Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant Disaster Research Articles

Awareness of disaster preparedness between administrative staff and residents in the vicinity of the Genkai and Ikata nuclear power plants following the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant disaster.

When considering disaster preparedness, one challenge is mitigating the health impacts of evacuations. Nuclear disaster preparedness has evolved based on past experiences from numerous disasters, including the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP) accident. However, there is a lack of comprehensive reporting on the awareness of administrative staff, medical personnel, and residents in the areas surrounding nuclear power plants (NPPs). This study reports on a survey aimed at gaining insights into the understanding and current state of disaster preparedness and elucidating the differences in perceptions of nuclear disaster preparedness among the relevant stakeholders surrounding NPPs. Interview surveys were conducted from 14 to 16 September 2022 in the area surrounding Kyushu Electric Power's Genkai NPP in Saga Prefecture and from 11 to 13 January 2023 in the area around Shikoku Electric Power's Ikata NPP. The surveys targeted administrative, medical, and nursing care facilities and residents. Responses from 57 participants indicated a lack of awareness of natural and nuclear disasters, challenges in evacuation planning, and a gap between nuclear disaster training and residents' understanding of evacuation protocols. This study highlights inadequacies in nuclear disaster preparedness and the need for a better understanding among residents regarding evacuation procedures. This study identified three key issues: (1) a lack of awareness about disasters, including nuclear disasters; (2) concerns about complex disasters and the difficulties in creating evacuation plans; and (3) a discrepancy between nuclear disaster training and residents' understanding of evacuation procedures. To bridge this gap, it is important to deepen residents' understanding of nuclear disasters, continuously convey the lessons learned from the FDNPP accident, and regularly reassess and update nuclear disaster preparedness strategies.

The improvised expert: Staging authority at an OECD Nuclear Energy Agency workshop in Fukushima

In recent years, concerns about a crisis of expert authority have been expressed across the globe. Japan is no exception to this trend. Scandals surrounding the (mis)management of the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant disaster severely damaged public confidence in state institutions, posing an additional challenge for those engaged in radiological protection. This article examines how claims to expert authority are made in these conditions of low public trust. To this end, I offer an ethnographic account of the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency’s (NEA) Workshop on Post-Accident Food Safety Science—an event staged at the request of the Japanese Cabinet Office with the aim of inspiring confidence in Fukushima produce. I analyse the practices through which the organizers craft a credible public persona using the idiom of dramaturgical improvisation; drawing attention to the ‘performed resourcefulness’ with which they adapted extant institutional scripts in response to a discerned crisis of public reason. Concretely, improvisation invites us to consider how and why nuclear policy actors have sought to demarcate two variants of the deficit model: the (psychological) discourse of ‘radiophobia’ and the (economic) discourse of ‘reputational damage’. Where prior scholarship has identified the continuities between the two discourses, an attention to this boundary work reveals the dramaturgical advantages of ‘reputational damage’ over ‘radiophobia’ in contesting critics’ claims to the mantle of victimhood, securing international support, and producing the expert’s body as a site of evidence.

Attitudes toward future motherhood among female college students in Fukushima Prefecture at seven years after the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident

This study aimed to clarify factors related to confidence in future childbirth and infant care in regard to radiation exposure at 4 and 7 yr after the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant disaster. A survey was conducted on 310 female college students in Fukushima Prefecture, Japan, in December 2015, and readministered to 275 students in November 2018. The analysis included 309 patients from 2015 and 253 from 2018. The Fukushima Future Parents Attitude Measure was used to assess attitudes about future childbirth and infant care in regard to radiation exposure. The results indicated that attitudes toward future childbirth were significantly influenced by self-esteem (β = –0.22), advice about radiation (β = 0.19), concerns about radiation effects on a future partner (β = –0.18), and college-related stress (β = 0.20). Moreover, attitudes toward infant care were influenced by self-esteem (β = –0.22) and perception of the genetic risks of radiation (β = –0.17). Therefore, to improve confidence in future childbirth and infant care among female college students in Fukushima, it is important to enhance self-esteem, reduce college-related stress, and create an environment where female college students feel comfortable discussing radiation concerns with experts and each other.

