Nuclear emergencies : a holistic approach to preparedness and response This book discusses nuclear events that may become imminent threats to the fabric of our society and elucidates strategies for preventing these threats or mitigating their adverse effects. It addresses multidisciplinary aspects of various nuclear emergencies including nuclear accidents terror attacks involving nuclear materials illicit trafficking of nuclear materials and problems related to nuclear forensics and strikes with nuclear weapons warheads. Very often nuclear emergencies are only discussed within certain specific communities. However this volume brings together experts from various fields to provide a more holistic approach to the problem. Physical chemical environmental social and medical scientists together with representatives from the media and authorities present their views on and strategies for events that cause fear and anxiety among the public – an aspect that can be even more threatening than the direct health effects. The book offers a valuable guide for nuclear scientists such as radioecologists health physicists radioanalytical scientists and nuclear engineers as well as decision makers and national international authorities 1 Two major nuclear emergencies: a comparison between Chernobyl and Fukushima 2 Lessons learned from the Chernobyl accident 3 Late atmospheric effects of a nuclear accident: comparison between the Fukushima Daiichi NPP and Chernobyl accidents 4 Fear of Radiation – A Comparison of Germany and Japan 5 The psychosocial consequences of the Fukushima disaster: What are we suffering from 6 Impact of evacuation on lifestyle activity and metabolic status following the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant Accident: Preliminary Findings 7 After the meltdown: Post Fukushima environmentalism and a nuclear energy industrial complex in Japan 8 Public relations in times of nuclear emergencies: examples from a medium sized public university and a small Austrian municipality 9 Fukushima live” – about the role and responsibility of the media 10 Teaching radioactivity: What is the goal of education 11 Agriculture in Fukushima Radiocesium contamination of agricultural products 12 Isotopic signatures of actinides in environmental samples contaminated by the Fukushima Dai ichi Nuclear Power Plant accident 13 The key role of isotopic analysis in tracing the Fukushima nuclear accident released Pu and radiocesium isotopes in the environment 14 Radioactive iodines in the atmosphere 15 Utilization of Radioxenon Monitoring to Aid Severe Nuclear Accident Response 16 Response to Nuclear Terrorism in Germany 17 Nuclear emergency preparedness in Germany– lessons learned from Fukushima and Chernobyl and their implementation