Fukushima Fallout
Introduction:
On March 11, 2011, a tremendous 9.0 magnitude earthquake and subsequent tsunami struck Japan’s northeastern coast, resulting in the disastrous Fukushima Nuclear disaster. The catastrophe caused the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant to sustain considerable damage and radioactive leak materials, which resulted in a nuclear accident (Khan, Hasan, & Sarkar, 2018).
The earthquake and tsunami were the main contributors to the calamity. Significant damage was done to the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power facility by the 9.0 magnitude earthquake, which was the fourth most violent earthquake ever recorded. The subsequent tsunami, with waves as high as 15 meters, further exacerbated the damage and caused a complete loss of power to the plant’s cooling systems. This led to a series of nuclear accidents, including hydrogen explosions and the release of radioactive materials (Khan, Hasan, & Sarkar, 2018).
However, it is also noted that the plant was not designed to withstand such a large earthquake and tsunami, as the design only considered the maximum earthquake and tsunami that could occur in the area at that time, which was less severe than the actual event. There have been many criticisms and reports on the lack of safety culture and inadequate regulations that contributed to the accident, such as the Japan Nuclear Safety Commission (JNSC) not having the authority to enforce regulations, and the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency (NISA) being too closely affiliated with the industry it was supposed to regulate (Khan, Hasan, & Sarkar, 2018).
On March 11, 2011, a 9.0 magnitude earthquake and associated tsunami led to the Fukushima nuclear accident, which had severe effects on both the local community and the rest of the world. At the Fukushima Daiichi power plant, the catastrophe resulted in three nuclear meltdowns and several hydrogen explosions, which released radioactive materials.
The Fukushima Nuclear disaster was a result of a combination of factors, including the earthquake and tsunami, inadequate regulations and safety culture, and the failure of the operator to take adequate safety measures.
Nuclear Disaster:
A nuclear disaster is an event that results in a significant release of radioactive material from a nuclear facility or device. The causes of nuclear disasters can vary, but they generally fall into one of three categories: human error, equipment failure, or natural disasters.
A nuclear disaster occurs when there is a failure in the operation of a nuclear power plant or another nuclear facility, resulting in the release of radioactive materials. The effects of a nuclear disaster can be devastating, with long-term health and environmental impacts. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), “exposure to ionizing radiation, even at low doses, increases the risk of cancer and other diseases”. Additionally, a study published in the journal Nature found that the Chernobyl disaster led to an increase in thyroid cancer rates among those exposed to the highest levels of radiation. It is important to note that the immediate and long-term effects of a nuclear disaster can vary depending on factors such as the type and amount of radioactive materials released, and the population density in the affected area (Hatch & Cardis, 2017).
The effects that nuclear disasters have can be different and long-lasting effects which can not only affect society and an individual but also the environment of the region for a very long time to come. The bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945 are an example of the effects that nuclear events can have on society such as poor health, mental illness, and lifestyle-related problems. Since nuclear disasters occur rarely, it is very difficult to carry out research on these events to gain proof for effective measures to make new strategies to protect against future events.
These disasters also create the need for effective strategies to reduce the effect that evacuation has on people to whom these events pose serious health threats such as people in close proximity to these sites, workers, and more importantly hospital patients and the elderly. This evacuation can cause short term health issue and effect the long term well being of the patients and hence the health management of these people are of great importance (Ohtsuru, et al., 2015).
Nuclear catastrophes are frequently attributed largely to human mistakes and can be considered the most common cause behind every nuclear incident. For instance, a tsunami that was sparked by an earthquake was the reason behind the 2011 catastrophe at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power facility in Japan. The tsunami overtopped the plant’s seawall defense's and flooded the area, which caused the cooling systems to malfunction and cause a nuclear meltdown.
Equipment failure is another common cause of nuclear disasters, as you can learn from different nuclear incidents. The accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine in 1986 was caused by a combination of design flaws and operator errors. The reactor’s coolant system failed, leading to a power surge and a subsequent explosion and fire. The Chernobyl accident occurred when operators were performing an experiment; on if the turbine generator could operate using the residual energy from the torque of the turbine. This experiment was quite risky, and it was performed after switching off a number of safety valves and safety checks. There was human error involved, and the lack of safety checks led to a nuclear explosion. It is considered a most severe accident as it not only killed the workers present there but also contaminated the surrounding environment (Mukhopadhyay, Halligan, & Hastak, 2016).
Thyroid cancer cases increased due to the disaster, particularly in young persons exposed to radioactive iodine. When radioactive iodine is released into the environment, it may be absorbed by the thyroid gland, damaging the cells and perhaps leading to cancer. The thyroid gland absorbs iodine. Children in the affected districts exhibited a substantial rise in thyroid cancer incidence following the disaster (Takamura, et al., 2016).Individuals exposed to radiation from the Chernobyl disaster have found increased rates of certain types of cancer, particularly thyroid cancer, as well as other health effects such as cataracts and cardiovascular disease. However, the evidence for heritable genetic effects, i.e., genetic damage passed on to future generations, is more limited.