Design and Fabricate of Reconnaissance Robots for Nuclear Power Plants that Underwent Accidents

This paper presents a robot developed for reconnaissance at a nuclear power plant that had an accident. When an accident occurs, such as the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant disaster, rubble is scattered on the premises, increasing the radiation dose. Consequently, it is nearly impossible for humans to enter the plant and assess the situation. Therefore, a robot that performs reconnaissance is required. In this study, we designed and fabricated a reconnaissance robot to be used in a nuclear power plant that has undergone an accident. The inaccessibility of the scattered on-site rubble and high radiation dose can be addressed by employing an airship-type design that does not use electronic devices.

Insights and Further Understanding of Radioactive Cesium Removal Using Zeolite, Prussian Blue and Graphene Oxide as Adsorbents

Abstract The efficient removal of radioactive cesium (137Cs) from contaminated water around nuclear plants and/or after nuclear accidents has become an emerging issue since the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (Fukushima, Japan) disaster on March 11, 2011. Herein, we have demonstrated and compared the adsorption performances of both 137Cs and 133Cs using three potential adsorbents, zeolite (ZL), Prussian blue (PB) and graphene oxide (GO), in deionized water and simulated seawater. The adsorption efficiencies are determined in terms of the adsorbent amount, initial Cs concentration, and the effect of other competing ions in the system. In addition, the practical application of the materials was justified by evaluating the elution/retention of the adsorbed Cs with different volumes of solvent. Significantly, we illustrated a practical validation of a purification route for 137Cs-contaminated fly ash generated from nuclear power plant accidents, while PB can be a potential adsorbent for large-scale implementation.

41Thyroid Cancers in Fukushima: Critical Review and Analysis of the 1st and 2nd Round Examination

Abstract Background After the Fukushima–Daiichi nuclear power plant (NPP) disaster, thyroid ultrasound examination (TUE) has been performed in subjects who were aged ≤18 years. Previous studies reported controversial results. Through critical review, three limitations were identified: arbitrary grouping of 59 municipalities, 2) usage of region as proxy of dose, and 3) separate analyse of the 1st and 2nd round data. Methods To overcome these limitations, this study examined the relationship between radiation dose and the number of participants with thyroid malignancy, using publicly available municipality level data (N = 59). To analyse two wave screening data, multi-level random-effect Poisson regression model was applied. The number of participants with thyroid malignancy was explained by dose estimates. Interaction between dose and screening round dummy (0 for the 1st and 1 for the 2nd) was also introduced to take into account latency. Results Interaction terms between external dose (Akahane et al. 2013) and screening round dummy were positive and significant (β = 0.681, z = 2.05). Similar results were obtained for UNSCEAR estimated thyroid dose (UNSCEAR 2013) (β = 0.128, z = 2.24) and re-estimated thyroid dose (Suzuki et al. 2018) (β = 0.215, z = 2.42). Conclusions These robust results are consistent with the conjecture that the 1st round TUE is the “baseline” that will not correlated with radiation level and the 2nd round TUE detected thyroid cancer caused by radiation from Fukushima NPP that distributed heterogeneously among regions. Key messages This was an ecological study at the municipality level, the results should be examined with individual level data.

Thyroid Nodules and Cancers in Fukushima: Critical Review and Alternative Analysis

BACKGROUND AND AIM: After the Fukushima–Daiichi nuclear power plant (NPP) disaster, thyroid ultrasound examination (TUE) has been performed in subjects who were aged ≤18 years. In the 1st round TUE (October 2011 to March 2014) and the 2nd round TUE, 116 and 71 malignancies (including suspicious cases,

Simplified Groundwater Flow at Nuclear Power Plants

As a result of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant disaster, significant amounts of radioactive materials have been introduced into the environment. Local and international organizations continue to monitor the situation and its effect on aquatic ecosystems as well as on human health. One of the many concerns after such an accident is the civil and construction work required to address such issues; however, multiple studies tend to consider nuclear power plant sites as being founded on soil when in reality such installations are founded on rock. Using real nuclear power plant structural geometries and field data, 2-D numerical simulations were conducted to estimate the amount of groundwater flow that could be expected. The results show the amount of groundwater flux to range from 0.07 to 46 m2/day, which from an engineering perspective is not that large. Because of this, maintenance and environmental safety workers could expect some groundwater intrusion when their excavations reach the rock boundary.

