Radiation Levels at Fukushima Nuclear Plant 100,000 Times Normal

A partial evacuation at the earthquake damaged Fukushima Nuclear Plant was ordered after radiation readings revealed levels at 100,000 times what is considered normal.

The radiation readings came from water puddles at the plant and are attributed to partially melted fuel rods that came in contact with the water being used to cool the fuel rod assembly within the reactor containment structure at the plant.
Initially, workers reported the readings to be 10 million times normal, however, TEPCO (Tokyo Electric Power Company) officials quickly issued a revised statement, correcting the amount to 100,000 times normal. Although the revised readings represent a factor of 100 times less than the originally reported radiation levels, the current readings remain dangerous.
The worker measuring the radiation levels became alarmed when the instrument he was using to record the radiation measurements tripped the scale at the maximum reading of 1 sievert per hour. He immediately left the scene and reported.
According to nuclear chemist Michiaki Furukawa, who is a board member of Tokyo’s watchdog group called the Citizen’s Nuclear Information Center, exposure to 1 sievert of radiation would result in nausea and vomiting. Elevated radiation levels of 3 to 5 sieverts could be fatal.
A radiation exposure rate of 1,000 millisieverts per hour would result in a worker receiving his annual occupational limit in a matter of 15 minutes.
The IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) reported that radiation exposure experienced by two workers at the plant last Thursday has resulted in “significant skin contamination over their legs.”
On its web site, the IAEA reported that “The Japanese authorities have stated that during medical examinations carried out at the National Institute of Radiological Sciences in the Chiba Prefecture, the level of local exposure to the workers’ legs was estimated to be between 2 and 6 sieverts.”
In response to the erroneous radiation readings initially reported by TEPCO officials, Japan’s top government spokesman Yukio Edano chided the operator of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, stating, “Considering the fact that the monitoring of radioactivity is a major concern to ensure safety, this kind of mistake is absolutely unacceptable.”
Authorities in Japan have concluded that work to address and resolve the Fukushima plants damaged and overheated reactors will likely take months and that over that time duration radiation will assuredly continue to leak into the environment.