AMARILLO, TX -- Ever since the quake in Japan, the fear of nuclear meltdown has threatened that part of the world...and that threat is spreading to the U.S.
Radiation is being picked up across the Pacific and it's expected to make its way to the west coast...and maybe beyond.
Actually, everyday, we are bombarded with radiation from the cosmos.
Just to give you an example....they measure exposure in milliserverts, and we receive a little more than 2 milliserverts of radiation a year in natural radiation.
At ground zero in Japan's nuclear facilities, its estimated that they are recording about 100 milliserverts, the lowest level at which an increase in cancer is evident.
And there are now forecast models that put some of that leaked radiation along the West Coast in the next 24 to 48 hours...but it's nothing that should cause concern, according to radiation physicist, Rick Bawiec.
"So from cosmic radiation, you get about 2.63 milliserverts per year. What they're talking about with this radiation cloud coming to the West Coast from Japan, is a level about 100 times less than that."
Officials are monitoring the incoming radiation, which is expected to be lower than natural radiation.
Comparing medical procedures to natural radiation, a C-T scan is equal to 243 days of natural exposure, the reactors after the earthquake are about half that. Mammograms are equal to 9.6 days, and an x-ray is about one fourth that.
So, the miniscule amount that might make it to the West Coast is negligible and we'll probably never see any of it here.
"Absolutely not," said Rick. " My brother called me from Florida, and I said, "You're okay, guy." But if anything makes it to the West Coast, it's going to be so low; its definitely not going to make it here."
