Preliminary dose estimation from the nuclear accident after the 2011 Great East Japan earthquake and tsunami

Overview

The earthquake and tsunami in Japan on 11 March 2011 led to releases of radioactive material into the environment from the Tokyo Electric Power Company’s Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station. This report describes an initial estimate of radiation doses resulting from this accident to characteristic members of the public in populations around the world.

In line with its defined role in radiation emergency response among international organizations, the World Health Organization (WHO) is responsible for public health risk assessment and response. Therefore soon after the accident, WHO initiated a health risk assessment to support the identification of needs and priorities for public health action and to inform Member States and the public.