YouTube Videos Related to the Fukushima Nuclear Disaster: Content Analysis.

BackgroundYouTube (Alphabet Incorporated) has become the most popular video-sharing platform in the world. The Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP) disaster resulted in public anxiety toward nuclear power and radiation worldwide. YouTube is an important source of information about the FDNPP disaster for the world.ObjectiveThis study's objectives were to examine the characteristics of YouTube videos related to the FDNPP disaster, analyze the content and comments of videos with a quantitative method, and determine which features contribute to making a video popular with audiences. This study is the first to examine FDNPP disaster–related videos on YouTube.MethodsWe searched for the term “Fukushima nuclear disaster” on YouTube on November 2, 2019. The first 60 eligible videos in the relevance, upload date, view count, and rating categories were recorded. Videos that were irrelevant, were non-English, had inappropriate words, were machine synthesized, and were <3 minutes long were excluded. In total, 111 videos met the inclusion criteria. Parameters of the videos, including the number of subscribers, length, the number of days since the video was uploaded, region, video popularity (views, views/day, likes, likes/day, dislikes, dislikes/day, comments, comments/day), the tone of the videos, the top ten comments, affiliation, whether Japanese people participated in the video, whether the video recorder visited Fukushima, whether the video contained theoretical knowledge, and whether the video contained information about the recent situation in Fukushima, were recorded. By using criteria for content and technical design, two evaluators scored videos and grouped them into the useful (score: 11-14), slightly useful (score: 6-10), and useless (score: 0-5) video categories.ResultsOf the 111 videos, 43 (38.7%) videos were useful, 43 (38.7%) were slightly useful, and 25 (22.5%) were useless. Useful videos had good visual and aural effects, provided vivid information on the Fukushima disaster, and had a mean score of 12 (SD 0.9). Useful videos had more views per day (P<.001), likes per day (P<.001), and comments per day (P=.02) than useless and slightly useful videos. The popularity of videos had a significant correlation with clear sounds (likes/day: P=.001; comments/day: P=.02), vivid information (likes/day: P<.001; comments/day: P=.007), understanding content (likes/day: P=.001; comments/day: P=.04). There was no significant difference in likes per day (P=.72) and comments per day (P=.11) between negative and neutral- and mixed-tone videos. Videos about the recent situation in Fukushima had more likes and comments per day. Video recorders who personally visited Fukushima Prefecture had more subscribers and received more views and likes.ConclusionsThe possible features that made videos popular to the public included video quality, videos made in Fukushima, and information on the recent situation in Fukushima. During risk communication on new forms of media, health institutes should increase publicity and be more approachable to resonate with international audiences.

Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant Disaster: Recovery Visions and Subsequent Recovery Projects

Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant Disaster: Recovery Visions and Subsequent Recovery Projects

Congenital Heart Disease After the Fukushima Nuclear Accident: The Japan Cardiovascular Surgery Database Study.

BackgroundIn March 2011, the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant disaster inflicted radiation damage across the Tohoku region of Northern Japan. The consequent harm to pregnant mothers and newborns was a matter of concern. We performed a registry‐based analysis of the incidence of congenital heart disease during 2010 to 2013 using the Japan Cardiovascular Surgery Database.Methods and ResultsWe selected patients who had complex congenital heart disease and who were born between January 1, 2010 and December 31, 2013 undergoing surgery, and assessed the trend in the number of first‐time surgeries performed for patients aged 2 years and younger by birth year over time. The numbers of first‐time surgeries for birth years 2010 to 2013 were 2978, 2924, 3077, and 2940, and no increasing trend was detected. Additionally, no increasing yearly trend was detected when the number of cases was divided by the total number of births in Japan in each birth month. The mortality of first‐time surgeries performed for complex diseases, which often involves multiple subsequent surgeries, decreased from 4.7% in 2010 to 2.2% in 2013.ConclusionsOur analyses showed no increase in the number of patients with congenital heart disease during 2010 to 2013. The yearly increase in the total number of surgeries following the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster in a previous report can be explained by the decline in the mortality of first‐time surgeries for complex cases. Such use of only the increase in the total yearly number of surgeries to claim the effects of a nuclear disaster on the incidence of congenital heart disease is a far too simplistic and dangerous proposition.

