Experience of technological and natural disasters and their impact on the perceived risk of nuclear accidents after the Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan 2011: A cross-country analysis.

This paper uses cross-country data compiled immediately after the Fukushima nuclear accident to investigate how the experience of such disasters affects the perception of the risk of nuclear accidents. Estimation results show that the perceived risk of a nuclear accident is positively associated with experiencing technological disasters but not with that of natural disasters.Technological disaster, Natural disaster, Nuclear accidents, Risk, Fukushima accidents, Perception, Bayesian learning

Radiocarbon releases from the 2011 Fukushima nuclear accident

Radiocarbon activities were measured in annual tree rings for the years 2009 to 2015 from Japanese cedar trees (Cryptomeria japonica) collected at six sites ranging from 2.5–38 km northwest and north of the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant. The 14C specific activity varied from 280.4 Bq kg−1 C in 2010 to 226.0 Bq kg−1 C in 2015. The elevated 14C activities in the 2009 and 2010 rings confirmed 14C discharges during routine reactor operations, whereas those activities that were indistinguishable from background in 2012–2015 coincided with the permanent shutdown of the reactors after the accident in 2011. High-resolution 14C analysis of the 2011 ring indicated 14C releases during the Fukushima accident. The resulted 14C activity decreased with increasing distance from the plant. The maximum 14C activity released during the period of the accident was measured 42.4 Bq kg−1 C above the natural ambient 14C background. Our findings indicate that, unlike other Fukushima-derived radionuclides, the 14C released during the accident is indistinguishable from ambient background beyond the local environment (~30 km from the plant). Furthermore, the resulting dose to the local population from the excess 14C activities is negligible compared to the dose from natural/nuclear weapons sources

The global nuclear liability regime post Fukushima Daiichi

Nuclear liability regimes are important as they ensure that potential victims will be compensated promptly and efficiently after a nuclear accident. The accident at Fukushima Daiichi in Japan in 2011 prompted a review of the global nuclear liability regime that remains on-going. Progress has been slow, but over the next few years the European Union is set to announce its new proposals. Meanwhile, in 2015, another global nuclear liability regime, the Convention on Supplementary Compensation for Nuclear Damage, has entered into force. This paper aims to move the debate in the literature on nuclear liability and focuses on the four following major issues: (1) reviews third-party nuclear liability regimes currently in operation around the world; (2) analyses the international nuclear liability regime following the accident at Fukushima Daiichi; (3) comparatively assesses the liability regimes for nuclear energy and the non-nuclear energy sector; and (4) presents the future outlook for possible developments in the global nuclear liability regime

Chernobyl accident: Causes, consequences and problems of radiation measurements

General description of Chernobyl accident is given in the review. The accident causes are briefly described. Special attention is paid to radiation situation after the accident and radiation measurements problems. Some data on Chernobyl disaster are compared with the corresponding data on Fukushima accident. It is noted that Chernobyl and Fukushima lessons should be taken into account while developing further measures on raising nuclear industry safety. © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

The Fukushima Daiichi Accident: The International Community Responds

The accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant site in northeastern Japan has led to a worldwide focus on the safety of nuclear power and a renewed debate over its role in the generation of electricity. In the decade before the accident, interest in nuclear energy returned in the face of growing demand for electricity coupled with increased attention to reducing carbon emissions. These factors fostered what many call a “nuclear renaissance.” But, as the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi site unfolded in March 2011, the question seemed to become whether nuclear energy had any future at all. Although not as severe in terms of radioactive releases as the 1986 Chernobyl accident, the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi was significant and the only multi-unit accident in the history of nuclear power generation

Effect of transparency on changing views regarding nuclear energy before and after Fukushima accident

Using cross-country data, this paper examines the influence of government transparency on changing views regarding nuclear energy before and after Japan’s natural and nuclear disasters of 2011. It was observed that in the majority of countries the rate of favoring nuclear energy declined after the disaster. However, empirical results have shown that this rate is less likely to decrease in a more transparent country, even after a disaster. This implies that views regarding nuclear energy were less elastic to the news of the Fukushima incident when people were more certain about nuclear energy prior to the Fukushima incident.Transparency, persuasion, Fukushima accident, nuclear energy

Авария на японской АЭС "Фукусима"

В данной статье приведено краткое описание АЭС Фукусима. Рассматривается крупнейшее землетрясение в Японии 2011 года и авария на АЭС Фукусима. Представлена хроника событий аварии, ее ликвидация, а также проанализированы последствия данной аварии. This article provides a brief description of the Fukushima nuclear power plant. It is considered the largest earthquake in Japan 2011 and the accident at the Fukushima nuclear power plant. Presentation of the chronicle of events of the accident, its elimination, as well as analyzed the consequences of the accident

Local variance of atmospheric 14C concentrations around Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant from 2010 to 2012

Radiocarbon (14C) has been measured in single tree ring samples collected from the southwest of the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant. Our data indicate south-westwards dispersion of radiocarbon and the highest 14C activity observed so far in the local environment during the 2011 accident. The abnormally high 14C activity in the late wood of 2011 ring may imply an unknown source of radiocarbon nearby after the accident. The influence of 14C shrank from 30 km during normal reactor operation to 14 km for the accident in the northwest of FDNPP, but remains unclear in the southwest

Авария на японской АЭС "Фукусима"

В данной статье приведено краткое описание АЭС Фукусима. Рассматривается крупнейшее землетрясение в Японии 2011 года и авария на АЭС Фукусима. Представлена хроника событий аварии, ее ликвидация, а также проанализированы последствия данной аварии. This article provides a brief description of the Fukushima nuclear power plant. It is considered the largest earthquake in Japan 2011 and the accident at the Fukushima nuclear power plant. Presentation of the chronicle of events of the accident, its elimination, as well as analyzed the consequences of the accident

Isotopic evidence of plutonium release into the environment from the Fukushima DNPP accident

The Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant (DNPP) accident caused massive releases of radioactivity into the environment. The released highly volatile fission products, such as 129mTe, 131I, 134Cs, 136Cs and 137Cs were found to be widely distributed in Fukushima and its adjacent prefectures in eastern Japan. However, the release of non-volatile actinides, in particular, Pu isotopes remains uncertain almost one year after the accident. Here we report the isotopic evidence for the release of Pu into the atmosphere and deposition on the ground in northwest and south of the Fukushima DNPP in the 20–30 km zones. The high activity ratio of 241Pu/239+240Pu (> 100) from the Fukushima DNPP accident highlights the need for long-term 241Pu dose assessment, and the ingrowth of 241Am. The results are important for the estimation of reactor damage and have significant implication in the strategy of decontamination