Ionising radiation risk perception through mental models: towards radiological emergency preparedness

In case of a chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear emergency, there are recommended or required behaviours to be adopted by the public, e.g. go inside, stay inside, stay informed. The initial response can be crucial to outcomes, all the while recognising that changes may be needed as the emergency progresses. The recent coronavirus pandemic demonstrated how the course of action taken by authorities endorsing these protective behaviours early on can save thousands of lives. Factors that determine response success include public compliance with authorities' recommendations and cooperation between experts and rescuers. In particular, the way rescuers perceive the risks of ionising radiation hazards will influence their preparedness to respond in case of a radiological or nuclear emergency. Having found no previous studies on radiological hazard and risk perception amongst rescuers in Portugal, mental models were used as a descriptive approach. The target groups were firefighters and the military formally trained to deal with radiation hazard emergencies. Their representations of radiological hazards and risks were analysed in the light of an expert model built ad hoc. The results show several overlays between experts and rescuers on the understanding of radiation hazards and potential risks. We conclude that the main gap between radiation risk perceptions by rescuers and experts involves the concepts and mechanisms of radiation contamination and its spread among individuals, in particular, if persons exposed to radioactive sources may also become a radioactive source themselves. This gap can have practical implications for an emergency response.