Of the asbestos-containing wastes arising from the dismantling activities of nuclear facilities, those with radioactive concentrations that do not need to be treated as radioactive materials will be cleared from the nuclear regulatory control. Those will be disposed of or recycled as specially controlled industrial waste based on the Waste Management and Public Cleansing Act. The authors constructed evaluation scenarios according to the treatment manual for asbestos-containing wastes, and evaluated radioactive concentrations (clearance level) of 33 radionuclides corresponding to the public exposure dose of asbestos waste of 10 μSv/y. As a result, the evaluated concentration values were equal to or higher than the current clearance level. It was confirmed that the current clearance level could be applied for asbestos-containing wastes.

In addition to the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP), there are several international organizations that are engaged in activities related to radiological protection. This article briefly reviews the aims and major activities of and interrelationships between those organizations, followed by opinions about how Japanese experts should contribute to those activities.

A Town in Fukushima Prefecture evacuated its residents after a nuclear power accident 2011. We investigate a series of radiation risk communication round table discussions among the residents and researchers/experts over three years, beginning five years after the said evacuation order and ending one year after its partial lifting. By analyzing the language used in the sessions, we explore the residents’ perceptions of radiation, how they changed and the trends in the content of explanations provided in response to the questions. The conferences were transcribed and analyzed using language analysis software. These were divided into questions and explanation data groups. The former was associated with daily life matters, including health effects, diet, the evacuated town and annual changes in the decontamination progress and the cancellation of evacuation orders. Women focused on their offspring, while men focused on health topics and the future of nuclear power, as indicated by subject popularity. These questions were intended to confirm the authenticity of what residents heard from other people. The explanation data group was associated with radioactive materials’ characteristics, particularly the transfer mechanisms of cesium by nature. These explanations were related to health effects. Often, “It is thought” or “I think” was mentioned after giving information, probably to avoid assertions, entrust the questioner with decisions and foster radiation literacy.