Four years after the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant experienced a catastrophic meltdown in March 2011, Japan has confirmed the first case of cancer in a former employee who was exposed to radiation while cleaning up the disaster.
A 41-year-old unnamed man was diagnosed with leukemia in January 2014, according to Japan's Health and Labor Ministry. Officials said that since he had worked at several other nuclear plants before Fukushima, medical experts were unable to determine whether the cancer was directly caused by his exposure at Fukushima, according to The Associated Press.
The man did not work at Fukushima in the weeks directly after the massive earthquake and tsunami caused a triple meltdown at the plant, when radiation levels were highest, but worked there from October 2012 to November 2013 helping install covers on damaged reactors, according to The Washington Post.
He was exposed to a total of 19.8 millisieverts of radiation in that time, nearly four times the annual dose allowed for nuclear workers in Japan, but less than half the amount some U.S. workers can be exposed to in a year, reports the BBC.
Around 45,000 workers have been involved in the cleanup effort at Fukushima, and over 170 workers were exposed to radiation exceeding the threshold.
Japanese officials said the man had worn protective gear while working at the plant and will receive compensation to cover medical costs and lost income.
"While the causal link between his exposure to radiation and his illness is unclear, we certified him from the standpoint of worker compensation," Kyodo news cited a health ministry official as saying, reports the Guardian.
Environmental activist group Greenpeace called the diagnosis a "massive blow to the [International Atomic Energy Agency], which stated in September of this year that no discernible health effects due to the exposure to radiation released by the accident are to be expected," according to CNN.
Ten other former Fukushima workers have filed similar health claims. Seven have been dropped and three others suffering from cancer are awaiting confirmation that their illnesses are linked to the accident, according to the Japanese ministry.
