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Zhang GH, Zhu QH, Guo SJ, Zhang L, Yu C, Qin S, He L, Tao GH. Ionic Polyimine-Based Composite Membrane with Inductive and Complexation Synergistic Effects for Sensitive and On-Site Fluorescent Detection of Volatile Iodine. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2024; 36:e2311990. [PMID: 38154086 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202311990] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2023] [Revised: 12/16/2023] [Indexed: 12/30/2023]
Abstract
Along with the development of nuclear power, concerns about radioactive emissions and the potential for nuclear leakage have been widely raised, particularly of harmful iodine isotopes. However, as a significant component of nuclear air waste, the enrichment and detection of air-dispersed gaseous iodine remain a challenge. In this work, it is focused on developing an attraction-immobilization-detection strategy-based fluorescence method for the on-site detection of volatile iodine, by employing a photoluminescent ionic polyimine network-polyvinylpyrrolidone (IPIN-PVP) composite membrane. This strategy synergizes ion-induced dipole interactions from IPIN and complexation effects from PVP, allowing effective iodine enrichment and immobilization. As a result, the optimized IPIN-PVP membrane exhibits rapid response times of 5 s and a low detection limit of 4.087 × 10-8 m for gaseous iodine. It also introduces a portable handheld detection device that utilizes the composite membrane, offering a practical solution for real-time on-site detection of volatile iodine. This innovation enhances nuclear safety measures and disaster management by providing rapid and reliable iodine detection capabilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guo-Hao Zhang
- College of Chemistry, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610064, China
- School of National Defence Science and Technology, Southwest University of Science and Technology, Mianyang, 621010, China
| | - Qiu-Hong Zhu
- College of Chemistry, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610064, China
- School of National Defence Science and Technology, Southwest University of Science and Technology, Mianyang, 621010, China
| | - Shi-Jie Guo
- College of Chemistry, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610064, China
| | - Lei Zhang
- College of Chemistry, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610064, China
| | - Chao Yu
- College of Chemistry, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610064, China
| | - Song Qin
- College of Chemistry, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610064, China
| | - Ling He
- College of Chemistry, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610064, China
| | - Guo-Hong Tao
- College of Chemistry, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610064, China
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2
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Liu Y, Hou X, Zhao X, Zhang W, Liu Q, Lin M. Reconstruction of the Sources and Their Contributions to 129I in Northern Xinjiang, China. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2023. [PMID: 37366000 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c01577] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/28/2023]
Abstract
Anthropogenic 129I, as a long-lived fission product and volatile radionuclide, can be used to investigate dispersion of air masses and the deposition of atmospheric pollution. Surface soil and soil core samples were collected from Northern Xinjiang and analyzed for 127I and 129I. The results show that 129I/127I atomic ratios in surface soil are inhomogeneous with a range of (2.07-106) × 10-9, and the maximum values in each soil core occurred at surface-subsurface layers (0-15 cm) at undisturbed sites. The dominant source of 129I in Northern Xinjiang is European nuclear fuel reprocessing plant (NFRP) releases, accounting for at least 70% of the total inventory; less than 20% of 129I originates from the global fallout of atmospheric nuclear weapons tests; less than 10% comes from the regional deposition of nuclear weapons tests at the Semipalatinsk site; and the regional deposition from the nuclear weapons tests at the Lop Nor site is insignificant. The European NFRP-derived 129I was transported to Northern Xinjiang via long-distance atmospheric dispersion with the westerlies through Northern Eurasia. The distribution of 129I in the surface soil in Northern Xinjiang is mainly controlled by topography, wind fields, land utilization, and vegetation coverage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yixuan Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Loess Science, Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Accelerator Mass Spectrometry Technology and Application, Xi'an AMS Center, Institute of Earth Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xi'an 710061, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Xiaolin Hou
- State Key Laboratory of Loess Science, Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Accelerator Mass Spectrometry Technology and Application, Xi'an AMS Center, Institute of Earth Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xi'an 710061, China
- Department of Environmental and Resource Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Risø Campus, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark
- CAS Center of Excellence in Quaternary Science and Global Change, Xi'an 710061, China
- Open Studio for Oceanic-Continental Climate and Environment Changes, Pilot National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology (Qingdao), Qingdao 266061, China
| | - Xue Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Loess Science, Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Accelerator Mass Spectrometry Technology and Application, Xi'an AMS Center, Institute of Earth Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xi'an 710061, China
- Xi'an Institute for Innovative Earth Environment Research, Xi'an 710061, China
| | - Weichao Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Loess Science, Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Accelerator Mass Spectrometry Technology and Application, Xi'an AMS Center, Institute of Earth Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xi'an 710061, China
| | - Qi Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Loess Science, Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Accelerator Mass Spectrometry Technology and Application, Xi'an AMS Center, Institute of Earth Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xi'an 710061, China
| | - Mu Lin
- Department of Environmental and Resource Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Risø Campus, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark
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Törnquist P, Eriksson M, Olszewski G, Carlsson M, López-Lora M, Pettersson HBL. On the use of dated sediments to investigate historical nuclear discharges. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2023; 188:114637. [PMID: 36731376 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2023.114637] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2022] [Revised: 12/21/2022] [Accepted: 01/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Studsvik, a Swedish nuclear research facility, has been releasing aquatic radioactive discharges in the Baltic Sea, through the bay Tvären, since 1959. The permissible discharge levels are regulated by the Swedish Radiation Safety Authority (SSM) but only information about 60Co, 137Cs, 152Eu, total alpha and beta activities were reported up to 2002. Since then, the reports cover most a more comprehensive set of radionuclides. In this context, the seabed can be utilized as a chronological archive to investigate historical Studsvik releases. To this end, 23 sediment cores covering the whole area of the bay were studied and 5 of them were dated using 210Pb-dating methods. Since the discharges from Studsvik contain both plutonium and caesium, neither can be used to validate the 210Pb-dating method. Instead, stable lead with maximum deposition, known to be dated to 1970, was used. Cobalt-60, 137Cs, and 152Eu depth distributions were studied from the dated sediment cores and compared with reported levels of aquatic discharges. The expected sediment 137Cs-peak from the fallout from the Chornobyl accident was however smeared out, indicating an ongoing inflow of 137Cs with the Baltic seawater. Our findings show that reported releases of aquatic discharges of 60Co and 152Eu are consistent with measured sediment activity distribution. The sediments from the deepest parts of Tvären, with intact chronology and with a high time resolution, are ideal for investigating historical nuclear discharges and can be a tool to investigate unreported radionuclide releases. Dated sediment can in this way be a tool for nuclear safeguards to evaluate past and present activities in nuclear facilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Per Törnquist
- Linköping University, Department of Medical and Health Sciences, Division of Radiological Sciences, 581 83 Linköping, Sweden.
| | - Mats Eriksson
- Linköping University, Department of Medical and Health Sciences, Division of Radiological Sciences, 581 83 Linköping, Sweden
| | - Grzegorz Olszewski
- Linköping University, Department of Medical and Health Sciences, Division of Radiological Sciences, 581 83 Linköping, Sweden; University of Gdańsk, Faculty of Chemistry, Environmental Chemistry and Radiochemistry Department, Wita Stwosza 63, 80-308 Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Marie Carlsson
- Linköping University, Department of Medical and Health Sciences, Division of Radiological Sciences, 581 83 Linköping, Sweden
| | - Mercedes López-Lora
- Linköping University, Department of Medical and Health Sciences, Division of Radiological Sciences, 581 83 Linköping, Sweden
| | - Håkan B L Pettersson
- Department of Medical Radiation Physics, and Department of Health, Medicine and Caring Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
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4
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Cadieux JR, Fallin B, Brant HA, Brown TB, Buckley RL, Hall G, King GS, Swindle A. Ultra-low-level measurements of airborne fission products from the Fukushima Daiichi reactor accident using high volume collection systems at Savannah River National Laboratory. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RADIOACTIVITY 2023; 257:107075. [PMID: 36462454 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2022.107075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2022] [Revised: 11/10/2022] [Accepted: 11/12/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Ultra-low-level measurements of radionuclides in air have been conducted at the Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) to determine the atmospheric concentration of fission products released following the Fukushima Daiichi reactor accident on March 11, 2011. Air filter samples were acquired from two high-volume collection systems (a traditional filter-based system and an electrostatic precipitator-based system) to monitor airborne radionuclide concentrations in the period covering from 2 weeks to 3 years after the disaster. The world-wide spread of low-level concentrations of airborne fission products from the Fukushima event provided a unique opportunity to demonstrate SRNL's electrostatic particle collection technology and other improvements in environmental monitoring developed at the Savannah River Site (SRS). Detecting and analyzing the release allowed a comprehensive test of SRS systems for monitoring environmental radioactivity. Gamma-ray-emitting fission products (131,132I, 134,136,137Cs, and 129,132Te) and cosmogenic isotopes (7Be and 22Na) in air were detected and quantified by high-resolution gamma-ray spectroscopy at concentrations as low as 0.07 μBq per standard cubic meter (SCM) (50 mBq total 137Cs), while plutonium content was quantified by thermal ionization mass spectrometry (TIMS) at concentrations as low as 6.5 × 10-21 g/SCM (3.0 fg 239+240Pu). Isotope concentrations measured at SRNL from gamma-ray spectroscopy were compared to independent measurements from Chapel Hill, NC, located approximately 370 km (230 mi) NE of SRNL. Meteorological modeling was also used to predict radionuclide transport from the location of release to both measurement locations.
