title: [The Fukushima nuclear accident: consequences for Japan and for us].
abstract: The Fukushima accident was the consequence of a preceding 2-fold natural catastrophe: the earth quake of 11 March 2011 and the subsequent tsunami. Due to favourable winds and to evacuation measures the radiation exposure to the general population in Japan as a whole and with some exceptions in the region outside the evacuation zone, too, was low. In this article the attempt is made to give an estimate of health consequences to the public. This is based upon WHO's dose estimates, knowledge of the consequences of the Chernobyl accident, of the atmospheric nuclear bomb testing in Kazakhstan and on the risk of childhood leukaemia after low dose radiation exposure. For Germany, there was no radiation threat due to the accident. Nonetheless, the events in Japan made clear that the rules and standards that were developed for the case of a reactor accident need to be revised.
authors.affiliation: Bundesamt für Strahlenschutz, Fachbereich Strahlenschutz und Gesundheit, Oberschleissheim. bgrosche@bfs.de
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Grosche
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000396:Air Pollutants, Radioactive / Q000032:analysis*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D062406:Fukushima Nuclear Accident; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009381:Neoplasms, Radiation-Induced / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011379:Prognosis; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D017678:Sex Distribution; D014915:Whole-Body Counting / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000396:Air Pollutants, Radioactive