Quality of Life Improvements for Residential Permanent Relocation Following the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant Accident

The accidental release of nuclear radiation from the Fukushima Dai-chi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP) resulted in the evacuation of over 100,000 residents in the Fukushima Prefecture. Residents who returned to their homes following the cancellation of the evacuation orders (six months after the incident) could be susceptible to increased health impacts from long-term radiation exposure. To assess the quality of life improvements for women and children who permanently move away from the FDNPP evacuated zones, long-term radioactive exposures for residents who returned to their homes were compared to the health effects of residents who permanently moved away. A systematic review was conducted to examine the various exposures and health effects citizens encountered following the FDNPP incident, including mental health assessments. Nine months after the FDNPP incident, the median annual dose of radiation was below the Japanese federal recommended allowable dose limit for the public (1 mSv/y). Federal countermeasures to radiation exposure included providing residents with non-local food and bottled water. Mental health impacts of returning to the evacuated areas included concerns for children and future generation’s health, obtaining acute radiation syndrome and living in areas with low ambient radiation exposure. Mental health improvements were the main quality of life improvement that people would experience if they permanently moved away from the Fukushima Prefecture, following the FDNPP incident. This finding will have implications on the future economy of both the Fukushima Prefecture and the surrounding communities, international medical emergency response methods, and public education about radiation exposure risks. Future studies should focus on individual exposure levels, long-term, low-dose radioactive exposures, and the length of time federal countermeasures to local food consumption should be provided