The incidence of diabetes among the non-diabetic residents in Kawauchi village, Fukushima, who experienced evacuation after the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant disaster

ObjectivesAfter the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant disaster in 2011, residents of Kawauchi village who experienced evacuation had a high risk of suffering from diabetes and metabolic syndrome compared with non-evacuees. In addition to evacuation, lifestyle characteristics can be important factors influencing the development and prognosis of diabetes or glucose tolerance. The current study aimed to evaluate the effects of evacuation (i.e., lifestyle changes) on the incidence of diabetes among the non-diabetic residents of Kawauchi village.MethodsDesign is retrospective cohort study. Annual health examination data of residents of Kawauchi village and control area (Ono town) in Fukushima prefecture from 2008 to 2017, as available from the Japanese National Health Insurance system. Participants were classified into three groups: “Diabetes (DM)” (FBG ≥ 126 mg/dL or HbA1c ≥ 6.5% or hospital visit for DM or usage of diabetic medication), “Borderline DM” (126 mg/dL > FBG ≥ 110 mg/dL or 6.5% > HbA1c ≥ 6.0%, and without hospital visit, and without diabetic medication), and “Normoglycemic” (FBG < 110 mg/dL and HbA1c < 6.0%, and without hospital visit, and without diabetic medication). New onset of diabetes was evaluated and the events or missing data were occurred at health checkup. For this survival analysis, 339 residents in Kawauchi and 598 residents in Ono were included. Average follow-up periods after 2010 were 3.9 years in Kawauchi village and 3.6 years in Ono town.ResultsCompared with the normoglycemic group, incidence of DM was much greater in the borderline DM group, where DM occurred among 38.2% of the group in 2012 and increased to over 60% cumulatively through 2017 in Kawauchi village. DM had a prevalence of 16.3% in 2012, and below 30% in 2017 in borderline DM group of Ono town. Cox proportional hazard regression analysis was applied to non-DM groups at both study sites separately to evaluate the effects of lifestyle changes at each site. While BMI, BMI change, and the lack of regular exercise (HR = 1.29, 1.72, and 5.04, respectively) showed significant associations with the onset of diabetes in Ono town, only BMI and late-night dinner (HR = 1.21 and 4.86, respectively) showed significant associations with diabetes onset in Kawauchi village.ConclusionsThe current results confirmed that diabetes incidence was increased 6 years after the Daiichi nuclear power plant disaster in Kawauchi. We also found changes in lifestyle habits, suggesting that diabetes prevention with promotion of healthy lifestyle behaviors is an urgent priority.

Automated extraction chromatographic radionuclide separation system for analysis of 90Sr in seawater

After the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant disaster, the demand for a rapid method for the detection of environmental radioactivity increased drastically. Since the development of extraction chromatography using resins, analytical methods have advanced significantly in terms of simplicity and required labor. Herein, a home-made automated separation system that is applicable radio-extraction chromatographic separation techniques is reported. A simple, rapid, and high-throughput method was developed using this home-made automated separation system to analyze radiostrontium in seawater in emergency and routine situations. For emergency situations, radiostrontium in seawater is pre-concentrated on a cation exchange resin and consecutively purified using the Sr-resin. Fifty minutes are required for the purification of 90Sr in four samples (100 ml). The minimum detectable activity (MDA) for 90Sr is 0.2 Bq kg−1 at 100 min counting, with a recovery of 70% and counting efficiency of 95% in the scintillation mode. For routine monitoring, 90Y that is in equilibrium with 90Sr is first separated from the sample matrix using DGA. Treatment of 30 L of each seawater sample requires ~2 h. The MDA for this method is 0.3 mBq kg−1 at 400 min counting with a recovery of 70% and counting efficiency of 67% in the Cerenkov mode. By employing the developed method, the measured 90Sr in seawater collected from the coastal area of Korea is 0.92 ± 0.18 mBq kg−1, which is comparable to that reported previously. The measurements were obtained using a liquid scintillation counter, and the entire separation process was performed by employing the home-made separation system.