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Affiliation(s)
- James R Cadieux
- Savannah River National Laboratory, Aiken, SC, 29808, United States
| | - Brent Fallin
- Savannah River National Laboratory, Aiken, SC, 29808, United States.
| | - Heather A Brant
- Savannah River National Laboratory, Aiken, SC, 29808, United States
| | - Timothy B Brown
- Savannah River National Laboratory, Aiken, SC, 29808, United States
| | - Robert L Buckley
- Savannah River National Laboratory, Aiken, SC, 29808, United States
| | - Gregory Hall
- Savannah River National Laboratory, Aiken, SC, 29808, United States
| | - George S King
- Savannah River National Laboratory, Aiken, SC, 29808, United States
| | - Ashlee Swindle
- Savannah River National Laboratory, Aiken, SC, 29808, United States
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5
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Hirose K, Povinec PP. Ten years of investigations of Fukushima radionuclides in the environment: A review on process studies in environmental compartments. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RADIOACTIVITY 2022; 251-252:106929. [PMID: 35717792 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2022.106929] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2022] [Revised: 05/15/2022] [Accepted: 05/27/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
In March 2011, severe nuclear accident happened at the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP) after the gigantic earthquake and following huge tsunami wave. A lot of investigations to assess environmental and radiological impacts of released radionuclides have been conducted by domestic and international organizations. Environmental radioactivity research related to the FDNPP accident has spread widely over different scientific fields due to specific features of the accident, and specifically its impact on the marine environment. The present paper summarizes major lessons learned from the environmental investigations of the FDNPP accident. Environmental radioactivity studies have typical interdisciplinary character; especially physics and chemistry are fundamental as a base of process studies in the environment. In this sight, we review chemical aspects regarding FDNPP-derived radiocesium transfer within and between compartments (atmosphere, ocean and land). We also discuss future trends in investigations of behavior of anthropogenic radionuclides in the environment, important not only for a better understanding of impacts of the FDNPP accident on the environment, but also for improving our general knowledge of the total environment in the Anthropocene era and its protection for the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katsumi Hirose
- Laboratory for Environmental Research at Mount Fuji, Okubo, Shinjyuku, Tokyo, Japan.
| | - Pavel P Povinec
- Comenius University, Department of Nuclear Physics and Biophysics, Bratislava, Slovakia.
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6
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Kaizer J, Aoyama M, Bujdoš M, Buompane R, Pánik J, Povinec PP, Sýkora I, Tateda Y, Terrasi F. Sequential scavenging and measurement of seawater radiocesium concentrations and plutonium isotopic ratios offshore Fukushima. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RADIOACTIVITY 2022; 251-252:106983. [PMID: 35964527 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2022.106983] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2022] [Revised: 06/23/2022] [Accepted: 08/05/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The scientific interest in radiocesium and plutonium found in the oceans and seas has increased enormously in the past years as a consequence of the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP) accident and is expected to be ongoing due to many unresolved questions. Hence, continuous development of new and verification of old analytical methods should be at the top of the list of the community, working on the topic. In this study, we processed and analyzed several seawater samples, collected in different time frames (2011-2015) from the North Pacific Ocean offshore Fukushima, to determine their radiocesium activities, 134Cs/137Cs activity ratios and 240Pu/239Pu isotopic ratios using the sequential scavenging method, gamma spectrometry and accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS). The observed radiocesium levels in seawater (0.07-0.042 Bq L-1) clearly indicated that the investigated region remained impacted by releases from the damaged power plant even after four years after the accident. Regarding plutonium, its successful separation from large volume seawater samples was confirmed by detection of 240Pu by AMS. However, several problems emerged during the analyzes, which we tried to address with the use of additional methods (e.g., measurements of uranium by ICPMS). The efficiencies of the applied methods and other issues are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jakub Kaizer
- Faculty of Mathematics, Physics and Informatics, Comenius University, 84248, Bratislava, Slovakia.
| | - Michio Aoyama
- Center for Research in Isotopes and Environmental Dynamics, University of Tsukuba, 305-8577, Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Marek Bujdoš
- Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University, 84215, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Raffaele Buompane
- Department of Mathematics and Physics, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", 81100, Caserta, Italy
| | - Ján Pánik
- Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University, 81372, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Pavel P Povinec
- Faculty of Mathematics, Physics and Informatics, Comenius University, 84248, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Ivan Sýkora
- Faculty of Mathematics, Physics and Informatics, Comenius University, 84248, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Yutaka Tateda
- Central Research Institute of Electric Power Industry, 270-1194, Chiba, Japan
| | - Filippo Terrasi
- Department of Mathematics and Physics, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", 81100, Caserta, Italy
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7
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Külahcı F, Şen Z. Cumulative Ordinary Kriging interpolation model to forecast radioactive fallout, and its application to Chernobyl and Fukushima assessment: a new method and mini review. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2022; 29:64298-64311. [PMID: 35841508 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-022-21921-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2022] [Accepted: 07/04/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The Cumulative Ordinary Kriging (COK) interpolation method has been proposed for the spatial prediction of atmospheric radioactive fallout in any given region. COK is built on the Ordinary Kriging and Cumulative Semivariogram methods and combines all their advantages to achieve statistically significant results. It is verified in this paper the reliability of the results from COK with other well-known Modified Shepard's Method (MSM), Inverse Distance Square (INDSQ), Polynomial Regression (PR), Natural Neighbour (NN), Radial Basis (RB), and Kriging Method interpolation methods. The model is tested in detail and in every possible way in two and three dimensions and applied to real-time Cs-134 and Cs-137 radioactive fallout data from the Chernobyl and Fukushima reactor accidents by combining both experimental and theoretical results. The results obtained from the applications for all interpolation methods are included in the supplementary materials section at the end of the article for the benefit of the readers. COK can also be used for spatial modelling of any particle at micro or macro scale. It can contribute significantly to environmental quality, ecological, and human health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fatih Külahcı
- Faculty of Science, Department of Physics, Nuclear Physics Division, Fırat University, Harput, TR, 23119, Elazig, Türkiye.
| | - Zekâi Şen
- Engineering Natural Sciences Faculty, Istanbul Medipol University, Kavacık, Istanbul, Türkiye
- Faculty of Arid Lands, Meteorology and Agriculture Department, Center of Excellence for Climate Change Research (CECCR), King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
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Andrade PHM, Gomes ALM, Palhares HG, Volkringer C, Moissette A, Victória HFV, Hatem NMA, Krambrock K, Houmard M, Nunes EHM. Post-synthetic modification of aluminum trimesate and copper trimesate with TiO 2 nanoparticles for photocatalytic applications. JOURNAL OF MATERIALS SCIENCE 2022; 57:4481-4503. [PMID: 35125514 PMCID: PMC8796608 DOI: 10.1007/s10853-021-06842-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2021] [Accepted: 12/20/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Organic pollutants have been a significant source of concern in recent years due to their facile dissemination and harmful effects. In this work, two different metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) were initially prepared by hydrothermal treatment, namely aluminum trimesate (MIL-100(Al)) and copper trimesate (HKUST-1). These materials were subsequently submitted to a post-synthetic modification step to grow titania nanoparticles on their surface. Anatase nanoparticles with sizes around 5 nm were successfully anchored on MIL-100(Al), and the concentration of TiO2 in this sample was about 68 wt.%. This is the first time that this composite (TiO2@MIL-100(Al)) is reported in the literature. It showed an improved photocatalytic activity, removing 90% of methylene blue (k app = 1.29 h-1), 55% of sodium diclofenac (k app = 0.21 h-1), and 62% of ibuprofen (k app = 0.37 h-1) after four hours of illumination with UV-A light. A significant concentration (14 µM) of reactive oxygen species (ROS) was detected for this composite. HKUST-1 showed a structural collapse during its post-synthetic modification, leading to a non-porous material and providing fewer sites for the heterogeneous nucleation of titania. This behavior led to a low concentration of rutile nanoparticles on HKUST-1 (9 wt.%). However, the obtained composite (TiO2@HKUST) also showed an improved photoactivity compared to HKUST-1, increasing the photodegradation rates evaluated for methylene blue (0.05 h-1 vs. 0.29 h-1), sodium diclofenac (negligible vs. 0.03 h-1), and ibuprofen (0.01 h-1 vs. 0.02 h-1). This work brings new insights concerning the preparation of photocatalysts by growing semiconductor nanoparticles on trimesate-based MOFs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pedro H. M. Andrade
- Departamento de Engenharia Metalúrgica E de Materiais, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Pampulha, Belo Horizonte, MG CEP 31270-901 Brazil
- Laboratoire de Spectroscopie Pour Les Interactions, La Réactivité Et L’Environnement, Université de Lille—Sciences et Technologies, 59655 Villeneuve d’Ascq, France
| | - Ana L. M. Gomes
- Departamento de Engenharia Metalúrgica E de Materiais, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Pampulha, Belo Horizonte, MG CEP 31270-901 Brazil
| | - Hugo G. Palhares