The Chernobyl Nuclear disaster also damaged the genes of the upcoming generations and hence its effects were long lasting. The bonds that hold DNA’s nucleotides together can be broken by radiation, which can result in genetic damage such as mutations. Any cell in the body, including reproductive cells, can sustain this injury, and it can be passed on to subsequent generations. The destabilization of genome occurred as a result of this incident which lead to the mutation and other abnormalities in offspring (Yushkova, 2022).
The psychological effects that nuclear disasters can have on people are devastating. This can be evaluated on the basis of the Chornobyl disaster where in terms of public health, the psychological consequences caused by the incident are said to be probably of more importance that the physical consequences. The trauma caused by these incidents are can be divided into many factors such as knowledge of the incident and the fear of its consequences, the social structure of society which is disrupted by the large-scale evacuation which results in the relocation of thousands of families, increase in poverty and large scale unemployment, change in the lifetime of people and possible defects during birth, loss of property and other personal losses (Mukhopadhyay, Halligan, & Hastak, 2016).
Natural disasters have the potential to cause nuclear disasters as the disruption caused by natural disasters can destabilize the nuclear reactor, which can lead to a nuclear disaster. The accident at the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant in Pennsylvania in 1979 was caused by a cooling malfunction that was triggered by a valve that had become stuck open. The malfunction led to a partial meltdown of the reactor. It was considered to be the biggest nuclear accident inthe United States. The causes behind this nuclear accident involve a series of mechanical failures, lack of experience among operators, issues because of design and its interpretation, as well as human error (Marguet, 2022).
The disaster of Fukushima:
A nuclear crisis occurred at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in Japan on March 11, 2011, as a result of an earthquake and ensuing tsunami. The first attack done by the earthquake was unable to do much damage because buildings were designed in such a way to withstand the such type of earthquake. After the earthquake, Japan shifted 2.4m transversally, and the earth dropped 1m vertically. The tsunami that followed the earthquake actually destroyed the already shaken infrastructure. Reactor units 1,2, and 3 were operating at first, but when it detected an earthquake, the units were shut down. The on-site power was used for the cooling system, but after the tsunami,the AC power was lost. After some time, the backup cooling was also lost, which resulted in fuel meltdowns, explosions, and hazardous material leaks.Due to this incident, 15,000 people died while 10,000 were gone missing (Labib & Harris, 2015).
Natural calamities combined with human mistakes led to the Fukushima calamity in which humanity suffered a lot and japan was destroyed. The power plant’s operators failed to appropriately address the loss of cooling systems in the immediate aftermath of the earthquake, which resulted in fuel meltdowns. In addition, despite being aware of the risk, the plant’s operators failed to take safety precautions like erecting sea walls to guard against tsunamis. These elements, combined with the force of the tsunami, caused the Fukushima disaster (Burtt, et al., 2022).
Large quantities of radioactive pollutants were spilt into the air and seas as a result of the Fukushima accident, forcing locals to leave and permanently contaminating the area. The disaster severely impacted the people of Japan and the nation’s economy and brought attention to the need for more stringent safety regulations and control of nuclear power plant operations.
Implications of Fukushima Nuclear Disaster:
The Fukushima Nuclear disaster was an unfortunate event that caused much damage, including human life and loss of infrastructure. The Fukushima Nuclear disaster was due to the earthquake, followed by the tsunami that destroyed the region’s buildings and bridges. The region’s towns collapsed, and their communication and linkage were cut off. Due to the disruption and blockage of the cities, transporting and delivering the goods was impossible (Suppasri, et al., 2021). The people were isolated and helpless, and telecommunication was also destroyed, which created a barrier to supporting them. The N.T.T. is a major telecommunication company in Japan. The dedicated and fixed lines were affected, and as a result, the company’s services were impacted. Telecommunications exchange buildings were also flooded or destroyed. Telephone poles toppled, main transmission lines were cut off, and wires were carried away. Earthquake in Japan is a usual thing, and hence, the buildings were designed in such a manner that they can stand earthquakes, but the tsunami flooded the exchange buildings of N.T.T. The severity of the disaster was very high, and as a result, cables were attacked, and telephone poles were destroyed, making the service recovery more complex. The lack of power also contributed to the problem. The telecommunication service was also compromised because of the power shortage. The lack of communication created a more intense situation and made it challenging to deliver the instructions required for recovery purposes (Nakajima & Kurokawa, , 2021). Moreover, many people are dealing with radiation-related ailments and psychological anguish due to accidents. Although the disaster’s long-term health implications are still being examined, there are worries that radiation exposure could increase the incidence of cancer and other diseases (Ohtsuru, et al., 2015).
The Fukushima Nuclear disaster also impacted other sectors of the country. Since Japan is an industrial hub, power consumption is very high in Japan. They are one of the biggest importers of Gas, coal, and other energy sources. Japan is also using nuclear energy to lower its expenditure. This incident forced them to stop the usage of nuclear energy. As a result, the oil consumption of Japan has increased. Japan used a huge amount of its budget on oil in 2012 (Taghizadeh-Hesary, Yoshino, & Rasoulinezhad, 2017). Japan has faced financial pressure because of the oil import. Japan has invested heavily in processing nuclear energy. But after the incident in Fukushima, the trust in the usage of Nuclear energy has shifted. The impact of this incident was international, and many countries learned from this incident. There were a lot of countries that were trying to use nuclear energy and investing in it. But this incident forced countries like Germany to shut down Nuclear reactors. Italy also stopped the usage of Nuclear energy as a power (Bernardi, Morales, Lühiste, & Bischof, 2017).
