Public Services
Protect Against Radiation Exposure
People are exposed to small amounts of radiation every day, both from naturally occurring sources (such as elements in the soil or cosmic rays), and man-made sources. Man-made sources include medical sources (such as x-rays, certain diagnostic tests, and treatments). The amount of radiation from natural or man-made sources to which people are exposed is usually small, and this "background radiation" is different in different locations. A radiation emergency, such as a nuclear power plant accident or a terrorist event, could expose people to small or large doses of radiation, depending on the situation.
After the March 11, 2011 earthquake and tsunami damaged the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant, Japanese and U.S. government officials took steps to protect public health. These actions included evacuating the area around the plant, alerting people who could not leave to shelter-in-place, and stopping production and distribution of food from affected areas to other parts of Japan and the world. Nonetheless, at this moment concern about the effects of radiation continues.
About radiation exposure or contamination
A person who has been exposed to radiation is not necessarily contaminated with radioactive material. A person who has been exposed to radiation has had radioactive waves or particles penetrate the body, like having an x-ray. Contamination occurs when the radioactive material gets on or inside the body. External contamination occurs when radioactive material gets on a person's body. It can be removed by changing clothing and carefully and gently washing hands, face and hair. Avoid scrubbing your skin. Scrubbing can irritate the skin, allowing radioactive material to more easily penetrate the body, resulting in internal contamination. Internal contamination occurs when radioactive material gets inside a person's body by eating or drinking contaminated food or drink, or through an open wound.
You can limit the possibility of exposure or contamination by staying away from areas that officials have designated, avoiding food products from affected areas, and paying attention to public health and other official information.
Protecting food and water
In Japan, officials have stopped production and shipment of agricultural, fish, and dairy products from affected areas. Local governments are testing water supplies regularly to assess whether levels of radioactive iodine or other radioactive substances remain within approved limits. Levels of radioactive iodine can be expected to vary for a period of time, often because of the effects of weather. For example, rain can cause radioactive material that is dispersed in the air to fall into waterways and enter the water supply. But after a brief period, the material is diluted by the larger volume of water in the system, and the levels return to acceptable ranges again. The Japanese Health Ministry has instructed water purification plants nationwide to stop taking in rainwater to prevent contamination in tap water.
More resources
Information in English related to radiation and water, air, or disaster assistance is readily available at these Japanese government Web sites:
For the latest information on the safety of water and specific foods in Japan, see Japan's Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare's English language website.
The Japanese Government has an English-language site offering data on radiation levels in each prefecture and links to other information.
- Tokyo
- Saitama
- Gunma Air radiation levels, radioactivity level of tap water (Note: English website doesn't include fallout analysis.)
- Chiba Reference-English website of Disaster Prevention
- Tochigi Environmental Radiation Measurement Results in Tochigi Prefecture, sample-tested spinach and kakina
- Ibaraki Reference-English website of Emergency and Disaster
- Kanagawa Reference-Earthquake Information
The Japanese Ministry of Land, Intrastructure and Transportation updates conditions at airfields and ports.
U.S. Government resources about radiation:
- The Department of Energy provides updates on the situation in Japan
- Visiting experts share information with U.S. Embassy personnel about radiation in YouTube videos here and here.
- A U.S. State Department medical expert explains about taking medication after a radiation event.
- The Federal Emergency Management Agency helps you prepare for the possibility of a nuclear plant emergency.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention explains:
- Contamination and exposure
- How radiation is measured
- Radiation terms
- How to protect yourself and your family in a radiation event
- Information on sheltering in place
- Health information about Potassium Iodide (KI)
- General information about radiation emergencies
The Environmental Protection Agency:
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission:
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
This U.S. federal public health agency answers common questions about the health effects of radioactive isotopes identified at the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant site.