Monte-Carlo simulations with mathematical phantoms to investigate the effectiveness of a whole-body counter for thyroid measurement

FASTSCAN (Canberra, Meriden, CT, USA), a standing-type whole-body counter with upper and lower NaI(Tl) detectors, has been mostly used to determine local residents’ level of internal contamination with 134/137Cs following the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP) disaster in 2011. In the present study, we performed Monte-Carlo simulations with age-specific mathematical human phantoms to investigate the counting efficiencies of the FASTSCAN counter for 131I thyroid measurements. As a result, although the lower detector had low sensitivity for 131I in the thyroids of the adult and 15 y phantoms as well as the 10 y phantom standing on a 30-cm-high stool, the response of this detector may be used as an indicator of surface contamination overlooked on a subject. The total counting efficiency investigated in this study was 0.017–0.018 (cps/Bq) among all age groups. Based on this sensitivity, the determination level for thyroid activity could be calculated to be ~300 Bq under the slightly elevated background radiation level observed after the FDNPP disaster.

Preparation of aluminosilicate and hydroxyapatite/aluminosilicate composite films with the sputtering technique and their adsorption capacity with cesium and strontium.

Removal of radioactive substances, such as cesium (Cs) and strontium (Sr), has become an emerging issue after the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant disaster. It has been reported that hydroxyapatite (HA) and aluminosilicate composite powders can be used to remove Cs and Sr. However, the film type of these materials for the removal of Cs and Sr has not been reported. The aim of this study was to assess the possibility of using HA, aluminosilicate, and aluminosilicate/HA composites for the removal of Cs and Sr radioactive substances. Aluminosilicate films and HA films were fabricated using a sputtering technique with diatomaceous earth and HA targets, respectively. The aluminosilicate film was observed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). A comb-shaped HA/aluminosilicate composite film was prepared to take advantage of the adsorption properties of the HA and the aluminosilicate films. The Cs and Sr adsorption on these films were also evaluated. In the XRD patterns, the film sputtered from a diatomaceous earth target under 5.0Pa of Ar pressure showed aluminosilicate peaks (Na1.82(Al2Si3O10) and Al2SiO5) after 8h of vapor-phase hydrothermal treatment. The film showed higher adsorption of Cs than Sr in Cs and Sr solutions, while the HA film adsorbed far more Sr than Cs. A HA/aluminosilicate composite film was successfully fabricated, and the SEM images showed that the width of the HA region was 230-260μm, and that of the aluminosilicate region was 170-200μm. The HA/aluminosilicate composite film showed 84.8 ± 11.5% Cs adsorption and 28.3 ± 1.4% Sr adsorption in a mixed solution of Cs and Sr. This study shows the feasibility of using HA films, aluminosilicate films, and HA/aluminosilicate composite films for the removal of radioactive substances such as Cs and Sr.

Measurements of radiocesium in animals, plants and fungi in Svalbard after the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant disaster

An earthquake struck the eastern part of Japan on March 11, 2011. The Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant was severely damaged by the earthquake and subsequent tsunami, leading to the emission of large amounts of radioactive pollutants, including 134Cs and 137Cs, into the environment. From August 23 to September 1 in 2011, and from August 27 to September 4 in 2013, we collected samples of animals, plants, fungi and lichens from Svalbard, Norway and measured the radioactivity of 134Cs and 137Cs contained in the samples. Though no radioactivity of 134Cs, which has a half-life of approximately 2 years, was observed, radioactivity of 137Cs, which has a half-life of approximately 30 years, was observed in some samples of lichens and fungi. We failed to detect the radioactivity of 134Cs in any of the samples we collected, therefore, it was impossible to say clearly that the radioactivity is derived from Fukushima or not. Nevertheless, the radioactivity data documented in this report are a useful reference for the future surveys of radioactivity within the Arctic.