The Fukushima Nuclear disaster has contaminated the environment. The Fukushima nuclear disaster significantly and permanently impacted marine life in the nearby waters. Massive quantities of radioactive materials were released into the Pacific Ocean due to the catastrophe, seriously harming the marine ecosystem and impairing the lives of many fishermen and coastal communities.
The Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant’s radiation leak contaminated the waters, which caused radioactive isotopes to build up in marine life. The bioaccumulation of radioactive isotopes in the food chain increased the radiation levels in top predators like fish and marine mammals. The tragedy at Fukushima impacted marine life far beyond the area immediately surrounding the plant. Research revealed that the radioactive isotopes that the plant produced had travelled throughout the Pacific Ocean and had an impact on marine life in other areas. The tragedy had a long-lasting effect on marine life, as numerous species showed symptoms of radiation exposure for many years after the catastrophe.
One of the disaster’s immediate repercussions was a pervasive feeling of fear and anxiety among the locals. In order to leave their homes and towns, many people were compelled to leave behind their belongings and familiar surroundings. For people who already experience mental health problems, this loss of security and consistency can be especially difficult (Eto, 2014).
Research undertaken in the aftermath of the tragedy indicated that a considerable proportion of individuals in the impacted region experienced signs of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other mental health problems. Intrusive thoughts, flashbacks, avoidance, and hyperarousal are a few of the signs of PTSD. For people who are currently dealing with mental health problems like depression or anxiety, these symptoms can be very difficult (Tsujiuchi, et al., 2016).
The Fukushima catastrophe also made evident the necessity of stricter rules and safety precautions for nuclear power facilities. The catastrophe, brought on by a confluence of natural calamities and human mistakes, highlighted the risks associated with nuclear power when adequate safety precautions are not taken. The disaster’s effects on marine life served as a stark reminder of the need for more stringent safety standards for nuclear power facilities to avoid future disasters of this nature (Wada, et al., 2016).
The Fukushima Nuclear disaster has impacted Japan and gave a wake-up call about the policies relevant to using nuclear energy. This incident raised many questions about whether the disaster was utterly natural. The technical failures were discussed, and other steps could be taken to use nuclear energy safely. This incident has shown nuclear energy’s real severity and negative side. It has raised fear and awareness about the hazardous consequences of nuclear disasters. Japan has to stop all of its nuclear reactors and revise its policies due to this incident.
Conclusion:
The nuclear meltdown at Fukushima was a catastrophe with far-reaching effects on both Japan and the rest of the world. The disaster severely damaged Japan’s physical infrastructure, economy, and social structure. A powerful earthquake and ensuing tsunami brought it on. The Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant released radioactive elements that contaminated wide regions of land and water, raising serious health concerns and forcing tens of thousands of people to leave their homes.
The Fukushima Nuclear disaster was an unfortunate event through which humanity suffered badly. The Fukushima Nuclear disaster destroyed japan’s economy, telecommunication network, power sources, and infrastructure. At the start, it was considered that the Fukushima nuclear disaster was completely natural. But the detailed research suggests that human loss could be reduced if the government acted promptly and took precautionary steps. Along with the precautionary steps, the safety measures at the nuclear reactor were not satisfactory and good enough. These details can help us conclude that the Fukushima nuclear disaster is man-made.
The Fukushima Nuclear disaster could have been avoided, or its effects can be reduced if Japan government had acted more carefully. Japan’s government has to make strict policies and keep the check and balance against these safety policies, but the government was unable to do so. The Fukushima Nuclear disaster showed us that nuclear energy is not stable and something to play with. You must deal with great care; even after that, a disruption can cause huge damage. Concerns over the long-term health implications of radiation exposure and the necessity of continued monitoring and maintenance for people affected by the tragedy have also been sparked by the disaster.
The Fukushima tragedy made it clear how important it is to be ready for emergencies and natural disasters. To be able to react swiftly and successfully in the case of a disaster, governments should invest in disaster preparedness and response strategies. This can entail regular training sessions, improved agency coordination, and greater funding for emergency response teams.
It is critical to prioritize safety measures and prevention in order to reduce the likelihood of such disasters occurring in the first place. This includes strict regulation and oversight of nuclear facilities, comprehensive emergency response plans, and ongoing nuclear worker training and education.
A coordinated and rapid response is critical in the event of a nuclear disaster to minimize the immediate and long-term effects. This includes providing medical treatment to those who have been exposed to radiation, limiting the spread of contamination, and implementing long-term cleanup and restoration plans. While nuclear energy has the potential to provide clean and reliable energy, it must be managed responsibly in order to avoid the devastation of a nuclear disaster.
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