Article

Impact of the discharge of treated water on residents’ intention to return to areas near the TEPCO Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station a decade after the accident

¹ Department of Global Health, Medicine and Welfare, Atomic Bomb Disease Institute, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki, Japan
² Nuclear Protection Evaluation Centre (CEPN), Fontenay-aux-Roses, France

^* Corresponding author: hmatsu@nagasaki-u.ac.jp

Received: 4 May 2024
Accepted: 12 August 2024

Abstract

This study examined how discharged ALPS-treated water (DTW), social capital (SC), health-related quality of life (HR-QOL), and radiation risk perception influence residents’ intention to return (ITR) to the affected areas around TEPCO Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station (FDNPS), within a 20 km radius. The concerns about DTW were investigated six months before authorities began discharging treated water into the Pacific Ocean, in August 2023. It was revealed that residents who wanted to return were mostly concerned about the DTW (p < 0.05). Compared to the residents who had already returned, the community trust and attachment was lower in non-returnees (p < 0.01). Residents of areas affected by the FDNPS accident remain concerned about various issues regarding radiation. These results provide important suggestions for how to provide appropriate support that addresses the specific concerns of former residents of affected areas.