scholarly journals Tweeting disaster: an analysis of online discourse about nuclear power in the wake of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident

2016 ◽  
Vol 15 (05) ◽  
pp. A02 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nan Li ◽  
Heather Akin ◽  
Leona Yi-Fan Su ◽  
Dominique Brossard ◽  
Michael Xenos ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nuclear Power ◽  
English Language ◽  
Tohoku Earthquake ◽  
Nuclear Accident ◽  
Online Information ◽  
Environmental Implications ◽  
The 2011 Tohoku Earthquake ◽  
Engagement Strategies ◽  
Information Tools ◽  
Fukushima Daiichi

Of all the online information tools that the public relies on to collect information and share opinions about scientific and environmental issues, Twitter presents a unique venue to assess the spontaneous and genuine opinions of networked publics, including those about a focusing event like the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident following the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami. Using computational linguistic algorithms, this study analyzes a census of English-language tweets about nuclear power before, during, and after the Fukushima nuclear accident. Results show that although discourse about the event may have faded rapidly from the news cycle on traditional media, it evoked concerns about reactor safety and the environmental implications of nuclear power, particularly among users in U.S. states that are geographically closer to the accident site. Also, while the sentiment of the tweets was primarily pessimistic about nuclear power weeks after the accident, overall sentiment became increasingly neutral and uncertain over time. This study reveals there is a group of concerned citizens and stakeholders who are using online tools like Twitter to communicate about global and local environmental and health risks related to nuclear power. The implications for risk communication and public engagement strategies are discussed.

Distribution of Radioactive Cesium in Trees and Effect of Decontamination of Forest Contaminated by the Fukushima Nuclear Accident

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Iijima ◽  
H. Funaki ◽  
T. Tokizawa ◽  
S. Nakayama
Keyword(s):  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Outer Part ◽  
Tohoku Earthquake ◽  
Japanese Cedar ◽  
Nuclear Accident ◽  
Evergreen Forest ◽  
Radioactive Cesium ◽  
Energy Agency ◽  
Dose Rates ◽  
Fukushima Daiichi

In decontamination pilot projects conducted by Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA), many different techniques were tested to determine their applicability to remediate areas evacuated after the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident following the Great Tohoku earthquake and tsunami of March 11, 2011. In addition to buildings, roads and farmland, the forest adjacent to living areas was one of the main decontamination targets. The projects evaluated the radioactive contamination of trees and the effectiveness of decontaminating a highly contaminated evergreen forest. This forest was located 1.3 km southwest of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant and is dominated by Japanese cedar trees and fir trees. As the first step, three Japanese cedar trees and three fir trees were cut down and the distributions of radioactive cesium (Cs) were measured in each. The total concentrations of 134Cs and 137Cs in the leaves and branches were about 1 MBq/kg for both cedar and fir trees, and were appreciably higher than in the bark for cedar. The concentrations in the outer part of the trunks (under the bark) were lower, on the order of 10 kBq/kg, and those in the core of the trunks were lower than 1 kBq/kg for both kinds of trees. The observation that the Cs concentrations are higher in the outer part of trees, is compatible with the assumption that radio-Cs was mostly adsorbed on the surface of trees and partly penetrated into the trunks through the bark. Evolution of air dose rates in a 100 × 60 m pasture adjacent to the forest was monitored during decontamination of the forest and of the pasture itself. The dose rates in the pasture decreased drastically after stripping contaminated topsoil from the pasture and decreased slightly more after stripping contaminated topsoil of the forest floor and pruning the trees. Cutting down and removing 84 trees in the outermost area (10-m width) of the forest also slightly decreased these dose rates. After decontamination, the residual dose rates around the highly contaminated forest were mostly attributed to radioactive Cs existing in or on trees and topsoil in the untouched forest beyond the decontaminated area.

scholarly journals Consecutive sexual maturation observed in a rock shell population in the vicinity of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, Japan

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Toshihiro Horiguchi ◽  
Kayoko Kawamura ◽  
Yasuhiko Ohta
Keyword(s):  
Power Plant ◽  
Nuclear Power Plant ◽  
Sexual Maturation ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Tohoku Earthquake ◽  
Site Specific ◽  
Thais Clavigera ◽  
Rock Shell ◽  
Fukushima Daiichi ◽  
A Site

