fukushima no radiation deaths but 'their souls are killed

8/12/2019 Fukushima No Radiation Deaths but 'Their Souls Are Killed'

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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 verdicton the

aftermath of the devastating Fukushimanuclear 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 sas no%one is expected

to be in future" either For man radiation experts" this has come as no
http://www.channel4.com/news/fukushima-radiation-mental-health-souls-killed-depressionhttp://www.channel4.com/news/fukushima-radiation-mental-health-souls-killed-depressionhttp://www.unscear.org/unscear/en/fukushima.htmlhttp://www.channel4.com/news/fukushimahttps://yt3.ggpht.com/-3481FOdiSDE/AAAAAAAAAAI/AAAAAAAAAAA/Ni8N8DV1qHM/s100-c-k-no/photo.jpghttp://www.channel4.com/media/images/Channel4/c4-news/2014/May/13/13_fukubeach_g_w_LRG.jpghttp://www.unscear.org/unscear/en/fukushima.htmlhttp://www.channel4.com/news/fukushimahttp://www.channel4.com/news/fukushima-radiation-mental-health-souls-killed-depressionhttp://www.channel4.com/news/fukushima-radiation-mental-health-souls-killed-depression


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related illness3" , kind of laugh Nobod has died from the radiation" but it

ma actuall have killed their souls"$ she tells -hannel / Ne#s

ead souls*rofessor 6ama#aki #orked #ith local social #orkers to intervie# around

2 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"$ sas *rofessor 6ama#aki
http://time.com/19125/mental-health-fukushima/http://time.com/19125/mental-health-fukushima/http://www.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2014/03/01/editorials/fukushimas-appalling-death-toll/#.U2uasqOHiKUhttp://www.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2014/03/01/editorials/fukushimas-appalling-death-toll/#.U2uasqOHiKUhttp://www.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2014/03/01/editorials/fukushimas-appalling-death-toll/#.U2uasqOHiKUhttp://time.com/19125/mental-health-fukushima/http://time.com/19125/mental-health-fukushima/http://www.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2014/03/01/editorials/fukushimas-appalling-death-toll/#.U2uasqOHiKUhttp://www.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2014/03/01/editorials/fukushimas-appalling-death-toll/#.U2uasqOHiKUhttp://www.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2014/03/01/editorials/fukushimas-appalling-death-toll/#.U2uasqOHiKU


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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 pschological effect Tens of thousands are still living in

temporar accommodation" torn a#a from everthing the kne# in an

instantvisitors to the area report dropped ne#spapers" stopped clocks and

even unmade beds as the population fled earl in March 2011

*rofessor 6ama#aki sas 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 sas $,t's reall hard

to get over The ma=orit of people have not come back to their home The
http://www.fmu.ac.jp/radiationhealth/results/media/14-4_Mental_Health_and_Lifestyle_Survey.pdfhttp://www.fmu.ac.jp/radiationhealth/results/media/14-4_Mental_Health_and_Lifestyle_Survey.pdfhttp://www.nature.com/news/fukushima-fallout-of-fear-1.12194http://www.nature.com/news/fukushima-fallout-of-fear-1.12194http://www.nature.com/news/fukushima-fallout-of-fear-1.12194http://www.nature.com/news/fukushima-fallout-of-fear-1.12194http://blogs.channel4.com/alex-thomsons-view/japans-nuclear-exclusion-zone/5305http://blogs.channel4.com/alex-thomsons-view/japans-nuclear-exclusion-zone/5305http://www.channel4.com/media/images/Channel4/c4-news/2014/May/13/13_fukucandle_g_w_LRG.jpghttp://www.fmu.ac.jp/radiationhealth/results/media/14-4_Mental_Health_and_Lifestyle_Survey.pdfhttp://www.fmu.ac.jp/radiationhealth/results/media/14-4_Mental_Health_and_Lifestyle_Survey.pdfhttp://www.nature.com/news/fukushima-fallout-of-fear-1.12194http://www.nature.com/news/fukushima-fallout-of-fear-1.12194http://www.nature.com/news/fukushima-fallout-of-fear-1.12194http://blogs.channel4.com/alex-thomsons-view/japans-nuclear-exclusion-zone/5305http://blogs.channel4.com/alex-thomsons-view/japans-nuclear-exclusion-zone/5305


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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 solution 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

sas" 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 sas 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 patchD

8pidemiologicall" the level is more like 100 millisieverts a ear over

background radiation % and even then" *rofessor Thomas sas" ou #ould
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-26830492http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-26830492http://www.icrp.org/http://www.icrp.org/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-26830492http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-26830492http://www.icrp.org/http://www.icrp.org/


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need to see huge numbers exposed at this level to find increased incidence

of cancers

For example" breast cancer patients are given million residents over 2< ears had the e(uivalent

radiation dose of one -T scan" sas *rofessor Thomas

$, think #e are over%cautious"$ she sas $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
http://www.nature.com/news/fukushima-fallout-of-fear-1.12194http://www.nature.com/news/fukushima-fallout-of-fear-1.12194http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-26483945http://www.channel4.com/media/images/Channel4/c4-news/2014/May/13/13_fukumemorial_g_w_LRG.jpghttp://www.nature.com/news/fukushima-fallout-of-fear-1.12194http://www.nature.com/news/fukushima-fallout-of-fear-1.12194http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-26483945


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cause huge problems" it #ould reall help people come to terms #ith it"$

sas *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"$ sas *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 agrees $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 sas

fukushima no radiation deaths but 'their souls are killed

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