The word “hibaku,” written as “被曝,” is used in Japan to mean “exposure to radiation”; however, “被曝” in China means “being revealed.” The literature indicates that “被曝” was first introduced at an annual meeting of X-ray technicians in 1950 and circulated to various sectors by 1955. Chinese words such as “曝露” and “曝射” had been used for the same uses and purposes before then. Most likely, “被曝” was created to draw attention to the risk of occupational exposure to radiation, making use of its phonetic equality and notational similarity to “被爆” (exposure to the atomic bomb). While “被曝” has achieved great successes in drawing public attention to the risk of radiation exposure, as well as linking “被曝者” (“hibakusha” as the victims of nuclear experiments and accidents) and “被爆者” (“hibakusha” as the survivors of the atomic bomb), the perception of “被爆” linked to it has become a psychological obstacle to radiation therapy. Therefore, the use of “被曝” as a scientific term for radiation exposure and use of the ambiguous notation “被ばく” by scientists and professionals may need reconsideration.
