Limited Internal Radiation Exposure Associated with Resettlements to a Radiation-Contaminated Homeland after the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Disaster

Tsubokura, Masaharu; Kato, Shigeaki; Nihei, Masahiko; Sakuma, Yu; Furutani, Tomoyuki; Uehara, K.; Sugimoto, Amina; Nomura, Shuhei; Hayano, R.; Kami, Masahiro; Watanobe, Hajime; Endo, Yukou

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0081909

Cited by 51 publications

(39 citation statements)

References 22 publications

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“…Following Japan's Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant incident, triggered by the Great East Japan Earthquake and subsequent tsunami on 11 March 2011, 1 health threats have arisen in the radiationcontaminated areas, and cumulative dose from external and internal radiation exposure is the major public concern. 1-5 Contrary to the concern, as Tsubokura et al and Hayano et al [6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15] acknowledged in their continuing series of studies and assessments of levels of radiation exposure due to the Fukushima incident, the levels of dose attributed to the incident have been low owing to the weathering process and the success of contaminated food control. The United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation and the WHO have concluded that the predicted risk of lifetime cancer is very low in the general public, except for the most exposed infants and children in the Fukushima Prefecture, in whom thyroid cancer cases exceeding the norm are estimated by model calculations, although they are difficult to verify in practice due to the low normal rates of thyroid cancer, even a large relative increase represents a small absolute increase in cases.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Postnuclear disaster evacuation and chronic health in adults in Fukushima, Japan: a long-term retrospective analysis

et al. 2016

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ObjectiveJapan's 2011 Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant incident required the evacuation of over a million people, creating a large displaced population with potentially increased vulnerability in terms of chronic health conditions. We assessed the long-term impact of evacuation on diabetes, hyperlipidaemia and hypertension.ParticipantsWe considered participants in annual public health check-ups from 2008 to 2014, administrated by Minamisoma City and Soma City, located about 10–50 km from the Fukushima nuclear plant.MethodsDisease risks, measured in terms of pre-incident and post-incident relative risks, were examined and compared between evacuees and non-evacuees/temporary-evacuees. We also constructed logistic regression models to assess the impact of evacuation on the disease risks adjusted for covariates.ResultsData from a total of 6406 individuals aged 40–74 years who participated in the check-ups both at baseline (2008–2010) and in one or more post-incident years were analysed. Regardless of evacuation, significant post-incident increases in risk were observed for diabetes and hyperlipidaemia (relative risk: 1.27–1.60 and 1.12–1.30, respectively, depending on evacuation status and post-incident year). After adjustment for covariates, the increase in hyperlipidaemia was significantly greater among evacuees than among non-evacuees/temporary-evacuees (OR 1.18, 95% CI 1.06 to 1.32, p<0.01).ConclusionsThe singularity of this study is that evacuation following the Fukushima disaster was found to be associated with a small increase in long-term hyperlipidaemia risk in adults. Our findings help identify discussion points on disaster planning, including preparedness, response and recovery measures, applicable to future disasters requiring mass evacuation.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Postnuclear disaster evacuation and chronic health in adults in Fukushima, Japan: a long-term retrospective analysis

et al. 2016

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“…However, most of the data accumulated and disseminated so far have consistently shown that the internal contamination for the majority of residents has fortunately been so low as to be undetectable [2]. These data include, for example, whole-body-counter surveys [3][4][5][6], duplicatediet studies [7], and the inspection of "all rice in all rice bags" harvested in Fukushima (2012-2014) [8].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Whole-body counter surveys of over 2700 babies and small children in and around Fukushima Prefecture 33 to 49 months after the Fukushima Daiichi NPP accident

Hayano

Tsubokura

Miyazaki

et al. 2015

Proceedings of the Japan Academy. Ser. B: Physical and Biologic

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BABYSCAN, a whole-body counter (WBC) for small children was developed in 2013, and units have been installed at three hospitals in Fukushima Prefecture. Between December, 2013 and March, 2015, 2707 children between the ages of 0 and 11 have been scanned, and none had detectable levels of radioactive cesium. The minimum detectable activities (MDAs) for 137Cs were ≤3.5 Bq kg−1 for ages 0–1, decreasing to ≤2 Bq kg−1 for ages 10–11. Including the 134Cs contribution, these translate to a maximum committed effective dose of ∼16 µSv y−1 even for newborn babies, and therefore the internal exposure risks can be considered negligibly small.Analysis of the questionnaire filled out by the parents of the scanned children regarding their families’ food and water consumption revealed that the majority of children residing in the town of Miharu regularly consume local or home-grown rice and vegetables, while in Minamisoma, a majority avoid tap water and produce from Fukushima. The data show, however, no correlation between consumption of locally produced food and water and the children’s body burdens.

