The limitations of radiological protection in the Fukushima nuclear accident from the citizens’ perspectives: towards a revision of the general recommendations

Abstract

The aim of this research is to identify the radiological protection problems after the Fukushima accident from the citizens’ perspective and to clarify the major points which should be included in the revised General Recommendations. As research methods, both qualitative and quantitative methods were employed to clarify the damage to residents in and outside of Fukushima Prefecture. For these reasons, we critically review the description of the ICRP Publication 146 Annex B Fukushima nuclear accident (Annex B. The Fukushima Nuclear Accident). Our team includes researchers who were affected by the disaster directly; their personal experiences were also reflected. Through this research, important insights of affected citizens missed in ICRP Publication 146 were obtained. ICRP Publication 146 and the General Recommendation should be revised to address these issues pointed out by the affected population.