- Departamento de Engenharia Metalúrgica E de Materiais, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Pampulha, Belo Horizonte, MG CEP 31270-901 Brazil
| | - Christophe Volkringer
- Univ. Lille, CNRS, Centrale Lille, Univ. Artois, UMR 8181, UCCS—Unité de Catalyse Et Chimie du Solide, 59000 Lille, France
| | - Alain Moissette
- Laboratoire de Spectroscopie Pour Les Interactions, La Réactivité Et L’Environnement, Université de Lille—Sciences et Technologies, 59655 Villeneuve d’Ascq, France
| | - Henrique F. V. Victória
- Departamento de Física, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Pampulha, Belo Horizonte, MG CEP 31270-901 Brazil
| | - Nádia M. A. Hatem
- Departamento de Física, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Pampulha, Belo Horizonte, MG CEP 31270-901 Brazil
| | - Klaus Krambrock
- Departamento de Física, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Pampulha, Belo Horizonte, MG CEP 31270-901 Brazil
| | - Manuel Houmard
- Departamento de Engenharia Química, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Pampulha, Belo Horizonte, MG CEP 31270-901 Brazil
| | - Eduardo H. M. Nunes
- Departamento de Engenharia Metalúrgica E de Materiais, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Pampulha, Belo Horizonte, MG CEP 31270-901 Brazil
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Yakovlev E, Puchkov A, Bykov V. Assessing the natural and anthropogenic radionuclide activities of the Pechora River estuary: Bottom sediments and water (Arctic Ocean Basin). MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2021; 172:112765. [PMID: 34364142 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2021.112765] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2021] [Revised: 07/20/2021] [Accepted: 07/21/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
This paper studies the activity of natural and technogenic radionuclides in bottom sediments and surface water of the Pechora River estuary, which is the largest Arctic river within the European part of Russia. The relevance of conducting radioecological studies of this region is associated with active oil and gas activities in the Pechora basin and the presence of potential sources of radiation hazard. The average activities of 137Cs, 226Ra, 232Th, and 40K in bottom sediments were 0.16, 18.72, 13.36, and 373.59 Bq·kg-1, respectively. The average activity of 226Ra in the bottom sediments of the Pechora delta was two times higher than in other rivers of the Arctic basin of the European part of Russia, which is associated with oil and gas activities that are carried out in the Pechora basin. This is due to the fact that the decay products of uranium are the main by-products of oil and gas production. The specific activity of technogenic 137Cs in bottom sediments of the Pechora River delta was low and did not exceed 2.2 Bq·kg-1. We did not detect any radioactive 90Sr in bottom sediments. The low 137Cs activity in the bottom sediments of the Pechora delta was associated with both the larger granulometric composition of the sediments in comparison with the estuaries of the Siberian rivers, and with low concentrations of 137Cs in the terrigenous material (soil) entering the river from the catchment area. This was due to the low levels of 137Cs contamination in the soil of the Pechora river basin. We did not find any negative radiation effects of the underground nuclear explosion "Pyrite" carried out in the northern part of the delta, since there were no other technogenic radionuclides. The values of the radionuclides 3H, 137Cs, 226Ra, 232Th and 40K, as well as the total alpha activity in the surface waters of the Pechora River delta, turned out to be below the detection limit. In surface waters, we were able to determine only the total beta activity, which varied over a range from 19.6 to 59.6 Bq·m-3 with an average value of 33.9 Bq·m-3, which was significantly lower than the radiation safety standards. The values of the radiation hazard parameters were below the world average levels and were not significantly hazardous to the health of people living in the area of the Pechora River delta. We concluded that at present, in the Pechora River delta, there are pastures for reindeer with low levels of natural and man-made radioactivity. These conducted studies are the source material in a series of comprehensive studies of the current radioecological state of the tundra territories of the European part of Russia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evgeny Yakovlev
- N. Laverov Federal Centre for Integrated Arctic Research of Russian Academy of Sciences, 109 Severnoj Dviny Emb., Arkhangelsk 163000, Russia.
| | - Andrey Puchkov
- N. Laverov Federal Centre for Integrated Arctic Research of Russian Academy of Sciences, 109 Severnoj Dviny Emb., Arkhangelsk 163000, Russia
| | - Vladimir Bykov
- N. Laverov Federal Centre for Integrated Arctic Research of Russian Academy of Sciences, 109 Severnoj Dviny Emb., Arkhangelsk 163000, Russia
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10
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Higuchi K, Arakawa H, Matsumoto A, Narita K, Morioka Y. Radiocesium concentrations in shallow water sediments (Matsukawa-ura Lagoon, Fukushima, Japan) from a compact NaI(Tl) scintillation spectrometer. Appl Radiat Isot 2021; 175:109797. [PMID: 34146769 DOI: 10.1016/j.apradiso.2021.109797] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2020] [Revised: 04/30/2021] [Accepted: 05/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
We collected continuous sedimentary 137Cs concentration data from a shallow fishery ground (Matsukawa-ura Lagoon, Fukushima, Japan) in 2016 using a new compact underwater NaI(Tl) scintillation spectrometer and a quantitative technique. 137Cs concentrations in sediments were low (approx. 40 Bq/kg DW) at the lagoon mouth and high (641.2 Bq/kg DW) at the head of the lagoon. Some areas of locally elevated 137Cs concentrations (>500 Bq/kg DW) were also found.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ken Higuchi
- Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology, 4-5-7 Konan, Minato, Tokyo, 108-8477, Japan.
| | - Hisayuki Arakawa
- Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology, 4-5-7 Konan, Minato, Tokyo, 108-8477, Japan
| | - Akira Matsumoto
- Soma Branch, Fishery Office of the Fukushima Prefectural Government, 18-2 Oikawa, Obama, Soma, Fukushima, 976-0022, Japan
| | - Kaoru Narita
- Fishery Division of the Fukushima Prefectural Government, 2-16 Sugitsuma-cho, Fukushima, 960-8670, Japan
| | - Yoshiaki Morioka
- Fukushima Prefectural Research Institute of Fisheries Resources, 1-1-14 Koyo, Soma, Fukushima, 976-0005, Japan
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Hasan MN, Shenashen MA, Hasan MM, Znad H, Awual MR. Assessing of cesium removal from wastewater using functionalized wood cellulosic adsorbent. CHEMOSPHERE 2021; 270:128668. [PMID: 33268087 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2020.128668] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2020] [Revised: 10/02/2020] [Accepted: 10/16/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Sustainable materials are urgently desired for treatment of radioactive cesium (Cs) contaminated water to safe-guard the public health. Apart from the synthetic ligand-based materials, the Mangrove charcoal modified adsorbent was fabricated for assessing of Cs removal from waste sample. The raw charcoal was oxidized using nitrification approach and diverse oxygen containing carboxyl, carbonyl and hydroxyl functional groups were introduced. After modification, the adsorbent characteristics were drastically changed as compared to the charcoal during the measurement of FTIR, N2 adsorption-desorption isotherms and SEM micrographs. The data clarified that charcoal modified adsorbent was exhibited high Cs transport through the inner surface of the adsorbent based on bonding ability. The adsorbent was shown comparatively slow kinetics to Cs ion; however, the adsorption capacity was high as 133.54 mg/g, which was higher than the crown ether based conjugate materials. The adsorption data were followed to the Langmuir adsorption isotherms and the monolayer coverage was possible due to the data presentation. The presence of high amount of Na and K were slightly interfered to the Cs adsorption by the charcoal modified adsorbent, however; the Na and K concentration was 350-600 folds higher than the Cs concentration. Then the proposed adsorbent was selective to Cs for the potential real radioactive Cs contaminated water. The volume reduction was established rather than desorption and reuses advantages. More than 99% volume reduction was measured by burning of Cs adsorbed adsorbent at 500 °C for ensuring the safe storage and disposal of used adsorbent. Therefore, the charcoal modified adsorbent may open the new door to treat the Cs containing wastewater.
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Affiliation(s)
- Md Nazmul Hasan
- Department of Applied Chemistry & Chemical Engineering, University of Dhaka, Dhaka, 1000, Bangladesh.
| | - M A Shenashen
- Polymer and Petrochemical Department, Egyptian Petroleum Research Institute (EPRI), Nasr City, Cairo, 11727, Egypt.
| | - Md Munjur Hasan
- Department of Applied Chemistry & Chemical Engineering, University of Dhaka, Dhaka, 1000, Bangladesh.
| | - Hussein Znad
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Curtin University, GPO BoxU 1987, Perth, WA 6845, Australia
| | - Md Rabiul Awual
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Curtin University, GPO BoxU 1987, Perth, WA 6845, Australia; Materials Science and Research Center, Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA), Hyogo 679-5148, Japan.
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12
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Inter-comparison of transboundary atmospheric dispersion calculations: A summary of outputs from the ASEAN NPSR benchmark exercise. PROGRESS IN NUCLEAR ENERGY 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pnucene.2021.103718] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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13
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Design of a mono-disperse aerosol generator for efficiency testing of HEPA filter. SN APPLIED SCIENCES 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s42452-021-04480-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022] Open
Abstract
AbstractA set of mono-disperse aerosol generator was designed to meet the requirement of efficiency testing for high efficiency particle air filter. The aerosol generation tests and performance tests were conducted by using evaporation–condensation method, with NaCl solutions at different concentrations as the condensation nucleus and respectively using the DEHS, DOP, PAO–4 as reagents. The results show that three reagents can generate mono-disperse aerosol particles by strictly controlling various parameters which affects the aerosol performance, where the particle size range is 0.33–0.36 μm for DEHS, 0.35–0.37 μm for DOP and 0.34–0.36 μm for PAO–4 and the concentrations of the aerosols lager than 106 cm–3. The particle size characteristics and concentrations generated through such method basically conform to the requirements of efficiency testing for high efficiency particle air filter.
