Ten years of the Fukushima nuclear accident: Global impact of a lesson learnt

On 11 March 2011, Japan was struck by a massive earthquake, which initiated a tsunami caused significant devastation and led to a severe accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. Post-accident analyses have verified that the radiation and radioactivity released from the accident has not produced such devastating direct impact on human health as previous reports and evaluations suggested. However, the accident severely affected health and well-being of more than 150 000 people living in surrounding areas including some early deaths as a result of evacuations from the afflicted area. While there have not been any death cases due to the nuclear accident alone, there were a number of deaths and other health problems mainly due to the lack of health care or medicines, stress-related complications, and other causes not related to radiation exposure. The paper is trying to assess the consequences of the Fukushima accident realistically and to interpret the resulting exposure and radioactive contamination in relation and comparing them to the natural background as to both radiation level and natural radioactive concentration in the environment as well as exposures normally received by professionals handling radiation sources in accordance with international radiation protection standards. Unfortunately, this accident has been extensively exaggerated and misused by various anti-nuclear organizations opposing the peaceful use of nuclear energy. (author)