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“…A nuclear disaster can cause various health problems including leukaemia2 and thyroid cancer3 among children. A recent study suggests that a nuclear disaster might worsen chronic diseases such as diabetes mellitus or hyperlipidaemia as a result of adopting an inactive, indoor lifestyle in an attempt to reduce outdoor radiation exposures 4. In addition, it may cause mental problems such as post-traumatic stress disorder in addition to physical problems 5.…”

Section: Case Presentationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Alcohol use disorder due to social isolation after a nuclear disaster in Fukushima

et al. 2015

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SUMMARYIt is well-known that a nuclear disaster causes health problems including cancer, however, information on mental disorders linked to a nuclear disaster is limited. On 11 March 2011, there was a serious nuclear power plant accident in Fukushima, Japan. Subsequently, in October 2012, a 78-year-old man living 31 km from the plant was admitted to the hospital with head trauma. This was his third physical trauma since the nuclear accident. A thorough interview revealed that his alcohol intake had increased after the disaster, suggesting that his injuries might be related to alcohol use. The diagnosis of alcohol use disorder was established based on the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. He had been exposed to social isolation after evacuation of his neighbourhood. Using education and intervention, he was successfully treated. We should recognise that a nuclear disaster might cause social isolation among the elderly, leading to mental disorders and alcohol use disorder. Early diagnosis and intervention might be beneficial for individuals presenting the above symptoms. CASE PRESENTATIONIn the last few decades, the construction of nuclear power plants has increased around the world, 1 resulting in greater risk of nuclear accidents owing to human errors, natural disasters or terrorist attacks. A nuclear disaster can cause various health problems including leukaemia 2 and thyroid cancer 3 among children. A recent study suggests that a nuclear disaster might worsen chronic diseases such as diabetes mellitus or hyperlipidaemia as a result of adopting an inactive, indoor lifestyle in an attempt to reduce outdoor radiation exposures. 4 In addition, it may cause mental problems such as post-traumatic stress disorder in addition to physical problems.5 However, information on the longterm impact of a nuclear disaster on mental status is limited. On 11 March 2011, eastern Japan was struck by multiple disasters comprising of an earthquake and a tsunami, followed by a nuclear power plant accident. Widespread radioactive contamination caused by the nuclear disaster affected the local community of Minamisoma City in Fukushima in particular, as it is located 10-30 km north of the damaged nuclear power plants. 8 The government of Japan ordered mandatory evacuation in the area within 20 km radius of the plant. This was done as a precaution against health problems for evacuees.9 In contrast, support was relatively limited to those residents who lived outside of the evacuation area, and there is little information on their subsequent health problems. We report a case of an elderly man who lived outside of the evacuation area, whose alcohol use disorder was exacerbated after the accident.In October 2012, a 78-year-old man with a history of hypertension and dyslipidemia, and living in Minamisoma City, presented with head trauma to our hospital. The patient had lost his wife 5 years earlier and lived with his 53-year-old daughter. Prior to the disaster, he visited our hospital regularly for the...

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Limited Internal Radiation Exposure Associated with Resettlements to a Radiation-Contaminated Homeland after the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Disaster

Cited by 51 publications

References 22 publications

Postnuclear disaster evacuation and chronic health in adults in Fukushima, Japan: a long-term retrospective analysis

Postnuclear disaster evacuation and chronic health in adults in Fukushima, Japan: a long-term retrospective analysis

Whole-body counter surveys of over 2700 babies and small children in and around Fukushima Prefecture 33 to 49 months after the Fukushima Daiichi NPP accident

Alcohol use disorder due to social isolation after a nuclear disaster in Fukushima

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