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14
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Kang TW, Han YU, Na EH, Koo BJ, Park WP. Deposition of Fukushima nuclear power plant accident-derived radiocesium in the soils of Jeju Island, Korea, and evidence for long- and short-lived radionuclides in rainwater. CHEMOSPHERE 2021; 264:128457. [PMID: 33059210 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2020.128457] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2020] [Revised: 09/24/2020] [Accepted: 09/27/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
In this study, we investigated the concentrations of Fukushima nuclear power plant accident (FNPPA)-derived radiocesium (134Cs, 137Cs) deposited in the topsoil of Jeju Island, Korea. We also evaluated the soil inventories of radionuclides and compared the concentrations deposited by rainwater and fallout. We present the first evidence of FNPPA-derived radionuclides directly entering the environment of Jeju Island. In the case of FNPPA-derived 134Cs in soil, only a trace amount was identified in the surface layer (1 cm depth), whereas 137Cs derived from past atmospheric deposition of nuclear testing were detected along with those derived from the nuclear power plant accident. The total measured radiocesium (134Cs + 137Cs) indicates that although the value obtained from soils was slightly lower, both values were within the same order of magnitude. Of the FNPPA-derived radiocesium deposited in the soil, the impact from April 2011 was the largest at most sampling sites indicating that the radioactive plume directly covered Jeju Island. Furthermore, a variety of long- and short-lived gamma-emitting radionuclides were detected in the rainwater samples collected on April 7, 2011. Among them, short-lived radionuclides such as 140La, 110mAg, 95Nb, 125Sb, 113Sn, 129Te, 129mTe, 132Te, 132I, and 136Cs, were observed. The findings of this study provide evidence for the direct effects of FNPPA-derived radionuclides in Jeju Island. This is the first location in Korea and the first in the entire East Asian region, excluding Japan that is confirmed to have been directly affected FNPP accident.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tae-Woo Kang
- Yeongsan River Environment Research Center, National Institute of Environmental Research, Gwangju, 61011, Republic of Korea.
| | - Young-Un Han
- Yeongsan River Environment Research Center, National Institute of Environmental Research, Gwangju, 61011, Republic of Korea
| | - Eun Hye Na
- Yeongsan River Environment Research Center, National Institute of Environmental Research, Gwangju, 61011, Republic of Korea
| | - Bon-Jun Koo
- Department of Biological Sciences, California Baptist University, Riverside, CA, 92504-3297, USA
| | - Won-Pyo Park
- Major of Plant Resources and Environment, Jeju National University, Jeju, 63243, Republic of Korea.
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15
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Saniewski M, Wietrzyk-Pełka P, Zalewska T, Osyczka P, Węgrzyn MH. Impact of distance from the glacier on the content of 137Cs and 90Sr in the lichen Cetrariella delisei. CHEMOSPHERE 2020; 259:127433. [PMID: 32593004 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2020.127433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2020] [Revised: 06/01/2020] [Accepted: 06/14/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The Arctic region is substantially a pristine area, but this unique part of the globe has also been contaminated by anthropogenic radioactive nuclides, and now there is still measurable activity of anthropogenic isotopes, even though more than 50 years have passed since the main source. Radionuclides in the Arctic, especially 90Sr have seldom been studied despite their considerable environmental importance. This manuscript covers the results of 90Sr and 137Cs measurements in soil and lichen Cetrariella delisei collected from the Svalbard in 2012. In both lichen thalli and surface soils high activities of 90Sr and 137Cs were recorded and ranged between 3.69 and 28.1 Bq kg-1 90Sr and 5.38-280.1 Bq kg-1137Cs in thalli and between 4.53 and 12.78 Bq kg-1dw 90Sr and 60.6-426.1 Bq kg-1dw 137Cs in surface soil layer. The activity of 90Sr and 137Cs in lichen thalli was influenced by distance from the glacier. This showed that during radionuclide biomonitoring of particular area with the use of lichens, it is important to take into account influence of environmental variability on radionuclides contents.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Saniewski
- Institute of Meteorology and Water Management - National Research Institute, Waszyngtona 42, PL-81-342, Gdynia, Poland.
| | - P Wietrzyk-Pełka
- Professor Z. Czeppe Department of Polar Research and Documentation, Institute of Botany, Faculty of Biology, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 3, PL-30-387, Kraków, Poland.
| | - T Zalewska
- Institute of Meteorology and Water Management - National Research Institute, Waszyngtona 42, PL-81-342, Gdynia, Poland.
| | - P Osyczka
- Professor Z. Czeppe Department of Polar Research and Documentation, Institute of Botany, Faculty of Biology, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 3, PL-30-387, Kraków, Poland.
| | - M H Węgrzyn
- Professor Z. Czeppe Department of Polar Research and Documentation, Institute of Botany, Faculty of Biology, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 3, PL-30-387, Kraków, Poland.
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16
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Querfeld R, Hori M, Weller A, Degering D, Shozugawa K, Steinhauser G. Radioactive Games? Radiation Hazard Assessment of the Tokyo Olympic Summer Games. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2020; 54:11414-11423. [PMID: 32835480 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.0c02754] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
We conducted a comprehensive radiation hazard assessment of the Tokyo Olympic Games (Tokyo 2020, postponed to 2021). Our combined experimental and literature study focused on both external and internal exposure to ionizing radiation for athletes and visitors of the Games. The effective dose for a visit of 2 weeks ranges from 57 to 310 μSv (including flight dose). The main contributors to the dose are cosmic radiation during the flights (approximately 10-81%), inhalation of natural radon (approximately 9-47%), and external exposure (approximately 8-42%). In this complex exposure, anthropogenic radionuclides from the Fukushima nuclear accident (2011) always play a minor role and have not caused a significant increase of the radiological risk compared to pre-Fukushima Japan. Significantly elevated air dose rates were not measured at any of the Tokyo Olympic venues. The average air dose rates at the Tokyo 2020 sites were below the average air dose rates at the sites of previous Olympic Games. The level of radiological safety of foods and water is very high in Japan, even for athletes with increased water and caloric demands, respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca Querfeld
- Leibniz Universität Hannover, Institute of Radioecology and Radiation Protection, D-30419 Hannover, Germany
| | - Mayumi Hori
- The University of Tokyo, Komaba Organization for Educational Excellence, Tokyo 153-8902, Japan
| | - Anica Weller
- Leibniz Universität Hannover, Institute of Radioecology and Radiation Protection, D-30419 Hannover, Germany
| | - Detlev Degering
- VKTA-Strahlenschutz, Analytik & Entsorgung Rossendorf e.V., D-01328 Dresden, Germany
| | - Katsumi Shozugawa
- The University of Tokyo, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, Tokyo 153-8902, Japan
| | - Georg Steinhauser
- Leibniz Universität Hannover, Institute of Radioecology and Radiation Protection, D-30419 Hannover, Germany
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17
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Dragović S, Yamauchi M, Aoyama M, Kajino M, Petrović J, Ćujić M, Dragović R, Đorđević M, Bór J. Synthesis of studies on significant atmospheric electrical effects of major nuclear accidents in Chernobyl and Fukushima. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 733:139271. [PMID: 32446066 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.139271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2020] [Revised: 04/20/2020] [Accepted: 05/05/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Radioactive materials released during the two most serious nuclear accidents in history, at Chernobyl and Fukushima, caused exceptionally significant contamination and perturbations of the environment. Among them, this paper focuses on the effects related to the atmospheric electricity (AE). Measurements of the most significant disturbances in the values of various AE parameters recorded near ground level are reviewed and the corresponding results are jointly evaluated. The Chernobyl and Fukushima events caused changes in the AE parameters both after long-distance transport (Chernobyl) and short-distance transport including re-suspension (Fukushima). The data indicates that the electrical conductivity of the air is more sensitive to the presence of airborne radioactivity than the atmospheric electric potential gradient (PG). PG, on the other hand, can be monitored more easily and its variation also reflects the vertical redistribution of radionuclides in the air due to their transport, deposition, and re-suspension from the ground. A brief overview of studies on atmospheric transport and deposition of radioactive clouds is given to facilitate the importance of considering the AE measurements in these subjects, and to incorporate those studies in interpreting the results of AE measurements. The AE measurements are particularly important in studying microphysical effects of enhanced radioactivity in the air where no other distance monitoring method exists, both for fair weather conditions wet conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Snežana Dragović
- University of Belgrade, Vinča Institute of Nuclear Sciences, POB 522, Belgrade, Serbia.
| | | | - Michio Aoyama
- Center for Research in Isotopes and Environmental Dynamics, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8572, Japan
| | - Mizuo Kajino
- Meteorological Research Institute, Japan Meteorological Agency, 1-1, Nagamine, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0052, Japan
| | - Jelena Petrović
- University of Belgrade, Vinča Institute of Nuclear Sciences, POB 522, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Mirjana Ćujić
- University of Belgrade, Vinča Institute of Nuclear Sciences, POB 522, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Ranko Dragović
- University of Niš, Faculty of Sciences and Mathematics, Department of Geography, POB 224, Niš, Serbia
| | - Milan Đorđević
- University of Niš, Faculty of Sciences and Mathematics, Department of Geography, POB 224, Niš, Serbia
| | - József Bór
- Research Centre for Astronomy and Earth Sciences, GGI, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Sopron, Hungary
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18
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Saniewski M, Balazy P, Saniewska D. Anthropogenic radioactive isotopes in Actiniaria from the Svalbard archipelago. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2020; 157:111369. [PMID: 32658712 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2020.111369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2020] [Revised: 05/29/2020] [Accepted: 06/08/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The abundance of radionuclides in the Arctic Actiniaria has limited study despite their environmental importance in coastal food chains. Although the Arctic has incurred relatively little contamination by anthropogenic radionuclides as a result of nuclear weapons tests, there are still detectable levels of radionuclide activity observed in marine species. In this study of anthropogenic radionuclide activity in Actiniaria from Spitsbergen we observed levels of 90Sr from 0.92 Bq kg-1dw to 18 Bq kg-1dw and for 137Cs from 1.2 Bq kg-1dw to 12 Bq kg-1dw. The highest values of 90Sr and 137Cs were observed in organisms at stations close to seabird colonies and a river mouth, suggesting that fecal material and melting glaciers may be sources of radionuclides in the Arctic environment. The body mass of individual organisms affected bioaccumulation of 90Sr and 137Cs in Actiniaria, with radionuclide bioaccumulation occurring most intensively in the smaller specimens.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Saniewski
- Institute of Meteorology and Water Management - National Research Institute, Waszyngtona 42, 81-342 Gdynia, Poland.