When overflow is the rule: The evolution of the transnational nuclear assemblage and its technopolitical tools for framing human–radionuclide relationality

This paper explores the productive role of radiological overflows in the historical evolution of the 100 mSv assumption—a technopolitical tool used to frame human–radionuclide relationality in the aftermath of Tokyo Electric Power Company’s (TEPCO’s) Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant disaster in 2011. Pairing Callon’s (1998: 264) “logic of framing/overflowing” with sensibilities from the field of feminist material semiotics, the analysis illuminates how a desire to contain public unrest incited by radiological overflows while simultaneously advancing nuclear weapons and nuclear energy programs has led to the formation of the transnational nuclear assemblage—a vast assemblage of scientists, institutional actors, texts, technopolitical tools, etc.—which translates radiological overflows into dominant scientific frameworks for quantifying and regulating human–radionuclide relationality. Exploring the technopolitical nature of the transnational nuclear assemblage’s 100 mSv assumption, the analysis highlights how this assumption participates in enacting a firm, yet flexible frame for containing the messy heterogeneity of ‘low-level’—under 100mSv—human–radionuclide relationality, as well as in marginalizing democratic and scientific debate. The paper ends with a reflection on the contingency of the transnational nuclear assemblage’s framing project, and on other opportunities for attending to the complex socio-materiality of human–radionuclide relationality, particularly at low-levels of exposure.

The possible health effects of evacuation after the 2011Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant disaster in Kawauchi Village, Fukushima

The possible health effects of evacuation after the 2011Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant disaster in Kawauchi Village, Fukushima

Design considerations for future radionuclide aerosol monitoring systems

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) staff developed the Radionuclide Aerosol Sampler Analyzer (RASA) for worldwide aerosol monitoring in the 1990s. Recently, researchers at PNNL and Creare, LLC, have investigated possibilities for how RASA could be improved, based on lessons learned from more than 15 years of continuous operation, including during the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant disaster. Key themes addressed in upgrade possibilities include having a modular approach to additional radionuclide measurements, optimizing the sampling/analyzing times to improve detection location capabilities, and reducing power consumption by using electrostatic collection versus classic filtration collection. These individual efforts have been made in a modular context that might constitute retrofits to the existing RASA, modular components that could improve a manual monitoring approach, or a completely new RASA. Substantial optimization of the detection and location capabilities of an aerosol network is possible and new missions could be addressed by including additional measurements.

Correlation between Different Type of Caesium Carrier in The Radiocaesium Interception Potential Measurement for Forest Soils

Radiocaesium, especially 137Cs, is one of major heavy fission product radionuclide that has a relatively long half-life and acts as a dangerous persistent pollutant to the environment. It could be dispersed widely through the atmosphere during nuclear weapon test and reactor accident such as Fukushima Dai-Ichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP) disaster in Japan. High retention of radiocaesium in the surface of forest floor surrounding Fukushima area is important issues to measure further potential risk of health and environment contamination. Radiocaesium Interception Potential (RIP) values are related to the sorption capacity of radioactive Cs in clay minerals, and in this study, we investigated the correlation between different type of Cs carrier to the RIP and their adsorption character in soil. The RIP values of all soil sample were varied from 27.27 to 522.66 mmol kg-1. The carrier effect on RIP was conducted using carrier 134Cs, carrier-free that contains 134Cs, 136Cs and 137Cs and 133Cs stable isotopes. Correlation between different type of carrier suggests a relatively lower RIP for stable caesium as a carrier. This phenomena could be caused by competitive adsorption among of caesium ions in the frayed edge sites of soil mineral. Organic carbon content and CEC also contributed to the RIP value. No significant difference found of C/N ratio and CEC values between deciduous and coniferous forest soil as they also have similarity of mineral content in soil.