Experts from the World Health Organization (WHO) suggest that the real extent of the damage caused to the health of residents of Fukushima Prefecture, Japan, after the accident at the nuclear power plant of the same name, will become clear in the next 15 years. Experts surveyed local residents belonging to different age groups. Doctors said that the people of Fukushima are often sick with cancer, but the growth rate was considered low.
The highest probability of cancer in the village of Namie, which is located 22 kilometers north of the nuclear power plant "Fukushima-1". Risk of thyroid cancer among the residents of this village is 0.85 per cent for men and 0.23 per cent for women. The increase in risk was about 10 percent compared to the checked in before the accident at the nuclear power plant, according to ITAR-TASS.
WHO warns that in the future the number of cancer will increase significantly. Experts attributed the risk group population prefecture aged about 20 years. Among them are likely to develop thyroid cancer and leukemia in the next 15 years could increase considerably.
The accident at the nuclear power plant "Fukushima-1" in March last year, the melting of fuel rods has occurred on three reactors. Vast areas have been contaminated by radioactive substances. Of the station area had to evacuate about 80,000 people. Currently problematic power units are in a state of cold shutdown.