According to World Health Organization, the nuclear plant leakage materials are iodine-131 and caesium-137, and they can damage the thyroid gland and the blood system. The body parts most vulnerable to radiation damage are the blood and immune systems, reproductive organs, and the stomach and intestinal tract. Exposure to more than 2,000 millisieverts - equivalent to more than 180 CT scans - can have long-term and genetic effects.

Events are classified on the scale at seven levels: Levels 1–3 are called "incidents" and Levels 4–7 "accidents." The following are the INES levels and events from the IAEA.

The Fukushima nuclear accident was rated a 7 on the International Atomic Energy Agency's scale--that's the highest rating possible, and the same rating given to the 1986 accident at Chernobyl.

Go to Forum >>0 Comment(s)