Study Raises A-Bomb Fallout Exposure Risks

Above, a portion of the Atomic Bomb Dome in Hiroshima.  Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The Japan Times has posted an interesting article on the effects of radiation to people who entered the city of Hiroshima immediately following the atomic bombing and those who entered three days later.

The article states:

HIROSHIMA – A study by Hiroshima University researchers has shown that men who entered the city just after the 1945 atomic bombing face a greater chance of dying from cancer than those who came three days later. 

The findings suggest that human health may be impaired by residual radiation from the materials generated by a nuclear detonation, and challenge the view espoused by a state-funded institute that maintains such radiation caused no major difference in cancer risk in people who entered the city right after the bombing.

I've visited both Hiroshima and Nagasaki and found that one would never suspect that either city was once decimated by an atomic bomb. Today, both cities are no more radioactive than any other city in the world. Both are completely safe to visit.

To read the full article, go here.