Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Bjoern Hagen, Adenike Opejin, K. David Pijawka
Summary: This study compares public risk perceptions before and after a nuclear accident, finding that the Fukushima disaster had a significant short-term impact on public risk perceptions, but declined in 2016. The data also indicate high levels of uncertainty regarding trust and future energy policies. These findings present an opportunity for shaping Japan's future energy policy.
Article
Psychology, Multidisciplinary
Eunil Park
Summary: The Fukushima nuclear accident in 2011 had a significant impact on public perceptions of energy facilities and services, affecting national energy plans in many countries. Studies in South Korea have researched public perspectives towards energy technologies, with particular focus on renewable energy technologies. Trust, benefits, risks, and attitude were found to be key determinants for the public's adoption of these technologies, with attitude being the greatest influencing factor.
FRONTIERS IN PSYCHOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Y. Kuroda, A. Goto, H. Terauchi, S. Suzuki
Summary: This study examines the change in food safety perceptions over time following the Fukushima accident in 2011, finding that social connectedness is positively associated with food safety sense, while information from newspapers, TV, and word of mouth is negatively associated. Food safety perceptions significantly declined in Hamadori and Nakadori regions but started to improve 3 years after the earthquake and returned to pre-earthquake levels by 2018.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Geunsik Kim, Seoyong Kim
Summary: The Fukushima nuclear accident continues to have a significant impact on global energy policy and the acceptance of nuclear power. A study analyzing survey data from 1020 Korean respondents found that the accident still causes worry, negatively affecting the general acceptance of nuclear power, acceptance of its contributions to climate change, disposal of high-level radioactive waste, and extensions of old nuclear power plants. However, it has a positive impact on the acceptance of denuclearization policies. The accident has different direct and indirect effects across different dimensions of nuclear power acceptance.
ENERGY STRATEGY REVIEWS
(2023)
Article
Social Issues
Hoseok Nam, Satoshi Konishi, Ki-Woo Nam
Summary: The decision-making processes of nuclear policies in Germany and Japan after the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant Accident in 2011 differed substantially due to various factors such as political stability, economic and technical considerations, and geopolitical factors. While Germany was able to transition to renewable energy sources due to reduced costs and an interconnected grid for electricity import, Japan may need to restart its nuclear power plants unless political stability is compromised by public sentiment. Lessons derived from this comparison suggest that social factors can influence political decisions, mature renewable technologies can replace nuclear power, and geopolitical situations may impact nuclear policy but are not critical factors.
TECHNOLOGY IN SOCIETY
(2021)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Mayumi Harigane, Yoshitake Takebayashi, Michio Murakami, Masaharu Maeda, Rie Mizuki, Yuichi Oikawa, Saori Goto, Maho Momoi, Shuntaro Itagaki, Satomi Nakajima, Tetsuya Ohira, Hirooki Yabe, Seiji Yasumura, Kenji Kamiya
Summary: The study found that post-disaster residential location after the Fukushima nuclear power plant accident had an impact on psychological distress and its trajectory. Significant associations were identified between post-disaster residential location and distress trajectory, with within-prefecture residents outnumbering out-of-prefecture residents in less distressed groups after adjusting for covariates.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DISASTER RISK REDUCTION
(2021)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Cecile Asanuma-Brice, Olivier Evrard, Thomas Chalaux
Summary: Large volumes of radionuclides were deposited on the soils in North-eastern Japan after the accident at the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear Power Plant in 2011. The evacuation of the village of Iitate, located in the main radioactive plume, lasted from 2011 to 2017. Despite reopening, less than ten percent of the original population had returned to live in the village by January 2022, mostly elderly people. The difficulty of adjusting to the post-accident environment, contaminated forests, and lack of facilities are major challenges.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DISASTER RISK REDUCTION
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Kaori Murase, Ryosuke Niwamoto, Junpei Horie, Joe Murase, Masae Saito, Yuuji Kodera, Kei Okuda, Masaaki Koganezawa, Toshiyuki Sato
Summary: This study compared the DNA of wild boar in Fukushima prefecture before and after the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident. The results showed significant changes in the microsatellite composition after the nuclear accident, while no significant differences were found in the mitochondrial DNA. This suggests that the change in microsatellites was due to instability rather than migration from other areas.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION
(2022)
Article
Oceanography
Dan Liu, Mark Hoskin
Summary: In April 2021, the Japanese government decided to release radioactive wastewater from the Fukushima nuclear power plant into the ocean, posing a direct threat to the marine environment of Japan and neighboring countries. Legal measures such as litigation have been considered by the neighboring countries, but they require more time unless interim measures are ordered. This paper argues that the discharge of radioactive wastewater will contaminate fish products and fishing grounds, impacting marine life and humans.
