radiation exposure levels

Japan's Fukushima Prefecture says a survey shows that radiation exposure levels among residents near the damaged nuclear plant are low, with little health impact.The prefecture has been checking the health of its nearly 2-million residents, focusing on estimates of their external radiation exposure during the 4 months since the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.On Tuesday, the prefecture released the results for 1,727 people in Namie Town, Iitate Village and a district in Kawamata Town. The municipalities are 10 to 50 kilometers from the plant.Fukushima says 1,675, or 97 percent, of the people are thought to have been exposed to less than 5 millisieverts of radiation. 1,084 people are thought to have been exposed to less than one millisievert -- the government's safety limit for one year.Nine people are thought to have been exposed to 10 millisieverts or more. Five of them are nuclear plant workers, among whom the highest level was 37 millisieverts. Of other 4, one who repeatedly visited an evacuation zone was exposed to 14 millisieverts.Fukushima Medical University Vice President Shunichi Yamashita says the results show that exposure levels of most people were lower than a standard that would require evacuation, with extremely low health impact.