Two more Fukushima workers were hospitalized today after being exposed to radioactive material — it seeped into their boots while they were working. Thirty-two are already in the hospital. And with 300 workers still at the site, there's potential for a lot more injuries. What's the worst-case scenario?
Well, the situation at Fukushima is not nearly as bad as Chernobyl, but what if it were? Estimates for Chernobyl-related deaths range from 56 (including workers at the plant and children who later died of cancer) to 50,000 (a figure that includes suicides).
Maybe Three Mile Island is a better analogy? Nobody died there from radiation exposure, nor has there been a significant increase in cancer deaths 20 years later. Hopefully Fukushima will have a similar experience.
