When Others Leave, The Fukushima 50 Stay Behind

Despite the potential risks, 50 employees at Fukushima Daiichi's unit 2 reactor have decided to stay behind.

Though cancer and other problems could arise in the future, the New Zealand Herald reports that these reactor employees (who are being called the Fukushima 50) continue working with the hope of avoiding a nuclear meltdown.

Unfortunately, no degree of protective clothing is enough to guard these diligent individuals. Speaking to the BBC, David Richardson (a professor of epidemiology at the University of North Carolina who has studied the long-term health risks for nuclear plant employees) said that the workers at Fukushima could receive as much radiation in one hour as United States nuclear workers will receive over an entire career.

The New Zealand Herald also quotes Lee Tin-lap, a toxicologist at a Hong Kong university, who told Reuters that while the current radiation levels would not be immediately dangerous, there could be long-term effects.

"You are still breathing this into your lungs, and there is passive absorption in the skin, eyes and mouth and we really do not know what long-term impact that would have," he said.