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The Knowledge and Awareness for Radiocesium Food Monitoring after the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Accident in Nihonmatsu City, Fukushima Prefecture

Author

Listed:
  • Nobuaki Kunii

    (Laboratory of International Epidemiology, Fukushima Branch Office, Center for International Cooperation, Dokkyo Medical University, Tochigi 321-0293, Japan)

  • Maya Sophia Fujimura

    (Department of Community and Global Health, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan)

  • Yukako Komasa

    (Laboratory of International Epidemiology, Fukushima Branch Office, Center for International Cooperation, Dokkyo Medical University, Tochigi 321-0293, Japan)

  • Akiko Kitamura

    (Department of Community and Global Health, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan)

  • Hitoshi Sato

    (Department of Radiological Sciences, Ibaraki Prefectural University of Health Sciences, Ibaraki 300-0394, Japan)

  • Toshihiro Takatsuji

    (Graduate School of Fisheries and Environmental Sciences, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki 852-8521, Japan)

  • Masamine Jimba

    (Department of Community and Global Health, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan)

  • Shinzo Kimura

    (Laboratory of International Epidemiology, Fukushima Branch Office, Center for International Cooperation, Dokkyo Medical University, Tochigi 321-0293, Japan)

Abstract

On 11 March 2011, Japan experienced a massive earthquake and tsunami that triggered the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP) accident, resulting in the release of large amounts of cesium-134 and -137 into the atmosphere. In addition to the food radioactivity control in the markets throughout the country, radiocesium concentrations in locally grown foods were voluntarily inspected and the results were shown to the residents by the local government to raise their awareness of the internal radiation contamination risk from low knowledge in Nihonmatsu City, Fukushima Prefecture. In this longitudinal study, local food products for in-home consumption were evaluated by seven different food radioactivity measuring devices in Nihonmatsu City from 2011–2017. Radiocesium was detected in local foods in Nihonmatsu City even six years after the FDNPP accident. The highest number of products tested was in 2012, with the number steadily decreasing thereafter. Most foods had contamination levels that were within the provisional regulation limits. As edible wild plants and mushrooms continue to possess high radiocesium concentrations, new trends in radioactivity in foods like seeds were discovered. This study highlights that the increased risk of radiation exposure could possibly be due to declining radiation awareness among citizens and food distributors. We recommend the continuation of food monitoring procedures at various points in the food processing line under the responsibility of the government to raise awareness for the reduction of future risks of internal exposure.

Suggested Citation

  • Nobuaki Kunii & Maya Sophia Fujimura & Yukako Komasa & Akiko Kitamura & Hitoshi Sato & Toshihiro Takatsuji & Masamine Jimba & Shinzo Kimura, 2018. "The Knowledge and Awareness for Radiocesium Food Monitoring after the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Accident in Nihonmatsu City, Fukushima Prefecture," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(10), pages 1-11, October.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:15:y:2018:i:10:p:2289-:d:176672
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Takashi Sugimoto & Tomohiro Shinozaki & Takashi Naruse & Yuki Miyamoto, 2014. "Who Was Concerned about Radiation, Food Safety, and Natural Disasters after the Great East Japan Earthquake and Fukushima Catastrophe? A Nationwide Cross-Sectional Survey in 2012," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 9(9), pages 1-8, September.
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