Public Health Activities for Mitigation of Radiation Exposures and Risk Communication Challenges After the Fukushima Nuclear Accident

Overview

Journal J Radiat Res

Publisher Oxford University Press

Specialties Environmental Health
Oncology
Radiology

Date 2015 Apr 12

PMID 25862700

Citations 20

Authors

Tsutomu Shimura

Ichiro Yamaguchi

Hiroshi Terada

Erik Robert Svendsen

Naoki Kunugita

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Herein we summarize the public health actions taken to mitigate exposure of the public to radiation after the Fukushima accident that occurred on 11 March 2011 in order to record valuable lessons learned for disaster preparedness. Evacuations from the radiation-affected areas and control of the distribution of various food products contributed to the reduction of external and internal radiation exposure resulting from the Fukushima incident. However, risk communication is also an important issue during the emergency response effort and subsequent phases of dealiing with a nuclear disaster. To assist with their healing process, sound, reliable scientific information should continue to be disseminated to the radiation-affected communities via two-way communication. We will describe the essential public health actions following a nuclear disaster for the early, intermediate and late phases that will be useful for radiological preparedness planning in response to other nuclear or radiological disasters.

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