AbstractIn 2012, after the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP) that followed the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami in March 2011, no rock shell (Thais clavigera; currently recognized as Reishia clavigera; Gastropoda, Neogastropoda, Muricidae) specimens were found near the plant from Hirono to Futaba Beach (a distance of approximately 30 km). In July 2016, however, rock shells were again found to inhabit the area. From April 2017 to May 2019, we collected rock shell specimens monthly at two sites near the FDNPP (Okuma and Tomioka) and at a reference site ~ 120 km south of the FDNPP (Hiraiso). We examined the gonads of the specimens histologically to evaluate their reproductive cycle and sexual maturation. The gonads of the rock shells collected at Okuma, ~ 1 km south of the FDNPP, exhibited consecutive sexual maturation during the 2 years from April 2017 to May 2019, whereas sexual maturation of the gonads of specimens collected at Hiraiso was observed only in summer. The consecutive sexual maturation of the gonads of the specimens collected at Okuma might not represent a temporary phenomenon but rather a site-specific phenotype, possibly caused by specific environmental factors near the FDNPP.

scholarly journals Surveys of Food Intake Just after the Nuclear Accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station

2017 ◽  
Vol 58 (1) ◽  
pp. 36-42 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sachiko HIRAKAWA ◽  
Nobuaki YOSHIZAWA ◽  
Kana MURAKAMI ◽  
Mari TAKIZAWA ◽  
Masaki KAWAI ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Food Intake ◽  
Nuclear Power Station ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Nuclear Accident ◽  
Power Station ◽  
Fukushima Daiichi

Emergency response to the nuclear accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plants using mobile rescue robots

2012 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 44-63 ◽  
Author(s):  
Keiji Nagatani ◽  
Seiga Kiribayashi ◽  
Yoshito Okada ◽  
Kazuki Otake ◽  
Kazuya Yoshida ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Response ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Nuclear Power Plants ◽  
Nuclear Accident ◽  
Fukushima Daiichi ◽  
Rescue Robots

scholarly journals Initial Spread of <sup>137</sup>Cs over the shelf of Japan: a study using the high-resolution global-coastal nesting ocean model

2013 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 1929-1955 ◽  
Author(s):  
Z. Lai ◽  
C. Chen ◽  
R. Beardsley ◽  
H. Lin ◽  
R. Ji ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High Resolution ◽  
Power Plant ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Current Model ◽  
Tohoku Earthquake ◽  
Ocean Model ◽  
Grid Resolution ◽  
The 2011 Tohoku Earthquake ◽  
Conservative Tracer

Abstract. The 2011 Tohoku earthquake caused radionuclide 137Cs be directly released into the ocean from the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plants. A high-resolution global-coastal nesting ocean model was established to simulate the initial spread of 137Cs as conservative tracer over the shelf of Japan after the accident. The major advantage in the current model system is to use unstructured grids to resolve the power plant and the coastal geometry with a grid resolution much higher than that used in previous modeling experiments. Therefore, it gives us an opportunity to examine the necessity whether the detailed structure of the Power plant should be considered for numerical experiment of 137Cs dispersion or not. This could provide us an alternative insight into the physical processes that lead to its spread of 137Cs over the shelf of Japan. Our results suggested that to resolve the dispersion process from the source point to the south and north discharging canal is critical for an accurate prediction of the spread of 137Cs to the 30 km sites off the coast. Moreover, a 2 km grid resolution along Japan coast is probably not high enough to resolve the plume correctly. Finally, the model-data comparison suggested that the physical process associated with the transfer of dissolved 137Cs into the sediment phase could potentially be important and should be considered in the future tracer modeling.

scholarly journals Validation of Unit 1 of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant during its Accident

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-38
Author(s):  
Shigenao Maruyama
Keyword(s):  
Power Plant ◽  
Nuclear Power Plant ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Original Data ◽  
Significant Loss ◽  
Great East Japan Earthquake ◽  
Nuclear Accident ◽  
Future Generations ◽  
Nuclear Accidents ◽  
Fukushima Daiichi

