Doubts about decontamination

July 23, 2013

Decontamination slow, effectiveness in doubt

http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/english/news/20130723_37.html

Decontamination to reduce radioactive pollution caused by the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident has been slow, and its effectiveness has been called into question.

NHK compared data from before and after decontamination at 43 districts in 21 municipalities across Fukushima Prefecture.

In 33 of the districts, or 77 percent of the total, radiation levels were still higher than the government-set standard of one millisievert per year.

In areas near the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, where decontamination has been carried out on an experimental basis, radiation levels remain 10 to 60 times higher than the official limit.

The Environment Ministry says decontamination had only been conducted in about 3 percent of residential areas in the evacuation zone as of the end of March.