Author: Masaharu Tsubokura Editors: Akihiko Ozaki M.D., Yuki Senoo 131. Fire accident at the nuclear weapons manufacturer In the past, radiation exposure has occurred on several occasions, including the dropping of atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki during World War II, atmospheric nuclear tests, and accidents at nuclear processing facilities and power plants. In fact, the Chernobyl, Three Mile Island, and Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plants are not the only ones that

Author: Masaharu Tsubokura Editors: Akihiko Ozaki M.D., Yuki Senoo 129. Nuclear power accidents are evaluated based on their impacts The atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki during the Second World War caused enormous damage to the residents. Since then, human-made radiation exposure has occurred several times, including nuclear weapon testing associated with the development of atomic bombs and hydrogen bombs and accidents at nuclear processing facilities and nuclear power

Author: Masaharu Tsubokura Editors: Akihiko Ozaki M.D., Yuki Senoo 127. Many consumer products in your home also use radioactive substances Annually, we Japanese people are exposed to approximately 2.1 millisieverts of radiation from various radioactive substances. In fact, radioactive substances are not only present in the environment but also contained in some of the consumer products we use in our daily lives. One of the well-known examples is a smoke detector. The type th

Author: Masaharu Tsubokura Editors: Akihiko Ozaki M.D., Yuki Senoo 125. No difference between artificial and natural radiation substances Japanese populations are exposed to approximately 2.1 millisieverts of radiation annually from various radioactive substances in daily life. Furthermore, about one-third of radiation exposure is caused by ingesting the natural radioactive substance, called polonium, found in seafood. As I have repeatedly explained in the series, the extent

Author: Masaharu Tsubokura Editors: Akihiko Ozaki M.D., Yuki Senoo 123. Tritium is used to date groundwater A radioactive substance called “tritium” often appears in articles covering the issues of contaminated water released from the nuclear plant. Tritium is not only an artificial substance that was released from the accident this time but also one naturally generated in our environment. As previous articles have explained, the health effects of radiation are determined by