Advice on exposure to radiation arising from the nuclear accident in Japan - 10 October 2011: TIME: 1500
Advice for Australians remaining in Japan on food and water precautions, the availability and use of potassium iodide tablets and on appropriate sheltering from radiation if required have been provided by Australia's Chief Medical Officer and the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA).
Extensive advice on these new topics of concern, together with information for people returning from Japan and for use by GPs is contained on this website and is updated regularly.
ARPANSA is closely following the safety issues surrounding the Fukushima Dai-ichi site and in particular the current status of the four reactor units and the spent fuel ponds at a number of the reactor units. Based on an assessment of cumulative radiation releases since the accident began, the Japanese Government on 11 April assessed the level of the nuclear incident as level 7 ("major accident") on the International Nuclear and Radiological Event Scale (INES). The Japanese Government estimates that the total amount of radioactive material discharged into the air was approximately ten percent of that of the accident at Chernobyl.
TEPCO, the operator of the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant, has reported that the damaged reactor cores have cooled sufficiently that large-scale emission of radioactive materials is not expected in the future. ARPANSA believes that the current risk of radiological releases to the atmosphere is small. ARPANSA will continue to monitor the situation at Fukushima Dai-ichi site and will provide advice on movement of any airborne radioactive material if there is an unexpected release.
The long-range plume modelling over the past two months has shown that, in the event of any release of airborne radioactive material from Fukushima Dai-ichi, the radiation levels from these plumes outside of Japan would be minimal and the health consequences negligible. Due to weather patterns either side of the equator, there will be minimal plume movement to the Southern Hemisphere.
ARPANSA maintains a number of air sampling stations around Australia for the purposes of monitoring under the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT), including in Darwin. From early April to early May, trace amounts of Xenon-133 (Xe-133) were detected in air samples collected at the Darwin CTBT radionuclide monitoring station. While detectable, the airborne contamination measured at Darwin was at insignificant levels. These radiation levels were millions times lower than safe levels and will have negligible health impacts on the Australian public. The detection of Xe-133 at Darwin is of no health significance for any person in Darwin or in Australia. There have been no detections of radioactive material from Japan by the Darwin CTBT radionuclide monitoring stations since early May.
The joint recommendation by ARPANSA and the Department of Health and Ageing on the current situation in Japan is that, Australians should not enter into the 30 km zone around the Fukushima site or the specific zones outside the 30 km radius that are designated by the Japanese Government as Deliberate Evacuation Area. This currently includes Katsurao Village, Namie Town, Iitate Village, part of Kawamata Town, and part of Minami-Soma City.
Australians should exercise a high degree caution within the Precautionary Zone between 30km and 80 km around the Fukushima site and follow the advice of the local government authorities.
Australians returning home from Japan are highly unlikely to be contaminated or exposed to significant radiation and will not require checks for radioactivity. However, if people wish to seek medical advice they should contact their local GP.
ARPANSA and the Chief Medical Officer advise that iodine tablets are only required when exposed to substantial radiation doses from radioactive iodine. There is no current need for those returning from Japan or those in Japan outside the Precautionary Zone to consider the use of potassium iodide tablets at this time.
Discussions continue with medical organisations and state and territory health authorities on these issues. Further information will continue to be provided by the Australian Government as the situation develops.
People reading this advice should also visit www.smarttraveller.gov.au and read the travel advice and the travel bulletin for Australians in or returning from Japan.
Media contact: 02 6289 7400
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