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2014-06-26
Interaction and Communication with Society:
An Underdeveloped Aspect
of Radiation Protection
Tanja Perko
Nuclear Science and Technology Studies (NST)
Institute for Environment, Health and Safety
IRPA, Geneva 25th of June 2014 1
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2014-06-26
My messages
Radiation Protection Society needs:
to invest more in the R & D of interaction and
communication with society.
to promote a trans-disciplinary approach in radiation
protection: natural science & social science & humanities.
Integrate social aspects into radiation protection research
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An Underdeveloped Aspect 1987- Goiania
J. Rozental,
expert on radiation safety and
general coordinator to respond the
radiological accident in Goiania,
1987
“We were ready to deal with all aspects of nuclear emergency management
except communication.” Jose Julio Rozental
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An Underdeveloped Aspect
2011 - Fukushima
“…demonstrated that providing effective communication is
one of the biggest challenges in an emergency.”
IAEA, 2012
“Information about the accident was often late, insufficient
and unclear.”
Report; JAIF, 2012
“Fukushima evacuees failed by information flow.”
Report; NAIIC, 2011
2011 4
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An Underdeveloped Aspect
In daily life
Medicine
Diagnosis and therapy
Industry
Energy production
Food irradiation, Sterilization, Carbon dating, Quality control, Silicon
doping
Other applications: e.g. Airport control
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2014-06-26
Medicine
Diagnosis and therapy
Industry
Energy production
Food irradiation, Sterilization, Carbon dating, Quality control, Silicon
doping Other applications:
e.g. Airport control
ICRP pillars:
Decisions taken at different levels
are loaded with challenges of uncertainty,
and necessarily framed by value choices.
= Interaction with society
An Underdeveloped Aspect
In daily life
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Risk communication about ionizing radiation
Supports the stakeholders to make informed decisions and to
establish two-way communication and joint problem solving.
It involves communities
It protects vulnerable groups
It serves the public interest (health)
Citizen-centred communication
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2014-06-26
Risk communication about ionizing radiation
Supports the stakeholders to make informed decisions and to
establish two-way communication and joint problem solving.
It involves communities
It protects vulnerable groups
It serves the public interest (health)
Citizen-centred communication
Challenging
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2014-06-26
Information processing is a complex mental process
9
Perko T. et al,, Risk Analysis (2013) and
Journal of Risk Research (2014)
Challenge
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Knowledge about ionizing radiation
is rather low
“Exposure to radiation
will always lead to radioactive contamination.”
“Natural radioactivity is never dangerous
because we are used and adapted to it.”
“Vegetables grown near a nuclear power plant
cannot be safely consumed because of radioactivity.”
Source: Turcanu C., Perko T.(2013)
Challenge
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Lack of mutual learning Knowledge Deficit Model
Researchers‟, industries,
authorities views:
The general public should be
„educated‟ by „explaining
them the facts‟ and by
assisting people to „better
understand‟ nuclear
technology.
“Let‟s educate emotional and
radio-phobic people.”
Challenge
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2014-06-26
Researchers‟, industries,
authorities views:
The general public should be
„educated‟ by „explaining
them the facts‟ and by
assisting people to „better
understand‟ nuclear
technology.
“Let‟s educate emotional and
radio-phobic people.”
Citizens‟ views:
We miss the recognition by
industry, research and
authorities of being a
competent stakeholder.
We miss empathy.
Challenge Lack of mutual learning Knowledge Deficit Model Emotional Deficit Model
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1969 …. (Starr, Slovic, Fischhoff, Sjöberg, Renn, …)
Challenge Human behaviour
is primarily driven by perceptions and not by facts.
• Safety interventions (e.g. ALARA) need to consider also
how risk is perceived.
• Experts and the public frequently disagree when it comes
to radiological risk assessment.
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Comparison of workers at nuclear installation
group that received doses < 0.5mSv/y vs.
group that received doses > 0.5mSv/y
Statistically significant differences
People taking more radiological risk
have lower risk perception of an accident in a nuclear
installation and nuclear waste
are less concerned related to dangers from (BE) nuclear
installations.
Challenge Radiation perception
Different views among professionally exposed
14 Source: Perko T., Journal of Environmental Radioactivity 2014
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Risk perception
Influenced by “soft” factors
Radiological risk perception
among professionally exposed influenced* by:
I feel well protected against risks from nuclear
installations –
There is sufficient control by authorities on the
safety in nuclear installations. –
Number of years of experience in nuclear
applications/radiation. –
How often are you in average professionally
exposed to radiation? -
*Lin
ear
regre
ssio
n m
odel w
ith F
acto
r fo
r w
aste
and
accid
ent;
Princip
al A
xis
Facto
ring a
nd
Oblim
in r
ota
tion;
sig
<0.0
3
Challenge
15 Source: Perko T., (2014), Journal of Environmental Radioactivity
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Challenge Mass media
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Risk perception of the 2011 Fukushima nuclear accident
Higher satisfaction with the media coverage was associated with lower
risk perception. (β = -0.120, p < 0.001)
Watching television was associated with a higher level of perceived risk.
(β = 0.064, p = 0.048)
Engaging in interpersonal communication was associated with a higher
level of perceived risk. (β = 0.117, p < 0.001)
Those respondents who attended the news about Fukushima longer,
had lower risk perception. (β = -0.076, p = 0.024)
Education: People with a higher level of education had lower risk
perception. (β = -0.139, p < 0.001)
Source: B. Vyncke, Perko T, Van Gorp B. (2014)
Challenge Risk perception and the media
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Importance of media framing
Feeling of solidarity with the victims of a nuclear accident is
influenced by :
the knowledge level.
People with higher specific knowledge
have more solidary feelings than people
with less knowledge.
The level of education.
A higher level contributes to
increasing feelings of solidarity.
the media framing.
Source: Thijssen P., Perko T.(2014)
Visit:
POSTER SESSION, Thursday
Challenge
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Mass Media Reporting
Media content analysis
(N=1340)
• Articles related to the
Fukushima nuclear
accident
• In Belgium, Italy, Norway,
Russia, Slovenia, Spain.
• Published between the
11th of March - 11th of
May, 2011.
Challenge
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What did we learn about media
Media are (more) interested to report about:
Risk related to the immediate consequences and not
safety – long term processes (e.g. safety standards,
remediation…)
Response than preparedness or recovery.
Visualised information (smoke, illustrations, graphics…)
Different views and not centralised information.
Stories linked to our collective memory.
Conflict e.g. related to nuclear energy or public communication.
Source: FP7 PREPARE project, Media content anlaysis D 6.4 20
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Radiological data in the media
• Only about one article in ten contained radiological units.
• Millisieverts were highly used in all countries, but this was often not
connected to a time-scale.
• Different units were used including non-SI units (roentgen, rad etc.)
• Measurements related to contamination of food or goods, and not
related to the human body, were barely used.
• Approximately one article out of five used comparisons to explain
radioactivity.
• The most used comparison was comparison of radioactivity with legal
norms.
Challenge
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Visit: POSTER PRESENTATION, Thursday
+ Advice for your communication with mass media
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Conclusions
Interactions with society and communication concerns us all!
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Conclusions
Interactions with society and communication concerns us all!
Challenge
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Conclusions
Interactions with society and communication concerns us all!
Challenge
Solution
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Conclusions
Interactions with society and communication concerns us all!
Challenge
• Invest in the interaction and communication with society
R&D
• Promote a trans-disciplinary approach in radiation
protection:
Natural science & Social science & Humanities.
Solution
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