Fukushima Nuclear Disaster and Ensuring Necessary Government Crisis and Risk Communication

2016 ◽  
pp. 33-52
Author(s):  
Itoko Suzuki ◽  
Yuko Kaneko
Keyword(s):  
Risk Communication ◽  
Nuclear Disaster ◽  
Fukushima Nuclear Disaster

scholarly journals Fake news in the time of environmental disaster: Preparing framework for COVID-19

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Syeda Saadia Azim ◽  
arindam roy ◽  
Amitava Aich ◽  
Dipayan Dey
Keyword(s):  
Risk Communication ◽  
Forest Fire ◽  
Amazon Forest ◽  
Fake News ◽  
Environmental Disaster ◽  
Potential Threat ◽  
Environmental Disasters ◽  
Nuclear Disaster ◽  
Propagation Methods ◽  
Fukushima Nuclear Disaster

The increasing trend of environmental disaster due to changing climate has escalated the occurrence of Tsunami, Forest fire, Flood, Epidemics and other extreme health and environmental and hazardous events across the globe. Establishment of effective and transparent communication during the crisis phase is extremely important to reduce the after-effects of the events. In recent times, fake news or news with fabricated content have emerged as major threats of communications during and and post -disaster phase. The present study critically evaluates the nature and consequences of fake news spread during the four major environmental disasters in recent era (Fukushima Nuclear Disaster, Keralan Flood, Amazon Forest Fire and African Ebola Epidemic) and prepared a framework for present COVID-19 Pandemic. The criticality and potential threat created by the fake news have been quantified and analyzed through the timeline of news spreading. It has been observed that the adverse impact related to the African Ebola Epidemic was highest due to its multiple fake news origin sites, both online and offline propagation methods, well fabricated content and relatively low effort on containment. However the COVID-19 pandemic is an ongoing disaster expected to have a long- drawn impact covering most countries in the world with combined consequences hence it tends to overtake all other events. Policy recommendations have been prepared to combat the spreading of fake news during the present and future environmental disasters. The importance of the study relies on the fact that the number of environmental disasters will increase in future and strategy for risk communication during the time is still not explored adequately. In addition the study will contribute significantly for understanding the present status of information paradigm for COVID-19 and helps in preparing region-specific real-time contingency measures for effective risk communication.

Risk Communication in Japan Concerning Future of Nuclear Technology

2014 ◽  
Vol 9 (sp) ◽  
pp. 619-627
Author(s):  
Masaharu Kitamura ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Communication ◽  
Nuclear Technology ◽  
Nuclear Disaster ◽  
Fukushima Nuclear Disaster ◽  
Main Factor

Investigation reports of Fukushima nuclear disaster have been analyzed with emphasis on deriving deeper understanding of factors contributed to the disaster. Through the present analysis, lack of convincing risk communication to citizens has been identified as the main factor. Some proposals have been made to improve the risk communication concerning nuclear technology.

scholarly journals Difference in the Cesium Body Contents of Affected Area Residents Depending on the Evacuation Timepoint Following the 2011 Fukushima Nuclear Disaster

2020 ◽  
Vol 119 (6) ◽  
pp. 733-745 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yu Igarashi ◽  
Eunjoo Kim ◽  
Shozo Hashimoto ◽  
Kotaro Tani ◽  
Kazuaki Yajima ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Affected Area ◽  
Nuclear Disaster ◽  
Fukushima Nuclear Disaster

scholarly journals Absence of Detectable Radionuclides in Breast Milk in Sendai, Japan in 2012 Even by High-Sensitivity Determination: Estimated Dose among Infants after the Fukushima Nuclear Disaster

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (11) ◽  
pp. 5825
Author(s):  
Zhaoqing Lyu ◽  
Sani Rachman Soleman ◽  
Tomoko Fujitani ◽  
Yukiko Fujii ◽  
Manal A. M. Mahmoud ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Breast Milk ◽  
High Sensitivity ◽  
Minimum Detectable Activity ◽  
Activity Level ◽  
Internal Exposure ◽  
Dietary Intakes ◽  
Detectable Activity ◽  
Nuclear Disaster ◽  
Exposure Limit ◽  
Fukushima Nuclear Disaster

