Study On Public Perception Of And Risk Communication On Nuclear And Radiation

Public acceptance is one of the key elements for nuclear energy development. However, not enough attention is paid to public acceptance to nuclear energy in China. With the rapid development of nuclear energy and wide application of radiation techonology in industry, agriculture and medicine, the occurance of nuclear and radiological accident is inevitable. All serious nuclear and radiological emergencies have resulted in the public taking some actions that were inappropriate or unwarranted, and resulted in significant adverse psychological and economic effects. Correct risk perception and effective risk communication are the foundation and important way for increasing public acceptance to nuclear energy, stimulating public rationality and decreasing the level of public panic and social-psychological influence during nuclear and radiological emergency.By means of social investigation, case analysis and so on, the study on public perception of and risk communication on nuclear and radiation were carried out. The main contents and results are showed below.1. A survey was carried out at surrounding regions of Hongyanhe nuclear power plant in Liaoning Province, Yangjiang nuclear power plant in Guangdong Province, Qinshan nuclear power plant in Zhejiang Province and Tianwan nuclear power plant in Jiangsu province. A total of 6623 valid questionnaires were collected. We investigated the public knowledge level and public misperception about nuclear and radiation, analyzed public acceptance to the construction of nuclear power plant nationally and locally, examined their information environment. Results showed that the public around nuclear power plants were lacking the knowledge about radiation and nuclear, that one third of the respondents thought nuclear power plant were extremely unsafe or unsafe, that 35.7% of respondents did not support the building nuclear power plant in their own area and that their evaluation to local government's ability of response to emergency were limited. No matter whether nuclear accident happened or not, respondents worried about the influence to their health, mainly to children's health and leading to cancer. Factors influencing public acceptance to nuclear power plant included educational level, sex, location, and distance to nuclear power plant and assessment to the safety of nuclear power plant and the possibility of accident, risk-benefit evaluation of nuclear power plant and evaluation to local government's capability.2. Case analysis:a survey on Co stuck source incident was conducted in Qi County and Hui County, Henan province. After introducing the incident, we studied its influence to local people and public reaction during the incident by questionnaires. A total of 1340 valid questionnaires were collected. Results showed that although the public in Qi County were a little more knowledgeable than the public in Hui County after experiencing this incident, the public knowledge level about radiation in Qi County were still low. This incident did not influence public attitude to nuclear energy. The reasons why the local people left their homes to evade risk included rumors, lack of radiation knowledge, group psychology and failure of the government to inform the truth to the public in time. By reviewing Fukushima nuclear accident and Three Mile Island accident, the main lessons in emergency response and crisis communication learned included:paying attention to crisis communication; disclosing information timely, accurately, and completely and simply; alarming cautiously; strengthening the trust construction of government and company.3. Based on surveying data and experiences in our country and other countries, risk communication guidance and crisis communication guidance were drawn.