Dr. Tsubokura's Radiation Lecture Vol.38

Author: Masaharu Tsubokura

Editors: Akihiko Ozaki M.D., Yuki Senoo

75. Absence of internal contamination among residents in Fukushima

As of 2016, whole-body counter screening, which is done to evaluate the level of internal radiation exposure, found no internal contamination with radioactive cesium among the local residents in Minamisoma City, Fukushima Prefecture, which is the coastal area to the north of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.

In fact, internal contamination was absent in more than 99% of the residents who participated in the screening, irrespective of the nature of the participants (e.g., adults and children). Currently, it is hard to find a local resident with internal contamination by cesium. This is also true with the locally produced rice, vegetables, and fruits.

Consequently, except for the whole-body counter screening conducted in 2011, internal contamination with radioactive cesium was not detected among residents in Minamisoma City. The absence of internal contamination illustrates the fact that the residents were not regularly consuming contaminated food.