years ago it should be Barium 134 by now... Riddle me this .... why is Cesium 134 still measured in Fukushima, Hitachinaka, Maebashi and Tokyo drinking water

Very well, I shall provide links to references material.

http://exacteditions.theecologist.org/browse/307/308/6487/3/20

http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201213/cmselect/cmenergy/117/117vw17.htm

My apologies that time simply will not permit me to provide a more comprehensive response. I have to give a seminar you see? I simply must be going. I shall see to it that, 'should time pramit' a more complete report be posted for the viewers of Japan Today rather than plan links.

Good day.

Strategist

Thank you for providing the links to the written testimony of Tim Deere-Jones and for your previous comment. They are both highly informative.

Interesting links. But of course lots of research has been done subsequently (post 91) into the food that was consumed etc.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17888548

The dose rate values are very low, less than 0.15% of the annual limit of 1000microSvy(-1) for the UK public from controlled radiation sources (excluding medical).

Is Tim Deere-Jones your only source? Because as a researcher you must surely know that you should be able to verify your research from numerous sources - not one.

cue denial machine in 3 2 1...

Japan you're so much better than this. Please stop being controlled by politicians and companies that don't care about you

Strategist,

A bit of a splurge from Mr Deere-Jones. Doses are very low, and some figures have no units specified. I'll see if I can access the scientific research from which he is deriving his submission this week to check.

I hope your seminar went well.

While doses may be low, it points to bio-accumulation. You don't recover as you go and that over the long term cancer is the result. Children in the area will be even worse off.

The whole area should be cordoned off for the next 100 years. That'll give the 30+ half life of some cesium isotopes 3 reductions People need to be moved into other prefectures, and NO STIGMA associated with doing that.

OK. Well. I really need to repeat that the story posted here is worded such that some radiation link to this man's cancer has been established. It has not. Other articles about this issue present the issue more accurately. People get leukemia for lots of reasons. Too bad about this guy, but he has every reason in the world to claim that TEPCO GABE ME THE CANCER!, but it does not mean he is right. I care much more about the truth than I care about this guy.

I actually live near the plants. Close enough that I was told to evacuate. I didn't. If I thought I was in danger or that the government was lying or any of that stuff, I would not live here.

Far from being a troll or a shill, I am actually putting my money where my mouth is. Anyone else? Anybody? Buehller?

Let me rephrase that. I am so sure that most of the "sky is falling" people posting here are wrong that I am betting my life on it. The risks from radiation are known, they are reported accurately, and they are not high. For this part of the country, the radiation levels have been reported daily for 4.75 years now, like a surf report in Southern California. It is just not a big deal. It is only a big deal to the panic-mongers and puppet-masters esconced in their Tokyo warren. They still have their cheap electricity and it is still generated "someplace else." Hypocrites all.

Good morning. My apologies for the late reply. Indeed my seminar went rather well, I appreciate your concern Star-viking. Thank you.

It would appear that there were misunderstandings, I have failed to mention that the research was carried out by many distinguished professors and scientists, some of whom I have worked with at the city of London university, Westminster university. These tests were carried out across the many education institutions across London. Please see the following link

http://www.nuclearconsult.com/about/

Dr Tim Deere-Jones contributions and findings were based upon the collective research of the many institutes involved, many of which I believe are made available via the link below. Please feel free to contact us via the website, either myself or one of the institute shall endeavour to respond promptly.

http://www.nuclearconsult.com/

Good day.

It is so very easy for some people here to comment and assure us of the safety of residents of not only Fukushima but the whole of Japan when they are in fact not living here in Japan.like the residents living in Fukushima with their windows unopened and their children banned from playing outside. Radioactive contamination in Japan is present in the food,the air,the rain and even in the buildings made from radioactively contaminated materials.Contamination from Fukushima has turned up in Kyoto and in Shimane prefectures, well away from Fukushima.Hot particles have been discovered in house dust in Yokohama that if inhaled will produce cell mutations ie cancer. As any nuclear scientist will tell you, there are only two ways to deal with the problem-distance and shielding.

