Hello!
Radiation

INSSPrologue
You might feel scared, in danger, or afraid of getting cancer
or leukemia when you think about“Radiation.”
We have heard a variety of stories and a lot of information about
radiation because of the disaster at a nuclear power plant inFukushima, Japan.
I hope this book will help you understand “RADIATION.”

Hi!

Everyone.

I’m“Hey, Buddy. You move

radiation.

very fast and you came

The universe is full of

from very far.”fellows like me.

Some radiation comes to the earth
from the sun. Do you know that lightis also a kind of radiation?

Radiation moves freely in the universeand human beings are exposed to radiation everywhereon the earth.

Here,and here too,and here too,and heretoo,

the stars,

You are exposed toradiation from thesun,
the air,and food.

the earth,Everyone is exposed to radiation.
The global average is 2.4 mSv(milliSieverts) a year.

But you cannot feel radiation with yourfive senses. Moreover, radiation can

Are we like a ghost, aren’t we?

pass through objects.

You cannot see.

You cannot hear.

You cannot smell.

You cannot taste.
You cannot touch.

You can measure radiation, andyou use it to create medicines andto help in factories and farms.

When you are injured or get sick,radiation explores what is going on
inside your body.

Radiation !

You can see inside your body.

Medical instruments, and also

Radiation !

first-aid instruments are sterilized
by radiation.

bye-bye bacteriums !

Once upon a time, there was a poor
rice harvest.
To make the harvest better, therice seeds were treated with radiation to improve the rice’s strength
against wind and rain.

Radiation !

In Hokkaido (northern Japan), thefamous potatoes are lightly radiated to stop the sprouts fromgrowing before they are sold.

Radiation !

Radiation is used to generate powerin nuclear power plants.

On the 11th of March, 2011, theEast Japan Great Earthquake occurred.
The Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear
Power Plant was critically damaged
by a tsunami.
A large amount of radioactive substance was released.
It went into the mountains, the sea,
the rivers, the fields, the streets,the ground, and the schoolyards inFukushima.

A large number of people in
Fukushima had to move from theirhomes to avoid a larger than normal
dose of radiation exposure.

Sometimes families moved away separatelyfrom their hometowns so they would not get
too much radioactive substances.

There is no difference between thenatural radiation around you and the radiation released from the nuclear power
plant in the accident.

Radiation is radiation, so
what makes it different?

Fire is one of the most useful things
for your lives, but imagine if there wasa huge fire…

Water is very important to live, but
imagine if there was a great flood…

You can avoid radiation:
Too much radiation exposure is danger-

by staying a short time in the contaminated area;

ous and is very bad for your body. Humans

by using a shield which protects you from too much

have already learned how to avoid it.

radiation exposure;by keeping a long distance away from radioactivity.

Then the radiation will slowly go away
Please remember these words “time,”“shield,” and “distance.”

naturally.

Radiation has existed since the universe began.
It was discovered by chance while researchers were looking for something else.
Since then radiation has been studied for approximately 120 years.
Radiation has contributed to society as atreatment for cancer, as a way to strengthenmaterials, in the production of semiconductors,
and as a way to generate electricity.
However, the nuclear power plant disaster inFukushima was awful.
Therefore, radiation was hated at that time.
Will it be possible for you to understand radiation scientifically, and to accept nuclear
technology’s contribution again?

Epilogue

Invisible but very real, that is me,radiation.
You humans have evolved in an environment of radiation exposure.
There are different kinds ofradiation and each has its own characteristics.
You have utilized these characteristics to develop and improve science,engineering, agriculture, and medical
fields and so on.
You might learn about radiation
again as you grow up.
It is my pleasure that this bookmight help you in your first encounter with “RADIATION.”

Reference note:
Hajimemashite Hoshasen (Original in Japanese)
Hello! Radiation
Presented by Institute of Nuclear Safety System, Incorporated (INSS: http://www.inss.co.jp),
Mihama-cho,Fukui, Japan, 2013.
Produced by Yutaka Akitsu, 2013.
English ver. proofreading by James C. Jensen*, 2016.
Modification by Shinichi Oiso, 2017.
Contents download is available for an educational material of radiation,
http://www.inss.co.jp/book/1083.html* An American and author of TRAVEL INSTINCTS,
the earnings from which he has donated to a charitythat supports kids who lost their families in the Tohoku tsunami. His donation is through Living Dreams(http://www.livingdreams.jp/main).