Author: Masaharu Tsubokura Editors: Akihiko Ozaki M.D., Yuki Senoo 173. Radioactive wastes are handled differently according to their concentration A variety of radioactive wastes are produced from many facilities that process radioactive substances, such as nuclear power plants, nuclear research institutes, and hospitals that use radiopharmaceuticals. Although the amount of radioactive wastes produced in these facilities is less than 1 / 10,000 of the nonradioactive wastes—such as general and industrial waste—nuclear waste needs to be dealt with appropriately depending on the type and concentration of radioactive substances. Radioactive wastes produced by nuclear facilities are roughly clas
Author: Masaharu Tsubokura Editors: Akihiko Ozaki M.D., Yuki Senoo 171. International cooperation to reduce the greenhouse gas effect While Japan is one of the largest consumers of primary energy in the world, our country significantly lacks resources such as oil and natural gas and therefore has a low energy self-sufficiency rate. As we discussed in the previous article, there is no single method of power generation that has only strengths or weaknesses. For this reason, the process of determining the source of energy utilized in Japan includes various considerations related to current energy circumstances. A reduction of the greenhouse gas effect is one of the crucial factors we have to ta
Author: Masaharu Tsubokura Editors: Akihiko Ozaki M.D., Yuki Senoo 169. Japan’s low rate of energy self-sufficiency Japan is one of the largest consumers of primary energy in the world, but our country lacks resources, such as oil and natural gas, and therefore has little energy self-sufficiency. In Japan, a majority of the primary energy supply consists of fossil fuels from abroad, such as oil, coal, and natural gas, and the proportion of imported fuels has increased even more since the Fukushima nuclear disaster. The proportion of imported fossil fuels was 81% before the disaster, and it increased to 89% in 2016 due to thermal power plants’ increased power generation following the shutdown
Author: Masaharu Tsubokura Editors: Akihiko Ozaki M.D., Yuki Senoo 167. The role of mutual support in a community for protecting people’s health When considering your health, it is crucial to understand not only the risk of radiation exposure, but also lifestyle-related diseases such as diabetes and obesity. Moreover, it is essential to consider other factors that affect your health and take control of your health in a well-balanced manner. Among various health risk factors, you may often encounter topics related to smoking, eating habits, and exercise, and you may naturally be more conscious about controlling these factors. However, loneliness has a more significant impact on your health th
Author: Masaharu Tsubokura Editors: Akihiko Ozaki M.D., Yuki Senoo 165. Now is the time to review your health status Diabetes is a representative example of lifestyle-related diseases, whose prevalence increased in Fukushima Prefecture following the nuclear power plant accident. A long-term high blood sugar level can damage the blood vessels and tissue and can lead to the oxidation of multiple organs. As a result, life-threatening conditions such as cerebral infarctions and myocardial infarctions can suddenly occur. An unhealthy lifestyle, such as a lack of exercise and bad eating habits, contributes to the further progression of diabetes. Moreover, it has been reported that, in the post-dis