| | - P Balazy
- Institute of Oceanology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Powstancow Warszawy 55, 81-712 Sopot, Poland
| | - D Saniewska
- University of Gdansk, Faculty of Oceanography and Geography, Division of Marine Chemistry and Environmental Protection, Al. Piłsudskiego 46, 81-378 Gdynia, Poland
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19
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Telly Bah O, Hebert D, Connan O, Solier L, Laguionie P, Bourlès D, Maro D. Measurement and modelling of gaseous elemental iodine (I 2) dry deposition velocity on grass in the environment. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RADIOACTIVITY 2020; 219:106253. [PMID: 32452422 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2020.106253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2020] [Revised: 03/09/2020] [Accepted: 03/15/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Assessing the impact of radioactive iodine on humans subsequent to a nuclear accident requires a better understanding of its behaviour in the environment. An original approach aimed at developing a model constrained by data collected during experimental campaigns has been developed. These experimental campaigns, named MIOSEC 2 and MIOSEC 3 respectively, were conducted in the middle of grassland. They are based on emissions of gaseous elemental iodine (I2) into the atmosphere above the grassland to determine the dry deposition velocities of iodine on the grass and to model these velocities as a function of the environmental conditions, particularly wind friction velocity, sensible heat flux, and stomatal resistance. The measured dry deposition velocities were between 0.02 and 0.49 cm s-1 during MIOSEC 2, varying by more than one order of magnitude, and between 0.48 and 1.25 cm s-1 during MIOSEC 3. The dry deposition model for iodine developed as a result of these experiments relies on the micrometeorological characteristics of the atmospheric surface layer, the pertinent physical and chemical properties of the iodine and the surface properties of the grass; all these parameters were measured at the time of the experiments. Given the experimental conditions, the modelled dry deposition velocities varied between 0.11 and 0.51 cm s-1 during MIOSEC 2 and between 0.31 and 1.6 cm s-1 during MIOSEC 3. The dry deposition model for iodine indicates that the variations in deposition velocity are induced by the mechanical turbulence, since there is significant correlation between the dry deposition velocities of iodine and the wind friction velocities on grass. The model also shows that the higher deposition velocity values during MIOSEC 3 are due to the fact that the stomata were more open during the experiments. There is also significant correlation between the experimental results and modelled values both for MIOSEC 2 (R2 = 0.61) and for MIOSEC 3 (R2 = 0.71).
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Affiliation(s)
- Oumar Telly Bah
- Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûrété Nucléaire (IRSN), France.
| | - Didier Hebert
- Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûrété Nucléaire (IRSN), France.
| | - Olivier Connan
- Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûrété Nucléaire (IRSN), France
| | - Luc Solier
- Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûrété Nucléaire (IRSN), France
| | | | | | - Denis Maro
- Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûrété Nucléaire (IRSN), France.
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20
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Falyouna O, Eljamal O, Maamoun I, Tahara A, Sugihara Y. Magnetic zeolite synthesis for efficient removal of cesium in a lab-scale continuous treatment system. J Colloid Interface Sci 2020; 571:66-79. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2020.03.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2020] [Revised: 03/04/2020] [Accepted: 03/08/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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21
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Dacre HF, Bedwell P, Hertwig D, Leadbetter SJ, Loizou P, Webster HN. Improved representation of particle size and solubility in model simulations of atmospheric dispersion and wet-deposition from Fukushima. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RADIOACTIVITY 2020; 217:106193. [PMID: 32217253 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2020.106193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2019] [Revised: 02/04/2020] [Accepted: 02/05/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Radionuclides released into the atmosphere following the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP) accident were detected by ground-based monitoring stations worldwide. The inter-continental dispersion of radionuclides provides a unique opportunity to evaluate the ability of atmospheric dispersion models to represent the processes controlling their transport and deposition in the atmosphere. Co-located measurements of radioxenon (133Xe) and caesium (137Cs) concentrations enable individual physical processes (dispersion, dry and wet deposition) to be isolated. In this paper we focus on errors in the prediction of 137Cs attributed to the representation of particle size and solubility, in the process of modelling wet deposition. Simulations of 133Xe and 137Cs concentrations using the UK Met Office NAME (Numerical Atmospheric-dispersion Modelling Environment) model are compared with CTBTO (Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organisation) surface station measurements. NAME predictions of 137Cs using a bulk wet deposition parameterisation (which does not account for particle size dependent scavenging or solubility) significantly underestimate observed 137Cs. When a binned wet deposition parameterisation is implemented (which accounts for particle size dependent scavenging) the correlations between modelled and observed air concentrations improve at all 9 of the Northern Hemisphere sites studied and the respective RMSLE (root-mean-square-log-error) decreases by a factor of 7 due to a decrease in the wet-deposition of Aitken and Accumulation mode particles. Finally, NAME simulations were performed in which insoluble submicron particles are represented. Representing insoluble particles in the NAME simulations improves the RMSLE at all sites further by a factor of 7. Thus NAME is able to predict 137Cs with good accuracy (within a factor of 10 of observed 137Cs values) at distances greater than 10,000 km from FDNPP only if insoluble submicron particles are considered in the description of the source. This result provides further evidence of the presence of insoluble Cs-rich microparticles in the release following the accident at FDNPP and suggests that these small particles travelled across the Pacific Ocean to the US and further across the North Atlantic Ocean towards Europe.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - H N Webster
- Met Office, UK; College of Engineering, University of Exeter, UK
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22
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Babić D, Skoko B, Franić Z, Senčar J, Šoštarić M, Petroci L, Avdić M, Kovačić M, Branica G, Petrinec B, Bituh T, Franulović I, Marović G. Baseline radioecological data for the soil and selected bioindicator organisms in the temperate forest of Plitvice Lakes National Park, Croatia. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2020; 27:21040-21056. [PMID: 32266621 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-020-08369-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2019] [Accepted: 03/09/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The aim of this study was to provide baseline radioecological data for the temperate forest ecosystem in Plitvice Lakes National Park. Emphasis was placed on the determination of naturally occurring radionuclides since there is an acknowledged lack of data for these radionuclides in non-accident conditions in wildlife, even for bioindicator organisms. Activity concentrations of 238U, 226Ra, 210Pb, 232Th, 40K, 134Cs, and 137Cs were measured by gamma spectrometry in soil and bioindicators: earthworms, conifer needles, mosses, and lichens. From the measured activity concentrations, concentration ratios were calculated to quantify the transfer of these radionuclides from soil to bioindicators. Our results show that soil activity concentrations are biased toward results from other studies conducted within the Dinaric mountain region. However, in moss and lichen samples, we measured higher activity concentrations of 226Ra and lower activity concentrations of 40K and 137Cs in comparison to similar studies. Also, we estimated lower concentration ratios for all radionuclides from soil to these organisms, except for 210Pb, in comparison to generic values. The transfer of 238U was generally low for all of the bioindicator organisms. For conifer needles, a correlation was found between activity concentrations of 226Ra and 137Cs in soil and related concentration ratios. Correlation was also found between the activity concentration of 40K in soil and transfer of 40K and 137Cs to mosses and lichens. A comparison with literature data highlighted the lack of 226Ra related concentration ratios for conifer trees and especially for earthworms. Therefore, the results of this study could supplement the sparse data currently available on radionuclide background data in similar ecosystems and related soil-to-wildlife transfer of radionuclides. Dose rate assessments, performed by the ERICA Tool, estimated that 96% of the overall exposure of wildlife in the Park area is due to the background dose rates, while 0.06 μGy h-1 on average can be attributed as an incremental dose rate from 134Cs and 137Cs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dinko Babić
- Institute for Medical Research and Occupational Health, Ksaverska cesta 2, HR-10000, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Božena Skoko
- Institute for Medical Research and Occupational Health, Ksaverska cesta 2, HR-10000, Zagreb, Croatia.