This is why, those 'pundits' outside of Japan are so quick to jump on their keyboards and tell us how well everything is.......well it is not!

Great post kurisupisu that only people based in Japan can have an opinion on Fukushima. Presumably that includes scientists as well. Only people in Japan can possibly have a valid opinion.

Now given that you presumably live in Japan you are therefore a bit of an expert. So I'm going to ask you why the children of being kept inside? On whose orders and which scientists (japanese based only - naturally) say that is the correct thing to do. Why NPOs such as playground of hope are still continuing to build playgrounds in the temporary housing areas and other areas of the towns and cities of the region?

Could you explain the levels of radiation that have been found in Kyoto etc and what international levels that have been exceeded? Supported by which Japan based scientists?

Are you also saying that any radioactive particle will cause cell mutations that WILL lead to cancer. What about the cesium in your body? Are we all now going to get cancer?

And finally given that you think that only people in Japan know what's going on it would explain why you choose to ignore what the international science community keeps saying... but hey what would they know?

Strategist,

Glad to hear the seminar went well.

Dr Tim Deere-Jones contributions and findings were based upon the collective research of the many institutes involved, many of which I believe are made available via the link below. Please feel free to contact us via the website, either myself or one of the institute shall endeavour to respond promptly.

As far as I know, Tim Deere-Jones does not have a doctorate, he is not listed with one on the nuclearconsult website, nor elsewhere on the net.

I'm going to try and look at the actual research at the institute I work at, though with the limited journal subscriptions these days, who knows what I'll be able to find!

Evening Star-viking, indeed you are quite right in that, Tim Deere-Jones does not have a doctorate, I have merely made a typographical error. Thank you for pointing that out.

Should time permit, I shall try to look for the actual research material in our lab records. I shall keep you informed.

Regards

It maybe an option to leave Japan. China has been building 12 to 24 cities a years these past few years, Most of these cities are standing empty. Getting a rental should be easy.

http://www.news.com.au/finance/china-building-mega-cities-but-they-remain-empty-sparking-fears-of-housing-bubble-burst/story-e6frfm1i-1226611169281

Interesting that the person who taught me risk assessment and management in environmental geography at university is on Strategist's list. He is a doctor by the way.

There are much more cases of leukemia/cancer confirmed/linked to wind/solar rather than Fukushima.

"birth defects and eight leukemia cases within five years in a community of 11,000 — after many years with no leukemia cases" - At least eight cases https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rare_earth_element#Environmental_considerations

"rare earth metals are also needed for clean energy technology. Solar panels, electric cars, and wind turbines all require rare earth metals." "increasing cases of leukemia and other cancers, and multiple deaths of farm animals in these contaminated areas." "There have been reported cases of radioactive exposure that cause birth defect and leukemia cases at rare earth refinery plants." "Since rare earth metals are not found in concentrated deposits, rare earth elements are usually mined through open pit mining. This involves stripping the surface of the earth using heavy equipment, thus destroying the existing ecosystem. Three major contaminants are often released in the area: radioactive waste, dust and metals." "The crushing and grinding necessary to refine the rare earths also releases toxic metals and radioactive dust into the air." http://raremetalsandmaterials.weebly.com/e-waste--the-environment.html

"cause cancers of the pancreas and lungs, and leukaemia." "essential to advanced technology .. also to wind farms" http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2012/aug/07/china-rare-earth-village-pollution "has led to an increase in leukemia and other ailments." http://e360.yale.edu/feature/boom_in_mining_rare_earths_poses_mounting_toxic_risks/2614/ "refining of rare earths lead to increased leukemia and pancreatic cancer rates" http://futureofenergy.web.unc.edu/2015/06/20/lithium-rare-earth-and-the-future-of-renewbles/