OCEAN & COASTAL MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Yasuko Sato, Kiyoka Nozue
Summary: The 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake caused unprecedented disasters in Fukushima Prefecture. A questionnaire survey was conducted on 118 nurses in a hospital near the nuclear accident site. The study found that a significant proportion of nurses experienced traumatic events during the disaster, with some missing work and showing higher posttraumatic stress symptoms. Resilience and supervisor support were found to reduce stress levels. The study suggests the importance of establishing a supportive workplace culture during disasters and enhancing resilience to alleviate stress and trauma.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DISASTER RISK REDUCTION
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Kazuyuki Sakuma, Kazuya Yoshimura, Takahiro Nakanishi
Summary: The study found that Cs-137 leaching ratios differ between different types of forest litter, with varying effects of precipitation and temperature changes. The impact of temperature on Cs-137 leaching may be related to the decomposition rates of litter.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Boong Joo Lee, Kyung Bae Jang, Tae Ho Woo
Summary: The nuclear-contaminated water in the seawater near the site of the Fukushima NPP accident is being investigated for treatment. Managing the vast oceanic area is crucial in this process. Modeling is done using osmosis and filtration methods, with a decrease in radioactive material to 10% from reverse osmosis and to 0.01% from filtration within 9 days. The discharge variations are described in terms of maximum and minimum values within 100 square velocities. The article introduces a design for a general radioactive contaminated seawater treatment facility.
ENERGY SCIENCE & ENGINEERING
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Enora Clero, Evgenia Ostroumova, Claire Demoury, Bernd Grosche, Ausrele Kesminiene, Liudmila Liutsko, Yvon Motreff, Deborah Oughton, Philippe Pirard, Agnes Rogel, An Van Nieuwenhuyse, Dominique Laurier, Elisabeth Cardis
Summary: Exposure of the thyroid gland to ionizing radiation at a young age is the main recognized risk factor for differentiated thyroid cancer. Cancer screening aims to reduce morbidity and mortality, but can also have negative effects, thus requiring a proper evaluation of the benefits and risks of screening.
ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL
(2021)
Review
Energy & Fuels
Zhiyi Yang, Fengchen Li, Guohan Chai
Summary: The significant impact of the Fukushima nuclear accident in 2011 prompted global regulators to review safety requirements. In China, comprehensive safety inspections and hazard assessments were conducted on nuclear power plants, leading to the implementation of improvement measures, the development of a 5-year plan, and the drafting of safety requirements for new plant designs. The Nuclear Safety Law and revised safety codes were put into effect, and in this article, the actions and requirements regarding nuclear power plant safety in China over the past decade were reviewed.
FRONTIERS IN ENERGY RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Yujiro Kuroda, Aya Goto, Yohei Koyama, Mitsuaki Hosoya, Keiya Fujimori, Seiji Yasumura, Hidekazu Nishigori, Masahito Kuse, Hyo Kyozuka, Akiko Sato, Yuka Ogata, Koich Hashimoto
Summary: The study examined the mental health of Fukushima mothers after the triple disaster compared to nationwide scores, showing a higher proportion of negative feelings towards pregnancy and lower lack of affection scores following birth in Fukushima. The study also found significantly higher K6 and EPDS scores in Fukushima, as well as associations between negative feelings towards pregnancy and depressive symptoms, and lack of affection and postpartum depressive symptoms in both Fukushima and nationwide. The results suggest that supporting maternal bonding during pregnancy in Fukushima could help prevent depressive tendencies.