| | - Zdenko Franić
- Institute for Medical Research and Occupational Health, Ksaverska cesta 2, HR-10000, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Jasminka Senčar
- Institute for Medical Research and Occupational Health, Ksaverska cesta 2, HR-10000, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Marko Šoštarić
- Institute for Medical Research and Occupational Health, Ksaverska cesta 2, HR-10000, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Ljerka Petroci
- Institute for Medical Research and Occupational Health, Ksaverska cesta 2, HR-10000, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Mak Avdić
- Institute for Medical Research and Occupational Health, Ksaverska cesta 2, HR-10000, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Milica Kovačić
- Institute for Medical Research and Occupational Health, Ksaverska cesta 2, HR-10000, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Gina Branica
- Institute for Medical Research and Occupational Health, Ksaverska cesta 2, HR-10000, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Branko Petrinec
- Institute for Medical Research and Occupational Health, Ksaverska cesta 2, HR-10000, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Tomislav Bituh
- Institute for Medical Research and Occupational Health, Ksaverska cesta 2, HR-10000, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Iva Franulović
- Institute for Medical Research and Occupational Health, Ksaverska cesta 2, HR-10000, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Gordana Marović
- Institute for Medical Research and Occupational Health, Ksaverska cesta 2, HR-10000, Zagreb, Croatia
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23
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Wai KM, Krstic D, Nikezic D, Lin TH, Yu PKN. External Cesium-137 doses to humans from soil influenced by the Fukushima and Chernobyl nuclear power plants accidents: a comparative study. Sci Rep 2020; 10:7902. [PMID: 32404910 PMCID: PMC7220933 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-64812-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2019] [Accepted: 04/21/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
External exposure to gamma-photon irradiation from soil contamination due to nuclear power plant (NPP) accidents has significant contribution to human radiation exposure in the proximity of the NPP. Detailed absorbed doses in human organs are rarely reported in the literature. We applied the Monte Carlo Neutron Particle (MCNP) transport code to calculate and compare the absorbed doses in different human organs. The absorbed doses by gamma-photon radiation were from cesium-137 (137Cs) in soil contaminated by the two major NPP accidents. More serious and wide-spread impacts of the Chernobyl NPP accident on soil contamination in Ukraine, Belarus, Russia and countries as far as Sweden and Greece were due to the inland location, radiative plume transport pathway and high 137Cs emission strength (9 times the Fukushima emission). Based on our MCNP calculations, the largest absorbed dose was found in skin. The maximum calculated external 137Cs annual effective dose received from the Chernobyl accident was 10 times higher relative to the Fukushima accident. Our calculated effective doses at various influenced areas were comparable to those available in the literature. The calculated annual effective doses at areas near the Fukushima and Chernobyl NPPs exceeded the ICRP recommendation of 1 mSv yr-1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ka-Ming Wai
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, College of Engineering, Shantou University, Shantou, China.
- Intelligent Manufacturing Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education, Shantou University, Shantou, China.
| | - Dragana Krstic
- Faculty of Science, University of Kragujevac, R. Domanovica 12, Kragujevac, 34000, Serbia
| | - Dragoslav Nikezic
- Faculty of Science, University of Kragujevac, R. Domanovica 12, Kragujevac, 34000, Serbia
| | - Tang-Huang Lin
- Center for Space and Remote Sensing Research, National Central University, Taoyuan City, Taiwan
| | - Peter K N Yu
- Department of Physics, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
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Park K, Kim T, Park J, Yan X, Kim H. Development of a carbamate-conjugated catechol ligand and its application to Cs extraction from contaminated soil by using supercritical CO 2. CHEMOSPHERE 2020; 242:125210. [PMID: 31689638 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2019.125210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2019] [Revised: 10/21/2019] [Accepted: 10/23/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Extraction of radioactive Cs from contaminated soil is a crucial aspect of remediation after nuclear accidents. For this purpose, we have developed a new type of ligand, carbamate-conjugated catechol, to assist in metal extraction by using supercritical CO2 (SCCO2). The synthesis process for this ligand is relatively simple, and the carbamate-conjugated catechol ligand dissolves well in SCCO2. The measured ligand distribution coefficient increased according to a power law with an exponent of 1.7 as the ligand concentration increased, indicating that approximately two ligand molecules are needed to extract one Cs ion. The roles of additives (ligand, co-ligand, and water) were limited when they were used separately, but the combination of these additives was important. We tested 27 combinations of these three additives for extracting Cs from artificially contaminated sea sand. A quantitative analysis indicated that the ligand had the strongest influence on Cs extraction, followed by water, and the co-ligand. The carbamate-conjugated catechol ligand was then used for Cs extraction from artificially contaminated real soil. Three types of soil were prepared: coarse soil (particle size = 0.5-1 mm), medium soil (particle size = 0.2-0.5 mm), and fine soil (particle size < 0.2 mm). The Cs fractions extracted from the coarse, medium, and fine soils were measured to be 95%, 91% and 70% of the Cs fraction extracted from sea sand, respectively, which indicates the existence of a surface area effect. Additionally, we suspect that Cs undergoes chemical interaction on the surface of real soil.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kwangheon Park
- Department of Nuclear Engineering, Kyung Hee University, Yongin-si, Republic of Korea.
| | - Taehun Kim
- Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety, Daejun, Republic of Korea
| | - Jihey Park
- Korea Foundation of Nuclear Safety, Seongnam-si, Republic of Korea
| | - Xinhao Yan
- Department of Applied Chemistry, Kyung Hee University, Yongin-si, Republic of Korea
| | - Hakwon Kim
- Department of Applied Chemistry, Kyung Hee University, Yongin-si, Republic of Korea
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Qin G, Xu Y, Chen X, Chen Y, Li F, Li W. Design of a calibration system for radioactive aerosol monitor. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s10967-019-06747-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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Külahcı F, Bilici A. Advances on identification and animated simulations of radioactivity risk levels after Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant accident (with a data bank): A Critical Review. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s10967-019-06559-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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28
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Jakab D, Endrődi G, Kocsonya A, Pántya A, Pázmándi T, Zagyvai P. Methods, results and dose consequences of 106Ru detection in the environment in Budapest, Hungary. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RADIOACTIVITY 2018; 192:543-550. [PMID: 30138850 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2018.08.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2018] [Revised: 07/20/2018] [Accepted: 08/06/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
From late September to early October of 2017, the majority of European networks involved in environmental radiological monitoring - including the environmental monitoring system of the KFKI Campus in Budapest - detected 106Ru isotope of artificial origin in the atmosphere. The reported values higher than the minimum detectable activity (MDA) concentrations were in the range of 0.8 μBq/m3 - 145 mBq/m3. Based on the results of environmental measurements and the available meteorological data, assessments were made to analyze concentration levels of 106Ru activity and to help understand the behavior of radioruthenium in various environmental media. Evaluation of the daily variation of activity levels indicated a maximum of 4 day-long residence time of 106Ru contamination presence in ground level air in Budapest. An average 106Ru activity concentration of 25.6 ± 1.4 mBq/m3 have been observed for the estimated residence time of 106Ru in the air. Deposition of 106Ru was dominantly influenced by rainfall, the major contributor wet deposition which led to an average of 11.3 ± 1.3 Bq/m2 deposition on the ground surface prior to plume passage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dorottya Jakab
- Hungarian Academy of Sciences Centre for Energy Research, 29-33 Konkoly-Thege Miklós Street, H-1121, Budapest, Hungary.
| | - Gáborné Endrődi
- Hungarian Academy of Sciences Centre for Energy Research, 29-33 Konkoly-Thege Miklós Street, H-1121, Budapest, Hungary
| | - András Kocsonya
- Hungarian Academy of Sciences Centre for Energy Research, 29-33 Konkoly-Thege Miklós Street, H-1121, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Annamária Pántya
- Hungarian Academy of Sciences Centre for Energy Research, 29-33 Konkoly-Thege Miklós Street, H-1121, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Tamás Pázmándi
- Hungarian Academy of Sciences Centre for Energy Research, 29-33 Konkoly-Thege Miklós Street, H-1121, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Péter Zagyvai
- Hungarian Academy of Sciences Centre for Energy Research, 29-33 Konkoly-Thege Miklós Street, H-1121, Budapest, Hungary
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Ješkovský M, Lištjak M, Sýkora I, Slávik O, Povinec PP. Anthropogenic 137Cs on atmospheric aerosols in Bratislava and around nuclear power plants in Slovakia. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RADIOACTIVITY 2018; 184-185:77-82. [PMID: 29407640 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2018.01.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2017] [Revised: 01/08/2018] [Accepted: 01/08/2018] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Nuclear power plants (NPPs) have been one of the sources of anthropogenic radionuclides in the environment. This work combines the results from monitoring stations around NPPs in Slovakia (Mochovce and Jaslovské Bohunice) and academic measurements at the Comenius University campus in Bratislava. Most of the atmospheric 137Cs in this region come from the resuspension of the Chernobyl-derived 137Cs, as well as caesium produced during nuclear weapons testing. By comparison of the obtained results at NPPs with Bratislava data, radiation impacts of the NPPs on the local environments have been estimated to be negligible.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Ješkovský
- Department of Nuclear Physics and Biophysics, Faculty of Mathematics, Physics and Informatics, Comenius University, 842 48 Bratislava, Slovakia.
