Fukushima: no radiation deaths but

'their souls are killed'

WEDNESDAY 14 MAY 2014
No-one has died due to radiation released after the Fukushima nuclear
crisis and this is unlikel to chan!e" the #N sas$ %ut the mental health im&act for
the nuclear e'acuees is a different stor$
The UN's expert panel on radiation risk has published its full verdict on the
aftermath of the devastating Fukushima nuclear accident in March 2011 !n
the one hand" it is good ne#s
$No radiation%related deaths or acute diseases have been observed among
the #orkers and general public exposed to radiation from the accident"$ the
report reads $No discernible increased incidence of radiation%related health
effects are expected among exposed members of the public or their
descendants$
&o not onl' has no%one died or become severel' ill as a result of radiation
leaking from the devastated plant" #hich #ent into meltdo#n after an
earth(uake and tsunami rocked )apan" but the UN sa's no%one is expected
to be in future" either For man' radiation experts" this has come as no
surprise
*rofessor +err' Thomas" chair in molecular patholog' at ,mperial
-ollege" .ondon" tells -hannel / Ne#s0 $)apan did the right things 1#hen
Fukushima 2ai%ichi po#er plant #ent into meltdo#n3 ,t #as not perfect
There #ere mistakes" but ever'one makes mistakes in these kinds of
situations Things the' did like cutting the food chain" #hich it is important
to do (uickl'" #ere effective
$4e kne# the' had kept the radiation doses as lo# as the' could" and there
is plent' of evidence that #hat the' did #as right$
&o far so good 5ut there's more to the UN report % and much more to the
stor'
No(od has died from the radiation" (ut it ma actuall ha'e killed their
souls$*rofessor Ni#ako 6ama#aki
The report itself goes on to sa'0 $The most important health effect is on
mental and social #ell%being" related to the enormous impact of the
earth(uake" tsunami and nuclear accident" and the fear and stigma related
to the perceived risk of exposure to ioni7ing radiation
$8ffects such as depression and post%traumatic stress s'mptoms have
alread' been reported$
Mental health is outside the panel's remit9 but another researcher" this time
from the field of mental health" puts it much more strongl'
*rofessor Ni#ako 6ama#aki" from 5righam 6oung Universit'" studied the
mental health impact of the aftermath of the disaster in one evacuated
to#n called :irono in Fukushima prefecture
:er verdict;
$4hen , think about that 1the line that no%one has died from radiation%
related illness3" , kind of laugh Nobod' has died from the radiation" but it
ma' actuall' have killed their souls"$ she tells -hannel / Ne#s
2ead souls
*rofessor 6ama#aki #orked #ith local social #orkers to intervie# around
2<0 former :irono residents" out of a to#n of around <"000 people The
results of her stud'" completed in 2012" #ere shocking
4hile onl' t#o people died in the to#n after the tsunami" the ma=orit' of
residents remain profoundl' affected b' the traged' More than half #ere
found to displa' $clinicall' concerning$ s'mptoms of post%traumatic stress
disorder" and t#o%thirds reported depression s'mptoms
The long%term mental health impact of ma=or natural disasters has been
#ell%researched0 but these statistics from :irono are higher than follo#ing
other similar events *rofessor 6ama#aki believes it is the ongoing fear of
radiation and impossibilit' of returning home" as #ell as the triple impact of
the earth(uake" tsunami and nuclear accident" #hich have caused the
unusuall' high prevalence she found
!ther reports have linked suicides to the triple%disaster9 and a )apan Times
editorial suggested that 1"><> people in Fukushima prefecture had died due
to stress%related illnesses and other maladies in the #ake of the crisis" a
higher number than those #ho died of in=uries directl' linked to the events
of 11 March
$,n addition to the natural disaster" the people in :irono also experienced
manmade disaster" #hich is the nuclear plant &o the' are fighting #ith an
invisible threat"$ sa's *rofessor 6ama#aki
Fukushima Medical Universit' is also tracking the mental health of the
displaced population" and regularl' publishing its findings ,n its latest
results" reported in Februar'" it found that 1>"2/2 adults needed support
out of >>"2?@ #ho responded to the surve' % and 1"/?/ out of 11"20A
children That is around a (uarter of the adult population % less than the
:irono findings" but still far higher than the general population ,t is also
#orse than for those #ho #ere =ust affected b' the tsunami and