JOURNAL OF AFFECTIVE DISORDERS
(2021)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Angela Bearth, Michael Siegrist
Summary: This article questions the deficit view of public trust and advocates for a more positive outlook in future research. By using the Social Amplification of Risk Framework to discuss trust as a fundamental aspect of social interactions and to challenge normative approaches to public trust and risk perception, the authors argue for overcoming the current trust deficit model and focusing on the opportunities of the digital informational environment for risk communication in future research.
Article
Ecology
Anne Berthold, Viktoria Cologna, Michael Siegrist
Summary: Research shows that people's perception of future resource scarcity impacts their pro-environmental behaviors and openness to new technologies, with anticipated future resource scarcity leading to increased acceptance of sustainable energy and food technologies. Additionally, causing individuals to focus on resource scarcity can enhance pro-environmental behavior and acceptance of sustainable technologies.
ECOLOGICAL ECONOMICS
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Kim Buchmuller, Chengyan Xu, Angela Bearth, Michael Siegrist
Summary: Household chemical products are widely used but come with certain risks. A study found that most consumers do not pay attention to the warnings on the products, suggesting the need for alternative or simplified warnings to improve consumer awareness of potential risks.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Christina Hartmann, Patricia Furtwaengler, Michael Siegrist
Summary: Consumers have a generally negative impression of meat substitute products, perceiving them to be less healthy, less environmentally friendly, and less natural compared to traditional meat products. There is a discrepancy between subjective and objective evaluations of these products. This poses a challenge for the industry, public health, and the establishment of sustainable diets.
FOOD QUALITY AND PREFERENCE
(2022)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Michael Siegrist, Angela Bearth, Christina Hartmann
Summary: This study found that food disgust sensitivity and diet-related health consciousness have a positive influence on perceived risks, while nutrition knowledge is associated with lifestyle risk perception. Increasing people's awareness and knowledge of diet-related health can enhance their perceptions of lifestyle risks.
FOOD QUALITY AND PREFERENCE
(2022)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Cornelia Staub, Claudia Fuchs, Michael Siegrist
Summary: The study found that health warning labels have a small effect on consumers' risk perception, with cultural worldviews and health beliefs being major determinants of their acceptability. Additional research is needed to evaluate the real-life effectiveness of HWLs and the role of culture in their acceptance.
FOOD QUALITY AND PREFERENCE
(2022)
Article
Transportation
Tamara Stotz, Angela Bearth, Michael Siegrist, Signe Maria Ghelfi
Summary: Due to the increase in air travel, traditional airport security checks have reached capacity limits. Finding efficient and less inconvenient security procedures is a major challenge. Risk-based security checks, although controversial, can potentially reduce screening for low-risk passengers by targeting high-risk ones.
JOURNAL OF AIR TRANSPORT MANAGEMENT
(2022)
Article
Agronomy
Julian Helfenstein, Matthias Burgi, Niels Debonne, Thymios Dimopoulos, Vasco Diogo, Wenche Dramstad, Anna Edlinger, Maria Garcia-Martin, Jozef Hernik, Thanasis Kizos, Angela Lausch, Christian Levers, Franziska Mohr, Gerardo Moreno, Robert Pazur, Michael Siegrist, Rebecca Swart, Claudine Thenail, Peter H. Verburg, Tim G. Williams, Anita Zarina, Felix Herzog
Summary: The COVID-19 pandemic had varying impacts on different agricultural systems, with specialized and intensive farms being more vulnerable to disruptions in supply chains. Supporting farmers in diversifying their production systems and reducing dependence on supply chains can increase their resilience to future shocks.
