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The Senior Physicist of the Department of Health, Mr K M Cheng, today (March 31) provided updated information on the risks of plutonium, saying that its risks to Hong Kong citizens are negligible.
Mr Cheng said: "While plutonium is considered to be a human carcinogen by the Agency for Toxic Substance and Disease Registry of the US Department of Health and Human Services, the likelihood of Hong Kong citizens developing cancer or any adverse health effects as a result of exposure to plutonium in the wake of the Fukushima accident is negligible."
"Increased risks for cancers of the lung, liver and bone have been observed when exposure to plutonium was substantial, such as among workers of a plutonium production plant in the Russian Federation. Observations in the United Kingdom and the USA among a small number of workers with a lower body burden of plutonium found no convincing health risks linked to the exposure," he said.
"Radionuclides that are of greater concern to health following a nuclear accident include I-131 and Cs-137. Both can emit radiation of high energy. Nonetheless, the concentration of I-131 as measured in Hong Kong is extremely low and its radiation effect on health is negligible. No Cs-137 has so far been detected in Hong Kong.
"Plutonium from the Fukushima accident is extremely unlikely to reach Hong Kong or risk public health. No worries are justified."
Ends/Thursday, March 31, 2011
Issued at HKT 20:58
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