Was the Risk from Nursing-Home Evacuation after the Fukushima Accident Higher than the Radiation Risk?

Abstract

After the 2011 accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, nursing-home residents and staff were evacuated voluntarily from damaged areas to avoid radiation exposure. Unfortunately, the evacuation resulted in increased mortalities among nursing home residents. We assessed the risk trade-off between evacuation and radiation for 191 residents and 184 staff at three nursing homes by using the same detriment indicator, namely loss of life expectancy (LLE), under four scenarios, i.e. “rapid evacuation (in accordance with the actual situation; i.e. evacuation on 22 March),” “deliberate evacuation (i.e. evacuation on 20 June),” “20-mSv exposure,” and “100-mSv exposure.” The LLE from evacuation-related mortality among nursing home residents was assessed with survival probability data from nursing homes in the city of Minamisoma and the city of Soma. The LLE from radiation mortality was calculated from the estimated age-specific mortality rates from leukemia and all solid cancers based on the additional effective doses and the survival probabilities. The total LLE of residents due to evacuation-related risks in rapid evacuation was 11,000 persons-d—much higher than the total LLEs of residents and staff due to radiation in the other scenarios (27, 1100, and 5800 persons-d for deliberate evacuation, 20 mSv-exposure, and 100 mSv-exposure, respectively). The latitude for reducing evacuation risks among nursing home residents is surprisingly large. Evacuation regulation and planning should therefore be well balanced with the trade-offs against radiation risks. This is the first quantitative assessment of the risk trade-off between radiation exposure and evacuation after a nuclear power plant accident.

Evacuation from Healthcare Facilities in Poland: Legal Preparedness and Preparation

“…For example, the evacuees from hospitals impacted by a major earthquake in Japan showed a high prevalence of deep vein thrombosis [26], hypertension [27], atrial fibrillation [28], traumatic stress [29], and loss of life during evacuation including excess mortality among elderly evacuees [30][31][32]. Studies have also cited the risk trade-off between radiation exposure and evacuation after a nuclear power plant accident confusion perpetrated because of the loss of charts, loss of personal and medical information resulting in confusion, repeated evacuations of the same patient, and pre-crisis decisions on what authority, the medical community versus the city or state should be in control of mass evacuation from hospitals and collapse of medical services [33][34][35].…”

Decontamination Reduces Radiation Anxiety and Improves Subjective Well-Being after the Fukushima Accident

“…In addition to the risk of radiation exposure (United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation 2014), there was risk from the evacuation (Murakami et al 2015b), physical risk of diabetes and higher body mass index (Tsubokura et al 2013;Satoh et al 2015), and mental health risks . High radiation anxiety was also observed in residents (Orita et al 2013;Hino et al 2016).…”

Developing an Educational Program to Help Students Learn about the Resident Evacuation Protocols and Contamination Inspection Undertaken during Nuclear Disasters

“…During the FDNPP accident, many residents, including those from Fukushima Prefecture, were forced to evacuate, and more than 1,700 people died because they could not receive appropriate medical care. 9) fact that it is important to arrange and provide appropriate and effective preparation and planning while conducting disaster operations for vulnerable evacuees such as the elderly and hospitalized patients. Furthermore, since the nuclear disaster, Fukushima Prefectural government started an ultrasound-based examination program for thyroid cancer for all residents aged 18 years or younger who were living in Fukushima Prefecture at the time of the FNPP accident.…”