In Comparison to Chernobyl, Japan Is No Comparison: Says Expert

Newswise — According to Dennis Kucik, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor in the UAB Department of Pathology, very little radioactive materials have been released to the areas surrounding the Fukushima plant in Japan, despite radiation levels reaching high points this past week, in comparison to what was released following the Chernobyl accident. "Moreover, a large component of the radiation released has been types that are unlikely to linger in the environment for prolonged periods," says Kucik, who studies the effect of radiation on cardiovascular disease. Kucik will travel to Japan in May as a member of the NASA radiation research team and sees no reason to cancel the trip. "I am not at all concerned for my own safety."