title: Concentrations of Radiocesium in Local Foods Collected in Kawauchi Village after the Accident at the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Station.
abstract: We evaluated the current concentrations of radiocesium in local foods collected in Kawauchi Village, which is located less than 30 km from Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station, to minimize public anxiety regarding internal radiation exposure through the consumption of locally produced foods after the 2011 Fukushima accident. The number of samples exceeding the regulatory radiocesium limit (100 Bq/kg for general foods) was five out of 4,080 vegetables (0.1%), 652 of 1,986 (32.8%) among edible wild plants and fungi, and eight of 647 (1.2%) in fruits. Our study confirmed that the internal radiation doses of ingesting these foods are acceptably low compared to the public dose limit, ranging from 24.4 to 42.7 μSv for males and from 21.7 to 43.4 μSv for females, although the potential for radiation exposure still exists. Long-term comprehensive follow-up should take place to clarify trends in radiocesium concentrations in local foods and the committed effective doses found in Fukushima-area residents. By constructing a system that allows residents to access information on radiocesium concentration in foods, a risk communication model between specialists and residents could be developed in the recovery phase after the Fukushima accident.
authors.affiliation: Department of Global Health, Medicine, and Welfare, Atomic Bomb Disease Institute, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki 8528523, Japan.
authors.forename: Makiko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Orita
authors.affiliation: Department of Global Health, Medicine, and Welfare, Atomic Bomb Disease Institute, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki 8528523, Japan.
authors.forename: Kanami
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nakashima
authors.affiliation: Division of Strategic Collaborative Research, Center for Promotion of Collaborative Research on Radiation and Environment Health Effects, Atomic Bomb Disease Institute, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki 8528523, Japan.
authors.forename: Naomi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hayashida
authors.affiliation: Kawauchi Municipal Government, Fukushima 9791201, Japan.
authors.forename: Yuuko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Endo
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Medical Sciences, Atomic Bomb Disease Institute, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki 8528523, Japan.
authors.forename: Shunichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yamashita
authors.affiliation: Department of Global Health, Medicine, and Welfare, Atomic Bomb Disease Institute, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki 8528523, Japan.
authors.forename: Noboru
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Takamura