title: Measurement of internal radiation exposure among decontamination workers in villages near the crippled Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant.
abstract: Decontamination workers may face a high risk of exposure to internal irradiation through inhalation during decontamination activities; there is, however, little previous research on the levels of internal contamination during decontamination procedures. The authors reviewed the medical records, including whole body counter measurements, of decontamination workers in villages near the crippled Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant to assess their levels of internal radiation exposure. In total, 83 decontamination workers were enrolled in this study. They were regularly engaged in decontamination activities in highly contaminated areas where surface 137Cs deposition density was over 100 kBq m-2. The present study showed low levels of internal exposure among the decontamination workers near the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant. The cesium burdens of all the decontamination workers were below detection limits. They had reported no acute health problems. The resuspension of radioactive materials may cause minimal internal contamination during decontamination activities.
authors: Division of Social Communication System for Advanced Clinical Research, Institute of Medical Science, University of Tokyo, Tokyo. tsubokura-tky@umin.ac.jp
authors: Masaharu
authors: M
authors: Tsubokura
authors: Masahiko
authors: M
authors: Nihei
authors: Katsumi
authors: K
authors: Sato
authors: Shin
authors: S
authors: Masaki
authors: Yu
authors: Y
authors: Sakuma
authors: Shigeaki
authors: S
authors: Kato
authors: Amina
authors: A
authors: Sugimoto
authors: Shuhei
authors: S
authors: Nomura
authors: Tomoko
authors: T
authors: Matsumura
authors: Makoto
authors: M
authors: Miyazaki
authors: Ryugo
authors: R
authors: Hayano
authors: Kenji
authors: K
authors: Shibuya
authors: Masahiro
authors: M
authors: Kami
authors: Taro
authors: T
authors: Sasaki
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003666:Decontamination; D062406:Fukushima Nuclear Accident; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008499:Medical Records; D008875:Middle Aged; D055848:Nuclear Power Plants; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000032:analysis*; D011834:Radiation Monitoring; D012987:Soil / Q000737:chemistry; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D012987:Soil