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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

tperko@sckcen.be

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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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

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Perko T. et al,, Risk Analysis (2013) and

Journal of Risk Research (2014)

Challenge

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2014-06-26

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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2014-06-26

Conclusions

Interactions with society and communication concerns us all!

Challenge

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2014-06-26

Conclusions

Interactions with society and communication concerns us all!

Challenge

Solution

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2014-06-26

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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