NEW YORK--Radiation levels are high in areas extending about 30 kilometers northwest of the quake-hit nuclear power plant in Fukushima Prefecture, according to aerial and ground data collected by U.S. military aircraft and experts.
NEW YORK--Radiation levels are high in areas extending about 30 kilometers northwest of the quake-hit nuclear power plant in Fukushima Prefecture, according to aerial and ground data collected by U.S. military aircraft and experts.
The U.S. Department of Energy on March 22 released its estimates of radiation a person receives in one hour on the ground in areas surrounding the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant.
The aerial monitoring and ground measurements were conducted from March 17 to 19.
The DOE assessment showed that a stretch of high-radiation areas, at levels higher than 125 microsieverts per hour, encompasses Namie town and Iitate village in the prefecture.
Monitoring by the municipal governments had also shown high readings in those areas.
In the areas, total radiation will reach the maximum acceptable level per year for ordinary citizens of 1 millisievert (1,000 microsieverts) if a person stays there for eight hours.
The DOE releases its assessments at its website (energy.gov/japan2011).