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3. This article deals with a regional environmental issue.
4. With the recent earthquake and nuclear plant disaster in Japan, many serious issues have arose. One serious question is how much exposer to harmful radiation did the people of Japan get throughout this disaster. Studies have shown that exposure levels around the nuclear plant reached up to about 400 millisieverts of radiation an hour, but the plunged to .6 millisievert and hour. Millisivert is an internationally accepted measure of radiation does based on biological effects in humans. This amount is extremely dangerous because the average person receives about 1-2 millisieverts a year from natural sources in the environment. 50 millisieverts is the lowest cumulative annual dose for which there is evidence of radiation related cancer in adults. So for the people in Japan that were around the extremely high amounts of radiation, there are serious risks for cancer and radiation sickness. If the plant workers were around this radiation for 2 brief intervals, they could get temporary radiation sickness which includes nausea and decreased blood cell count. To make sure that these workers do not get seriously dangered, an evacuation was ordered for everyone within 12 miles from the nuclear power plant. And for the people that live around 19 miles away, they have been ordered to stay indoors and seal all windows.
5. It is scary to think that people are still even working on the nuclear power plant after the disaster, but it is crucial that they keep the plant cooled with seawater to make sure that the fuel rods don't overheat and release more radioactive material. It is shocking that there is such a high level of radiation in Japan and people still live there because they have no where else to go. It is important that we are aware of how awful the conditions are right now in Japan, and we all do our part to help contribute.
6. Trepidation- tremulous fear, alarm or agitation,
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