| | - M Lištjak
- VUJE, Inc, 918 64 Trnava, Slovakia; Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology, Slovak University of Technology, 812 19 Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - I Sýkora
- Department of Nuclear Physics and Biophysics, Faculty of Mathematics, Physics and Informatics, Comenius University, 842 48 Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - O Slávik
- VUJE, Inc, 918 64 Trnava, Slovakia
| | - P P Povinec
- Department of Nuclear Physics and Biophysics, Faculty of Mathematics, Physics and Informatics, Comenius University, 842 48 Bratislava, Slovakia
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31
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Kaizer J, Aoyama M, Kumamoto Y, Molnár M, Palcsu L, Povinec PP. Tritium and radiocarbon in the western North Pacific waters: post-Fukushima situation. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RADIOACTIVITY 2018; 184-185:83-94. [PMID: 29407641 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2018.01.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2017] [Revised: 01/15/2018] [Accepted: 01/16/2018] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Impact of the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant (FNPP1) accident on tritium (3H) and radiocarbon (14C) levels in the water column of the western North Pacific Ocean in winter 2012 is evaluated and compared with radiocesium (134,137Cs) data collected for the same region. Tritium concentrations in surface seawater, varying between 0.4 and 2.0 TU (47.2-236 Bq m-3), follow the Fukushima radiocesium trend, however, some differences in the vertical profiles were observed, namely in depths of 50-400 m. No correlation was visible in the case of 14C, whose surface Δ14C levels raised from negative values (about -40‰) in the northern part of transect, to positive values (∼68‰) near the equator. Homogenously mixed 14C levels in the subsurface layers were observed at all stations. Sixteen surface (from 30 in total) and 6 water profile (from 7) stations were affected by the Fukushima tritium. Surface and vertical profile data together with the calculated water column inventories indicate that the total amount of the FNPP1-derived tritium deposited to the western North Pacific Ocean was 0.7 ± 0.3 PBq. No clear impact of the Fukushima accident on 14C levels in the western North Pacific was observed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jakub Kaizer
- Faculty of Mathematics, Physics and Informatics, Comenius University, 84248 Bratislava, Slovakia.
| | - Michio Aoyama
- Institute of Environmental Radioactivity, Fukushima University, 1-1 Kanayagawa, Fukushima, Japan
| | - Yuichiro Kumamoto
- Research and Development Center for Global Change, Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology, 2-15 Natushima-cho, Yokosuka, Kanagawa 237-0061, Japan
| | - Mihály Molnár
- Institute for Nuclear Research, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, 4026 Debrecen, Hungary
| | - László Palcsu
- Institute for Nuclear Research, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, 4026 Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Pavel P Povinec
- Faculty of Mathematics, Physics and Informatics, Comenius University, 84248 Bratislava, Slovakia
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Koarai K, Kino Y, Takahashi A, Suzuki T, Shimizu Y, Chiba M, Osaka K, Sasaki K, Urushihara Y, Fukuda T, Isogai E, Yamashiro H, Oka T, Sekine T, Fukumoto M, Shinoda H. 90Sr specific activity of teeth of abandoned cattle after the Fukushima accident - teeth as an indicator of environmental pollution. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RADIOACTIVITY 2018; 183:1-6. [PMID: 29274551 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2017.12.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2017] [Revised: 12/12/2017] [Accepted: 12/12/2017] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
90Sr specific activity in the teeth of young cattle that were abandoned in Kawauchi village and Okuma town located in the former evacuation areas of the Fukushima-Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (FNPP) accident were measured. Additionally, specific activity in contaminated surface soils sampled from the same area was measured. (1) All cattle teeth examined were contaminated with 90Sr. The specific activity, however, varied depending on the developmental stage of the teeth during the FNPP accident; teeth that had started development before the accident exhibited comparatively lower values, while teeth developed mainly after the accident showed higher values. (2) Values of 90Sr-specific activity in teeth formed after the FNPP accident were higher than those of the bulk soil but similar to those in the exchangeable fraction (water and CH3COONH4 soluble fractions) of the soil. The findings suggest that 90Sr was incorporated into the teeth during the process of development, and that 90Sr in the soluble and/or leachable fractions of the soil might migrate into teeth and contribute to the amount of 90Sr in the teeth. Thus, the concentration of 90Sr in teeth formed after the FNPP accident might reflect the extent of 90Sr pollution in the environment.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Yasushi Kino
- Department of Chemistry, Tohoku University, Japan
| | | | - Toshihiko Suzuki
- Graduate School of Dentistry, Tohoku University, Japan; International Research Institute of Disaster Science, Tohoku University, Japan
| | | | - Mirei Chiba
- Graduate School of Dentistry, Tohoku University, Japan
| | - Ken Osaka
- Graduate School of Dentistry, Tohoku University, Japan; International Research Institute of Disaster Science, Tohoku University, Japan
| | | | | | | | - Emiko Isogai
- Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Tohoku University, Japan
| | | | - Toshitaka Oka
- Department of Chemistry, Tohoku University, Japan; Institute for Excellence in Higher Education, Tohoku University, Japan
| | - Tsutomu Sekine
- Department of Chemistry, Tohoku University, Japan; Institute for Excellence in Higher Education, Tohoku University, Japan.
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Murakami M, Tsubokura M, Ono K, Maeda M. New "loss of happy life expectancy" indicator and its use in risk comparison after Fukushima disaster. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2018; 615:1527-1534. [PMID: 28931457 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.09.132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2017] [Revised: 09/12/2017] [Accepted: 09/13/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
To assess the effects of policy measures taken to ensure health and promote well-being, we developed a novel indicator, "loss of happy life expectancy" (LHpLE), under the concept that an objective of life is maximization of lifelong happiness, by using objective survival probabilities and a simple question regarding emotional happiness: "Did you experience a feeling of happiness yesterday [yes/no]?" We measured the emotional happiness of 4990 Japanese respondents through a questionnaire. We then used LHpLE to compare risks after the 2011 Fukushima disaster. LHpLE due to psychological distress was estimated from a decline of emotional happiness, whereas that due to radiation exposure was assessed from shortened life expectancy caused by additional cancer mortality. LHpLE values due to psychological distress in evacuees were approximately 1 to >2 orders of magnitude higher than those due to cancer mortality caused by actual radiation exposure, highlighting the importance of measures to minimize distress following public health emergencies. LHpLE could be used for integrated risk comparison among different types of harms and therefore in government policy-making.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michio Murakami
- Department of Health Risk Communication, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, 1 Hikarigaoka, Fukushima, Fukushima, 960-1295, Japan.
| | - Masaharu Tsubokura
- Department of Radiation Protection, Minamisoma Municipal General Hospital, 2-54-6 Takami, Haramachi, Minamisoma, Fukushima 975-0033, Japan
| | - Kyoko Ono
- Research Institute of Science for Safety and Sustainability, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), 16-1, Onogawa, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8569, Japan
| | - Masaharu Maeda
- Department of Disaster Psychiatry, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, 1 Hikarigaoka, Fukushima, Fukushima 960-1295, Japan
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Leelőssy Á, Lagzi I, Kovács A, Mészáros R. A review of numerical models to predict the atmospheric dispersion of radionuclides. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RADIOACTIVITY 2018; 182:20-33. [PMID: 29179047 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2017.11.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2017] [Revised: 11/03/2017] [Accepted: 11/06/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
The field of atmospheric dispersion modeling has evolved together with nuclear risk assessment and emergency response systems. Atmospheric concentration and deposition of radionuclides originating from an unintended release provide the basis of dose estimations and countermeasure strategies. To predict the atmospheric dispersion and deposition of radionuclides several numerical models are available coupled with numerical weather prediction (NWP) systems. This work provides a review of the main concepts and different approaches of atmospheric dispersion modeling. Key processes of the atmospheric transport of radionuclides are emission, advection, turbulent diffusion, dry and wet deposition, radioactive decay and other physical and chemical transformations. A wide range of modeling software are available to simulate these processes with different physical assumptions, numerical approaches and implementation. The most appropriate modeling tool for a specific purpose can be selected based on the spatial scale, the complexity of meteorology, land surface and physical and chemical transformations, also considering the available data and computational resource. For most regulatory and operational applications, offline coupled NWP-dispersion systems are used, either with a local scale Gaussian, or a regional to global scale Eulerian or Lagrangian approach. The dispersion model results show large sensitivity on the accuracy of the coupled NWP model, especially through the description of planetary boundary layer turbulence, deep convection and wet deposition. Improvement of dispersion predictions can be achieved by online coupling of mesoscale meteorology and atmospheric transport models. The 2011 Fukushima event was the first large-scale nuclear accident where real-time prognostic dispersion modeling provided decision support. Dozens of dispersion models with different approaches were used for prognostic and retrospective simulations of the Fukushima release. An unknown release rate proved to be the largest factor of uncertainty, underlining the importance of inverse modeling and data assimilation in future developments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ádám Leelőssy
- Department of Meteorology, Eötvös Loránd University, P.O. Box 32, H-1518, Budapest, Hungary.
| | - István Lagzi
- Department of Physics, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Budafoki út 8, H-1111, Budapest, Hungary; MTA-BME Condensed Matter Research Group, Budafoki út 8, H-1111, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Attila Kovács
- Department of Meteorology, Eötvös Loránd University, P.O. Box 32, H-1518, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Róbert Mészáros
- Department of Meteorology, Eötvös Loránd University, P.O. Box 32, H-1518, Budapest, Hungary
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McKenzie T, Dulai H. Fukushima-derived radiocesium fallout in Hawaiian soils. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RADIOACTIVITY 2017; 180:106-113. [PMID: 29065354 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2017.10.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2017] [Revised: 10/02/2017] [Accepted: 10/07/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Several reactors at the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant suffered damage on March 11, 2011, resulting in the release of radiocesium (134Cs and 137Cs), as well as other radionuclides, into the atmosphere. A week later, these isotopes were detected in aerosols over the state of Hawai'i and in milk samples analyzed on the island of Hawai'i. This study estimated the magnitude of cesium deposition in soil, collected in 2015-2016, resulting from atmospheric fallout. It also examined the patterns of cesium wet deposition with precipitation observed on O'ahu and the island of Hawai'i following the disaster. Fukushima-derived fallout was differentiated from historic nuclear weapons testing fallout by the presence of 134Cs and the assumption that the 134Cs to 137Cs ratio was 1:1. Detectable, Fukushima-derived 134Cs inventories ranged from 30 to 630 Bq m-2 and 137Cs inventories ranged from 20 to 2200 Bq m-2. Fukushima-derived cesium inventories in soils were related to precipitation gradients, particularly in areas where rainfall exceeded 200 mm between March 19 and April 4, 2011. This research confirmed and quantified the presence of Fukushima-derived fallout in the state of Hawai'i in amounts higher than predicted by models and observed in the United States mainland, however the activities detected were an order of magnitude lower than fallout associated with historic sources such as the nuclear weapons testing in the Pacific. In addition, this study showed that areas of highest cesium deposition do not overlap with densely populated or agriculturally used areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tristan McKenzie
- Department of Geology & Geophysics, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, 1680 East-West Road, POST 701, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA.
| | - Henrietta Dulai
- Department of Geology & Geophysics, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, 1680 East-West Road, POST 701, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA.