Ten years have passed since the Great East Japan Earthquake and the subsequent accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant (NPP) that occurred on March 11, 2011. The earthquake and tsunami caused significant loss of lives and widespread disaster in Japan. Several reports have been published on the nuclear accident; however, the original data released at the beginning of the accident were written in Japanese, and some of these documents are no longer accessible. Some of the scenarios pertaining to the accident have become standardized theories, and these scenarios may be passed down to future generations with different descriptions, which may not fully describe the actual occurrences. To prevent future nuclear accidents, the accident at Fukushima Daiichi must be properly understood and analyzed.

scholarly journals Characterising Radioactive Caesium Leaching from Incineration Ash of Municipal Solid Waste in Fukushima and the Inhibitory Effect of Acid Clay

Recycling ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 56
Author(s):  
Naoharu Murasawa
Keyword(s):  
Municipal Solid Waste ◽  
Solid Waste ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Bottom Ash ◽  
Tohoku Earthquake ◽  
Chloride Content ◽  
Inhibitory Effect ◽  
The 2011 Tohoku Earthquake ◽  
Fukushima Prefecture ◽  
Msw Incineration

Following the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP) accident caused by the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, radioactive caesium (r-Cs) was detected in the ash generated by municipal solid waste (MSW) incineration facilities in Fukushima Prefecture. This has led to concerns of r-Cs leaching and subsequent environmental contamination during recycling or landfill disposal. Therefore, it is crucial that the relevant authorities have a thorough understanding of r-Cs leaching behavior to establish suitable prevention methods. In this study, we collected r-Cs-contaminated fly and bottom ash (FA and BA) samples from five MSW incineration facilities in Fukushima Prefecture and conducted tests to clarify their basic physical properties and r-Cs leaching properties. We also examined the possibility of preventing r-Cs leaching by adding 5 wt% acid clay to the FA. FA had greater chloride content and r-Cs leaching rate than BA and was found to absorb moisture and deliquesce when stored under high-humidity conditions. However, the addition of acid clay effectively prevented r-Cs leaching upon contact with moisture. From the results, we propose some specific recommendations to counter the leaching of r-Cs from FA at MSW incineration facilities, which will limit r-Cs leaching during recycling or landfill processes.

scholarly journals Relationships Among Tweets Related to Radiation: Visualization Using Co-Occurring Networks (Preprint)

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ayako Yagahara ◽  
Keiri Hanai ◽  
Shin Hasegawa ◽  
Katsuhiko Ogasawara
Keyword(s):  
Risk Communication ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Morphological Analysis ◽  
Radioactive Substance ◽  
Nuclear Accident ◽  
Jaccard Coefficient ◽  
Relationship Strength ◽  
Fukushima Daiichi ◽  
The Government ◽  
The Relationship

BACKGROUND After the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident on March 11, 2011, interest in, and fear of, radiation increased among citizens. When such accidents occur, appropriate risk communication must provided by the government. It is therefore necessary to understand the fears of citizens in the days after such accidents. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to identify the progression of people’s concerns, specifically fear, from a study of radiation-related tweets in the days after the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident. METHODS From approximately 1.5 million tweets in Japanese including any of the phrases “radiation” (放射線), “radioactivity” (放射能), and “radioactive substance” (放射性物質) sent March 11-17, 2011, we extracted tweets that expressed fear. We then performed a morphological analysis on the extracted tweets. Citizens’ fears were visualized by creating co-occurrence networks using co-occurrence degrees showing relationship strength. Moreover, we calculated the Jaccard coefficient, which is one of the co-occurrence indices for expressing the strength of the relationship between morphemes when creating networks. RESULTS From the visualization of the co-occurrence networks, we found high citizen interest in “nuclear power plant” on March 11 and 12, “health” on March 12 and 13, “medium” on March 13 and 14, and “economy” on March 15. On March 16 and 17, citizens’ interest changed to “lack of goods in the afflicted area.” In each co-occurrence network, trending topics, citizens’ fears, and opinions to the government were extracted. CONCLUSIONS This study used Twitter to understand changes in the concerns of Japanese citizens during the week after the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident, with a focus specifically on citizens’ fears. We found that immediately after the accident, the interest in the accident itself was high, and then interest shifted to concerns affecting life, such as health and economy, as the week progressed. Clarifying citizens’ fears and the dissemination of information through mass media and social media can add to improved risk communication in the future.

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