Nuclear disasters and health: lessons learned, challenges, and proposals

Ohtsuru, Akira; Tanigawa, Koichi; Kumagai, Atsushi; Niwa, Ohtsura; Takamura, Noboru; Midorikawa, Sanae; Nollet, Kenneth E.; Yamashita, Shunichi; Ohto, Hitoshi; Chhem, Rethy K.; Clarke, Mike

doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(15)60994-1

Cited by 109 publications

(92 citation statements)

References 47 publications

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“…However, the societal impacts of a nuclear event go far beyond the direct radiological impacts. Evacuation and longterm relocation have been linked to psychological effects and stress-related casualties (on the order of 2,000-3,000 deaths) (Tanigawa et al 2012, Ohtsuru et al 2015. Of the more than 160,000 people evacuated from the area, approximately 100,000 are still classed as evacuees (Fukushima Prefect.…”

Section: Buesseler Et Almentioning

confidence: 99%

Fukushima Daiichi–Derived Radionuclides in the Ocean: Transport, Fate, and Impacts

Buesseler

Dai

Aoyama

et al. 2017

Annu. Rev. Mar. Sci.

240

126

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The events that followed the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami on March 11, 2011, included the loss of power and overheating at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plants, which led to extensive releases of radioactive gases, volatiles, and liquids, particularly to the coastal ocean. The fate of these radionuclides depends in large part on their oceanic geochemistry, physical processes, and biological uptake. Whereas radioactivity on land can be resampled and its distribution mapped, releases to the marine environment are harder to characterize owing to variability in ocean currents and the general challenges of sampling at sea. Five years later, it is appropriate to review what happened in terms of the sources, transport, and fate of these radionuclides in the ocean. In addition to the oceanic behavior of these contaminants, this review considers the potential health effects and societal impacts.

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Section: Buesseler Et Almentioning

confidence: 99%

Fukushima Daiichi–Derived Radionuclides in the Ocean: Transport, Fate, and Impacts

Buesseler

Dai

Aoyama

et al. 2017

Annu. Rev. Mar. Sci.

240

126

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“…10 These workers are essentially a type of Japanese temporary employees in construction and manufacturing, who constantly migrate across Japan to find new jobs 11. The number of decontamination workers in Fukushima Prefecture was ∼30 000 in 2015,12 and a considerable proportion of these workers are hired from other parts of Japan, due to a severe shortage of workers in Fukushima.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Non-communicable diseases in decontamination workers in areas affected by the Fukushima nuclear disaster: a retrospective observational study

et al. 2016

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ObjectivesTo assess the prevalence of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), and whether NCDs were treated or not, among hospitalised decontamination workers who moved to radio-contaminated areas after Japan's 2011 Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant disaster.MethodsWe retrospectively extracted records of decontamination workers admitted to Minamisoma Municipal General Hospital between 1 June 2012 and 31 August 2015, from hospital records. We investigated the incidence of underlying NCDs such as hypertension, dyslipidaemia and diabetes among the decontamination workers, and their treatment status, in addition to the reasons for their hospital admission.ResultsA total of 113 decontamination workers were admitted to the hospital (112 male patients, median age of 54 years (age range: 18–69 years)). In terms of the demographics of underlying NCDs in this population, 57 of 72 hypertensive patients (79.2%), 37 of 45 dyslipidaemic patients (82.2%) and 18 of 27 hyperglycaemic patients (66.7%) had not been treated for their NCDs before admission to the hospital.ConclusionsA high burden of underlying NCDs was found in hospitalised decontamination workers in Fukushima. Managing underlying diseases such as hypertension, hyperlipidaemia and diabetes mellitus is essential among this population.

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“…In some cases, it resulted in avoidable exposure to ionizing radiation [6,7]. Problems were also reported concerning the administration of stable iodine tablets, which was due to various reasons, such as a dysfunctional government command system, a lack of precise radiation data and people's varying and changing Information Needs and Modalities among People Affected by the Fukushima Nuclear Disaster situations, which complicated the administration [8,9].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Information Needs and Modalities among People Affected by the Fukushima Nuclear Disaster

Satô¹

2017

ujm

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Timely communication of accurate and practical information is indispensable for nuclear disaster management. This study aimed to collect lessons from the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster by analyzing people's information needs, as well as their sources and channels of information since the disaster. This study also explored common challenges they faced in information seeking, and information disparities among them. One-to-one interviews and focus group discussions were conducted in June-September 2015 with key stakeholders, involving affected residents, civil society organizations, municipal government officials and social workers in Fukushima prefecture. This study revealed that information needs immediately after the disaster directly related to their survival and the safety assurance of families and others. But information needs became diverse, reflecting a wide range of impacts of the nuclear disaster. The communication modalities on which participants relied for obtaining information varied by individual. But people experienced various difficulties in gaining information due to the chaotic circumstances during and after the disaster, the long-lasting and complicated disaster recovery process, different perceptions of radiation risks and public distrust of government bodies and Tokyo Electric Power Company. There were information disparities between affected people living in temporary housing units for evacuees and those living elsewhere. The findings indicate that risk factors for poor information access and utilization also included living in an elderly-only household, having limited social interactions, and living outside Fukushima prefecture. Study participants raised concerns that the information disparities would likely increase under the current Japanese government policy of accelerating disaster-recovery operations.

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Nuclear disasters and health: lessons learned, challenges, and proposals

Cited by 109 publications

References 47 publications

Fukushima Daiichi–Derived Radionuclides in the Ocean: Transport, Fate, and Impacts

Fukushima Daiichi–Derived Radionuclides in the Ocean: Transport, Fate, and Impacts

Non-communicable diseases in decontamination workers in areas affected by the Fukushima nuclear disaster: a retrospective observational study

Information Needs and Modalities among People Affected by the Fukushima Nuclear Disaster

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