“Tell us about radiation and health!”⑴What is radiation?
Radiation is invisible and odorless. How exactly does it exist?
Editor’ s note: Herein, “radiation” refers to ionizing radiation.

I’m not sure about what radiation is ...
●By taking light as an example,
you can easily understand it.

●Light bulb = Has the ability
to emit light

Unit of light bulb brightness

Lux (lx) Unit of brightness▲▲

Radiation is just like invisible light emitted by radioactive
materials. By analogy using a light bulb, think of the lightLightLumen (lm)or Watt (W)●Radioactive materials =Have the ability to emit

radiation (radioactivity)

bulb as radioactive and the light coming out of it is

Radiation

radiation. The ability of the light bulb to emit light is
Becquerel (Bq)▲

Unit of radioactivity●Radiation has the power to passthrough things.

Conversion factor

Sievert (Sv)

Unit of radiation exposure dosethat a person receives▲

radioactivity.

DNA Damage

RepairRadiation

RepairenzymeRadiation has penetrating power, the ability to pass throughthings. Radiation that passes through our bodies can damage ourcells, but living cells have some power to repair the damage.

Complete
repairPartial orincomplete
repairBased on BOOKLET to Provide Basic Information Regarding Health Effects ofRadiation published by the Ministry of the Environment(FY2019)

From outer space

Where does radiation exist?
From radon/
thoron in the air●It exists all around us.
In daily life, we are exposed to radiation coming from outer space,

From foods

the ground, the air, and food. Radiation received by our bodies

From the ground

does not spread from person to person.

●Radiation is used for many things around us.
◎Airport security screening◎Prevents growth of potato sprouts

The power of radiation to pass

Intense radiation can suppress

through things is useful. As thethe growth of cells that would

contents of bags can beRadiation

otherwise cause potato sprouts.

examined without opening them,Germination stops, which enables

it helps to prevent the transport

long-time storage.

of dangerous or illegal goods.

Radiation dose amounts in daily life (annual)
It is estimated that the average annual dose of radiation that a Japanese person receives from nature is 2.1 millisieverts(mSv).
As for the sources of natural radiation, doses received from food are relatively large in Japan, while doses received from airare large elsewhere around the world, because geological deposits and eating habits differ from place to place.
Japaneseaverage

0.48

0.99

0.30

■ Air

0.33

■ Food2.1■ Outer space■ GroundGlobalaverage

1.26

0.29

0.39

0.48

2.4
01(mSv/year)2

Based on BOOKLET to Provide Basic Information Regarding Health Effects of Radiation published by the Ministry of the Environment(FY2019)

Change in air dose rates in Fukushima Prefecture
Due to the 2011 nuclear power plant accident, the dose amountsof environmental radiation per hour (air dose rate) increased insome areas, but have decreased over time andbecause of decontamination work.
Currently, air dose rates are not significantly
different from place to place in the inhabitableareas of the prefecture.

Change in air dose rates shown on a map

April 2011

Change in air dose rates shown in graphic form
(mSv/hour)

2.0

Fukushima City
Iwaki City
Aizuwakamatsu City

1.5

April 2015

Air dose rate

1.00.5

April 2019
9／2020／99／

192018／9209／

1720916／209／

15209／

142013／

9209／

1220

11202011／

40*The data are monthly averages.
Based on Fukushima Prefecture's environmental radiation monitoring newsletter "Fukumoni" (March 2021)

Got it! Radiation is invisible, but it has always beenaround us and we can measure it!
Publisher: Fukushima Medical Association
Editorial supervision: Radiation Medical Science Center for the Fukushima
Health Management Survey, Fukushima Medical University

00.10.2 0.3 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0 1.2 1.4 1.6

1.8 2.0 2.5 3.0(mSv/hour)

Based on Change in Radiation Dose Rates, Fukushima PrefectureRadioactivity Measurement Map
http://fukushima-radioactivity.jp/pc/◎The contents of this leaflet canalso be seen on our website.