Author: Masaharu Tsubokura Editors: Akihiko Ozaki M.D., Yuki Senoo 105. Investigations of radiation-related health effects have been conducted under various conditions. Radiation’s impact on health is determined by the extent of the exposure dose, not by the number of past exposures. Numerous investigations have been conducted to determine what extent of radiation exposure is dangerous, including studies of (1) medical, (2) natural background, and (3) occupational radiation exposure. Regarding occupational radiation exposures, researchers have reported on the health information of workers at nuclear facilities in several countries. As a result, a variety of research papers on occupational ra
Author: Masaharu Tsubokura Editors: Akihiko Ozaki M.D., Yuki Senoo 103. Medical radiation does not increase lung cancer risk The impact of radiation on health is determined by the extent of the exposure dose, not by whether one has experienced any exposure in the past. In that case, what level of radiation exposure is deemed dangerous? Numerous investigations have been conducted to find answers to this question, including those for medical radiation,1 natural background radiation,2 and occupational radiation exposure.3 Well-known previous research papers on the topic of medical radiation are ones that investigated the risks of breast and lung cancer due to radiation exposure during chest exa
Author: Masaharu Tsubokura Editors: Akihiko Ozaki M.D., Yuki Senoo 101. The level of radiation exposure in Fukushima too low to increase cancer risk Radiation exists in our surrounding environment; all of us have been exposed to radiation to some extent in our everyday lives. The impact of radiation on health is determined by the extent of the exposure dose, not by whether one has experienced exposure in the past. In that case, what extent of radiation exposure is deemed dangerous? The result of the health survey conducted after the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki provides us the best answer to this question: of course, nuclear weapons must never be used again. This survey was laun
Author: Masaharu Tsubokura Editors: Akihiko Ozaki M.D., Yuki Senoo 99. The calculated level of radiation exposure is overestimated Various international organizations have published reports regarding the levels of radiation exposure and the radiation-induced health effects caused by the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident. The report published by the United Nations in 2013 assessed the levels of radiation exposure more accurately than the report by the World Health Organization, taking various kinds of data into account. However, the United Nations’ calculation results still overestimated potential radiation exposure when considering what was actually observed in Fukushima Prefecture. In part