The aim of this study was to estimate radionuclide levels in breast milk and the transferred dose to their infants in Sendai (100 km from Fukushima), Japan after the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster. Radionuclide concentrations were analyzed in 101 specimens of breast milk collected in 2012. Median values for minimum detectable activities were 0.39, 0.34, 1.1, 1.89, and 17.1 Bq/kg for 137Cs, 134Cs, 131I, 110mAg, and 40K, respectively. Only radionuclides from 40K were detected. To estimate potential exposure and radiocesium dose, we assumed that the samples contained each minimum detectable activity level. The mean minimum detectable activity concentrations (standard deviation) of 137Cs and 134Cs were 0.42 (0.15) and 0.37 (0.14) Bq/kg, respectively. Means of estimated dietary intakes of 137Cs and 134Cs among infants were 0.35 (0.12) and 0.31 (0.11) Bq/day, respectively. The committed effective doses of radiocesium in infants aged 3 and 12 months via breastmilk were estimated at 5.6 (2.1) and 3.3 (1.2) μSv/year, respectively. Dietary intakes of 137Cs and 134Cs in breastfeeding mothers were back-calculated at 1.9 (0.71) and 1.7 (0.65) Bq/day, respectively. The study verified no discernible exposure to radionuclides among infants. The most conservative estimates were below the Japanese internal exposure limit of 1 mSv/year.

The holistic risk analysis of spent fuel pool considering the fuel route risk

2021 ◽  
pp. 1748006X2199851
Author(s):  
Zhixin Xu ◽  
Ming Wang ◽  
Binyan Song ◽  
WenYu Hou ◽  
Chao Wang
Keyword(s):  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Comprehensive Evaluation ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Spent Fuel ◽  
Nuclear Disaster ◽  
Evaluation Approach ◽  
Fuel Assemblies ◽  
Spent Fuel Pool ◽  
Large Water ◽  
Fukushima Nuclear Disaster

The Fukushima nuclear disaster has raised the importance on the reliability and risk research of the spent fuel pool (SFP), including the risk of internal events, fire, external hazards and so on. From a safety point of view, the low decay heat of the spent fuel assemblies and large water inventory in the SFP has made the accident progress goes very slow, but a large number of fuel assemblies are stored inside the spent fuel pool and without containment above the SFP building, it still has an unignored risk to the safety of the nuclear power plant. In this paper, a standardized approach for performing a holistic and comprehensive evaluation approach of the SFP risk based on the probabilistic safety analysis (PSA) method has been developed, including the Level 1 SFP PSA and Level 2 SFP PSA and external hazard PSA. The research scope of SFP PSA covers internal events, internal flooding, internal fires, external hazards and new risk source-fuel route risk is also included. The research will provide the risk insight of Spent Fuel Pool operation, and can help to make recommendation for the prevention and mitigation of SFP accidents which will be applicable for the SFP configuration risk management.

Healing Fukushima: Radiation hazards and disaster medicine in post-3.11 Japan

2019 ◽  
Vol 49 (3) ◽  
pp. 333-354 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shi Lin Loh ◽  
Sulfikar Amir
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Radiation Risk ◽  
Disaster Medicine ◽  
Radiation Hazards ◽  
Medical Practitioners ◽  
Life And Death ◽  
Nuclear Disaster ◽  
Fukushima Nuclear Disaster

What happens when expertise is forced to face disasters of unprecedented scales? How is knowledge produced in critical moments when every action and decision is a matter of life and death? And how are local social networks mobilized to cope with unforeseen crisis? This paper addresses these questions by examining the emergence of disaster medicine expertise in the aftermath of Fukushima nuclear disaster that struck Japan in 2011. Studies on Fukushima’s impact have to date revolved around the suffering of Tōhoku citizens and the development of Japan’s nuclear energy industry. Acknowledging the gravity of such work, this paper offers an alternative, but equally crucial angle on the disaster: that of the medical caregiving and public health system built in response to radiation hazards resulting from the triple meltdowns at Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station. Through detailed interviews conducted with eight medical practitioners in Fukushima Prefecture, this paper analyses the significance and impact of Japan’s most recent radiation disaster on its public health infrastructure. To describe the contingent nature of radiation disaster medicine developed in response to radiation risk in Fukushima, we draw on Jasanoff’s characterization of scientific knowledge as ‘serviceable truths’ with regards to public policy and the law, suggesting that expertise in relation to disasters is usefully understood in analogous terms.

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