AGRONOMY FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
(2022)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Bianca Wassmann, Michael Siegrist, Christina Hartmann
Summary: Palm oil is widely used in many products but is associated with ecological, social, and health-related issues. The RSPO label aims to guide consumers towards sustainable palm oil. However, consumers' awareness and knowledge of the RSPO label and unsustainable ingredients in products need improvement. Targeted interventions and effective marketing, along with transparent sustainability standards, are necessary to address this discrepancy.
FOOD QUALITY AND PREFERENCE
(2023)
Article
Education, Scientific Disciplines
Larissa Luchsinger, Anne Berthold, Monika Brodmann Maeder, Max Giger, Werner Bauer, Michael Siegrist
Summary: This article describes the development and longitudinal analysis of a questionnaire used to evaluate the quality of postgraduate medical education in Switzerland. The questionnaire has been administered annually to all residents since 2003, with a response rate of 70% in 2020. Results show that the mean values of the eight scales remained stable or slightly increased over the years, with the decision-making culture scale rated highest by residents and the evidence-based medicine scale rated lowest. The work environment and leadership culture scales are identified as the most important factors affecting residents' satisfaction with a training site. The directors perceive the evaluation to be fair and useful.
Article
Food Science & Technology
Jeanine Ammann, Aisha Egolf, Jeannette Nuessli Guth, Michael Siegrist
Summary: This study aimed to validate the food disgust scale using olfactory stimuli related to food. Through rating different odours for the level of disgust evoked, two factors of food disgust sensitivity were identified. The first factor included seven more disgusting items, while the second factor included two less disgusting items. The study found a significant correlation between the first factor score and the FDS short questionnaire, supporting the incremental validity of the questionnaire. This is the first study to validate the FDS short using olfactory stimuli, indicating potential for the creation of a food disgust odour scale.
FOOD QUALITY AND PREFERENCE
(2023)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Bianca Wassmann, Michael Siegrist, Christina Hartmann
Summary: Our food choices have a significant negative impact on the environment. Understanding consumers' environmentally friendly food selection behavior is important. Our study found that heuristics played a role in consumers' ability to compose an environmentally friendly meal, with the eco group choosing less meat and fish, more meat substitutes, and foods that were regional, seasonal, and organic.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2023)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Alenica Hassig, Christina Hartmann, Luisma Sanchez-Siles, Michael Siegrist
Summary: Demand for processed food is increasing, but some of these products have been criticized for causing non-communicable diseases. This study examined consumers' perceptions of food processing and ultra-processed foods, and its relationship with food classification systems and nutritional value. The results showed that consumers have negative associations with food processing and use the perceived degree of processing as a cue for evaluating the healthiness of foods. Furthermore, there was strong agreement between laypeople's perceived level of processing and the NOVA classification system.
FOOD QUALITY AND PREFERENCE
(2023)
Article
Psychology, Clinical
Cynthia Sob, Michael Siegrist, Christina Hartmann
Summary: In this study, the effects of positive eating on eating behaviors, food intake, and BMI were investigated in a large sample of the general Swiss population. The results showed that restrained and reward eating were negatively correlated with the Positive Eating Scale (PES) subscales, while intuitive eating, diet-related health consciousness, and perceived health status were positively related to the PES subscales. BMI was negatively related to the PES subscale Satisfaction with Eating and positively related to the subscale Pleasure when Eating. No significant effects of the PES subscales on change in BMI were detected over the two-year period. Overall, positive eating may be associated with more balanced eating habits and better perceived health status.
Article
Nutrition & Dietetics
Katarina L. Matthes, Christina Hartmann, Michael Siegrist, Michel Burnier, Murielle Bochud, Marcel Zwahlen, Nicole Bender, Kaspar Staub
Summary: Excess weight has been increasing rapidly in Switzerland since the 1990s, posing challenges to both health and the economy. This study is the first to synthesize nationwide evidence on the importance of socio-demographic and lifestyle factors as risk factors for excess weight.
JOURNAL OF NUTRITIONAL SCIENCE
(2022)