earth(uake" #ho" figures sho#" are gro#ing more positive over time despite
the horrific impact of the events themselves
!ne of the ma=or issues for people living near Fukushima is that the' cannot
go back to their lives" and that fear and uncertaint' about the future is
having a dire ps'chological effect Tens of thousands are still living in
temporar' accommodation" torn a#a' from ever'thing the' kne# in an
instant0visitors to the area report dropped ne#spapers" stopped clocks and
even unmade beds as the population fled earl' in March 2011
*rofessor 6ama#aki sa's this is a ma=or issue in one of the more
$collectivist$ % or communit'%led % areas of )apan
$The communit' is the base of their sense of self"$ she sa's $,t's reall' hard
to get over The ma=orit' of people have not come back to their home The'
don't even kno# #hen the' can go home$
,t could help to set up sessions in the temporar' housing areas" #here the
communit' could drop in" have tea and discuss their experiences" rather
than parachuting in counsellors" she suggests 5ut that is expensive" and
the universit''s efforts are alread' under some financial pressure 5ut
perhaps there is another" more radical solution0 letting the evacuees go
home
)ime to !o home*
For *rofessor Thomas" and indeed man' other experts" this is effectivel' a
no%brainer The radiation levels in much of the area around Fukushima" she
sa's" are no# so lo# that the' #ould pose no risk to human health ,ndeed"
in some areas" citi7ens are being encouraged to return
The UN panel estimates adults in the Fukushima prefecture #ill get lifetime
effective doses $of the order of 10 millisieverts or less$" if remediation
efforts do not reduce levels further
+t,s reall hard to !et o'er$$$ )he don,t e'en kno- -hen the can !o
home$*rofessor 6ama#aki
To put that into context" *rofessor Thomas has some other statistics For
example" the ,nternational -ommittee on Badiological *rotection
C,-B*D sa's that people should be exposed to no more than 1 millisievert
over background radiation over a 'ear This is the level )apan #ants to see
before allo#ing people to move back to affected areas as #ell
5ut this level is seen b' man' experts as (uite a lo# bar Cand it is one that
much of Fukushima crosses an'#a'" although levels are patch'D
8pidemiologicall'" the level is more like 100 millisieverts a 'ear over
background radiation % and even then" *rofessor Thomas sa's" 'ou #ould
need to see huge numbers exposed at this level to find increased incidence
of cancers
For example" breast cancer patients are given <0 sieverts in radiotherap'"
and ver' fe# come back #ith secondar' cancers as a result of this" she
sa's
8ven in -hernob'l" the #orld's #orst nuclear accident % #hich sa# a much
higher initial release of radiation than Fukushima % the radiation numbers
are lo# Calthough" perhaps unsurprisingl'" there are similarl' high rates of
mental health issues even t#o decades onD For some areas =ust outside the
exclusion 7one" > million residents over 2< 'ears had the e(uivalent
radiation dose of one -T scan" sa's *rofessor Thomas
$, think #e are over%cautious"$ she sa's $5ut rules are rules ,t's a double%
edged s#ord The' #ant to go back" but people do not feel safe , #ould like
to see people given the opportunit' to move back and monitor their dose
themselves$
5ut the fear of radiation continues
$There are generations of fear 4e #ere told radiation #as scar' as children
% and for )apan there is the memor' of the atomic bombs 5ut this is
different ,f #e could get rid of this idea that tin' doses of radiation #ill
cause huge problems" it #ould reall' help people come to terms #ith it"$
sa's *rofessor Thomas
End there's another" more profound issue for the nuclear refugees
$*eople could go back and )apan is starting to let people go back if the'
#ant to"$ sa's *rofessor Thomas" #ho visits the area regularl' $The
problem is" there is no infrastructure" no =obs ,t's all ver' #ell to sa' 'ou
can go back but there is nothing to go back for % no =obs" sometimes no
houses because of the tsunami 4ho #ould go back;$
*rofessor 6ama#aki agrees0 $To go back; ,t is so difficult Think if 'ou #ere
them The' are desperate to go home but there is no =ob there" the
communit' is broken do#n" the ma=orit' of our participants are old The'
#ant to go home but at the same time it's not the same home$
&he =ust hopes that their plight is not forgotten as the initial disaster
retreats further in peoples' memories The third anniversar' #as in March
this 'ear
$, =ust don't #ant people to forget about them &till a lot of people are
suffering"$ she sa's