3. Background Information
Helen Caldicott – president of the Foundation for a
Nuclear-Free Planet
Theguardian.com on April 11, 2011
“How nuclear apologists mislead the world over
radiation”
4. Helen Caldicott’s Assertions
External and internal radiation
No dose of radiation is safe
Chernobyl disaster caused 980,000 deaths
5. External vs. internal radiation
Author’s assertion:
External radiation - Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic
bombs in 1945
Internal radiation – I-131, Cs-137.
Absorption, digestion or inhaling.
Bio-concentrate at each step of various food chains
Human consumption – can cause cancer via radiation
6. External vs. internal
radiation
Rebuttal:
Internal radiation – Chernobyl accident
Chernobyl – 5.2 E18 Becquerels
Fukushima - 3.7 E17 Becquerels (1/10 of Chernobyl)
~6000 reported cases of thyroid cancer - 2005
Digestion – via food
People near Chernobyl were not warned against drinking milk
FDA
no evidence of radionuclides in US food
Increased screening quality of Japanese import produce and
milk
7. Amano, H., External and internal radiation doses from the Fukushima
Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident received by residents of Chiba,
Japan, Japanese Chemical Analysis Center, 2012.
8. No dose of radiation is safe
Conservative requirements from the NRC and the
National Academy of Sciences
Radiation safety principle: ALARA
Background radiation: 1.5 mSv – 3.5 mSv per year
No higher rates of cancer in high background radiation
areas
India, Iran, Europe.
Background radiation – 50 mSv
9.
10. Chernobyl Death Tolls
Author’s assertion: 980,000 deaths
Her reference: A book published in Russian, translated into
English and published by the Annals of the New York
Academy of Sciences.
Assumptions based on deaths from a wide range of
diseases.
Russia: 34 deaths
UN: 64 deaths
11. Conclusion
The author’s claims are questionable along with her
references.
Nuclear energy is relatively safe compared to other forms
of energy.
12. References
Caldicott, Helen. “How nuclear apologists mislead the world over radiation.” The Guardian, 11 April 2011.
FDA Response to Fukushima Incident
(http://www.fda.gov/newsevents/publichealthfocus/ucm247403.htm)
How does Fukushima differ from Chernobyl? (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-13050228)
Fukushima vs. Chernobyl (http://www.ne.anl.gov/jp/fukushima-facts-and-myths.shtml)
Amano, H., External and internal radiation doses from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident received by
residents of Chiba, Japan, Japanese Chemical Analysis Center, 2012.
