Invisible Hazards, Enduring Harm: Risk Perception and Mental Health after Chernobyl and Fukushima

Nuclear disasters are impactful technological phenomena with long-lasting radiological, medical, psychosocial, governance, and socio-economic consequences. The comparative evaluations of incidents like Kyshtym, Windscale, Three Mile Island, Chernobyl and Fukushima have shown features of radionuclide release, exposure route, vulnerability, and post-disaster management. Especially, the Chernobyl incident has increased the health ailments among liquidators and the surrounding people at a younger stage in life. The widespread radioactive contaminations have deep impacts on their psychological and mental health as well. Though in post- Chernobyl incidents (Fukushima), population protection measures as evacuation and food surveillance aided in minimizing radiological exposure, still problems with communications, risk perception, and psychosocial recovery remained intact. The present study recapitulates academic and technical evidences, including the organizational and causal factors of nuclear accidents, their physical and mental health outcomes, dynamics of risk-communication, and medical and public health preparedness during and after such crises. Besides that, narrative information from Midnight in Chernobyl is included to present the nature of human decision-making, institutional behaviours, and systemic failures of the Chernobyl incident.