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Mori M, Tsunoda KI, Aizawa S, Saito Y, Koike Y, Gonda T, Abe S, Suzuki K, Yuasa Y, Kuge T, Tanaka H, Arai H, Watanabe S, Nohara S, Minai Y, Okada Y, Nagao S. Fractionation of radiocesium in soil, sediments, and aquatic organisms in Lake Onuma of Mt. Akagi, Gunma Prefecture using sequential extraction. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2017; 575:1247-1254. [PMID: 27707667 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.09.205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2016] [Revised: 09/24/2016] [Accepted: 09/25/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
The Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP) accident has resulted in the contamination of the environment in Gunma Prefecture with radioisotope cesium (radio-Cs, 134Cs and 137Cs). Concentrations of radio-Cs >500Bqkg-1 were found in wakasagi (Hypomesus nipponensis) in Lake Onuma at the top of Mount (Mt.) Akagi in August 2011. To explain the mechanism of this contamination, monitoring studies have been conducted around Lake Onuma by measuring radio-Cs concentrations in samples of fish, aquatic plants, plankton, lake water, lake sediments, and surrounding soil. The leachability of radio-Cs was evaluated using sequential extraction by Tessier et al. The total concentration of radio-Cs in Lake Onuma ecosystems decreased gradually with time. In the brown forest soil, radio-Cs concentrations of 2000 to 6000Bqkg-1 were detected. The abundance ratio of the easy-elution form (exchangeable and carbonate forms) in the samples was <10%. The concentrations in phytoplankton samples were 3-6 times higher than those in wakasagi samples. The ratios of easy-elution forms increased by the rank in the food chain; 37% in phytoplankton, 78% in zooplankton, and 97% in wakasagi. It is likely that the lower ratio of the easy-elution form in phytoplankton is related to the adsorption of radio-Cs on suspended substances in the lake, as suggested by the analyses of aluminum and titanium in the phytoplankton, zooplankton, and wakasagi samples. The high concentrations of radio-Cs in wakasagi would be related also to the characteristics of closed mountain lakes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masanobu Mori
- Graduate School of Science and Technology, Gunma University, Japan.
| | - Kin-Ichi Tsunoda
- Graduate School of Science and Technology, Gunma University, Japan
| | - Shoichi Aizawa
- Graduate School of Science and Technology, Gunma University, Japan
| | - Yoichi Saito
- Graduate School of Science and Technology, Gunma University, Japan; Kiryu Bureau of Waterworks in Kiryu City, Japan
| | - Yuko Koike
- Graduate School of Science and Technology, Gunma University, Japan
| | - Takahiro Gonda
- Graduate School of Science and Technology, Gunma University, Japan
| | - Shunji Abe
- Graduate School of Science and Technology, Gunma University, Japan
| | - Kyuma Suzuki
- Gunma Prefectural Fisheries Experiment Station, Japan
| | - Yumi Yuasa
- Gunma Prefectural Fisheries Experiment Station, Japan
| | | | - Hideki Tanaka
- Gunma Prefectural Fisheries Experiment Station, Japan
| | - Hajime Arai
- Gunma Prefectural Fisheries Experiment Station, Japan
| | - Shun Watanabe
- Gunma Prefectural Fisheries Experiment Station, Japan
| | | | | | - Yukiko Okada
- Atomic Energy Research Laboratory, Tokyo City University, Japan
| | - Seiya Nagao
- Low Level Radioactivity Laboratory, Kanazawa University, Japan
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Lewandowsky S, Mann ME, Brown NJL, Friedman H. Science and the public: Debate, denial, and skepticism. JOURNAL OF SOCIAL AND POLITICAL PSYCHOLOGY 2016. [DOI: 10.5964/jspp.v4i2.604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
When the scientific method yields discoveries that imperil people’s lifestyle or worldviews or impinge on corporate vested interests, the public and political response can be anything but favorable. Sometimes the response slides into overt denial of scientific facts, although this denial is often claimed to involve “skepticism”. We outline the distinction between true skepticism and denial with several case studies. We propose some guidelines to enable researchers to differentiate legitimate critical engagement from bad-faith harassment, and to enable members of the public to pursue their skeptical engagement and critique without such engagement being mistaken for harassment.
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Hirose K. Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Plant accident: Atmospheric and oceanic impacts over the five years. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RADIOACTIVITY 2016; 157:113-130. [PMID: 27032342 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2016.01.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2016] [Accepted: 01/21/2016] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
The Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Plant (FDNPP) accident resulted in huge environmental and socioeconomic impacts to Japan. To document the actual environmental and socioeconomic effects of the FDNPP accident, we describe here atmospheric and marine contamination due to radionuclides released from the FDNPP accident using papers published during past five years, in which temporal and spatial variations of FDNPP-derived radionuclides in air, deposition and seawater and their mapping are recorded by local, regional and global monitoring activities. High radioactivity-contaminated area in land were formed by the dispersion of the radioactive cloud and precipitation, depending on land topography and local meteorological conditions, whereas extremely high concentrations of (131)I and radiocesium in seawater occurred due to direct release of radioactivity-contaminated stagnant water in addition to atmospheric deposition. For both of atmosphere and ocean, numerical model simulations, including local, regional and global-scale modeling, were extensively employed to evaluate source terms of the FDNPP-derived radionuclides from the monitoring data. These models also provided predictions of the dispersion and high deposition areas of the FDNPP-derived radionuclides. However, there are significant differences between the observed and simulated values. Then, the monitoring data would give a good opportunity to improve numerical modeling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katsumi Hirose
- Department of Materials and Life Sciences, Sophia University, Tokyo, Japan.
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Koarai K, Kino Y, Takahashi A, Suzuki T, Shimizu Y, Chiba M, Osaka K, Sasaki K, Fukuda T, Isogai E, Yamashiro H, Oka T, Sekine T, Fukumoto M, Shinoda H. (90)Sr in teeth of cattle abandoned in evacuation zone: Record of pollution from the Fukushima-Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident. Sci Rep 2016; 6:24077. [PMID: 27045764 PMCID: PMC4820720 DOI: 10.1038/srep24077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2015] [Accepted: 03/15/2016] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Here we determined the 90Sr concentrations in the teeth of cattle abandoned in the evacuation area of the Fukushima-Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (FNPP) accident. 90Sr activity concentrations in the teeth varied from 6–831 mBq (g Ca)−1 and exhibited a positive relationship with the degree of radioactive contamination that the cattle experienced. Even within an individual animal, the specific activity of 90Sr (Bq (g Sr)−1) varied depending on the development stage of the teeth during the FNPP accident: teeth that were early in development exhibited high 90Sr specific activities, while teeth that were late in development exhibited low specific activities. These findings demonstrate that 90Sr is incorporated into the teeth during tooth development; thus, tooth 90Sr activity concentrations reflect environmental 90Sr levels during tooth formation. Assessment of 90Sr in teeth could provide useful information about internal exposure to 90Sr radiation and allow for the measurement of time-course changes in the degree of environmental 90Sr pollution.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Yasushi Kino
- Department of Chemistry, Tohoku University, Japan
| | | | - Toshihiko Suzuki
- Graduate School of Dentistry, Tohoku University, Japan.,International Research Institute of Disaster Science, Tohoku University, Japan
| | | | - Mirei Chiba
- Graduate School of Dentistry, Tohoku University, Japan
| | - Ken Osaka
- Graduate School of Dentistry, Tohoku University, Japan.,International Research Institute of Disaster Science, Tohoku University, Japan
| | | | - Tomokazu Fukuda
- Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Tohoku University, Japan
| | - Emiko Isogai
- Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Tohoku University, Japan
| | | | - Toshitaka Oka
- Department of Chemistry, Tohoku University, Japan.,Institute for Excellence in Higher Education, Tohoku University, Japan
| | - Tsutomu Sekine
- Department of Chemistry, Tohoku University, Japan.,Institute for Excellence in Higher Education, Tohoku University, Japan
| | - Manabu Fukumoto
- Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University, Japan
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40
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Murota K, Saito T, Tanaka S. Desorption kinetics of cesium from Fukushima soils. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RADIOACTIVITY 2016; 153:134-140. [PMID: 26773507 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2015.12.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2015] [Revised: 11/27/2015] [Accepted: 12/15/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Understanding the behaviors of Cs(+) in soils is crucial for evaluation of the impacts of disposal of soils contaminated by radiocesium, (137)Cs. The desorption rate of Cs(+) evaluated in relatively short periods of time may not be adequate for such a purpose. In this study, we investigated long-term desorption kinetics of (137)Cs and (133)Cs from soils collected in Fukushima Prefecture by batch desorption experiments in the presence of cation exchange resin as a sorbent. The sorbent can keep the concentration of Cs(+) in the aqueous phase low and prevent re-sorption of desorbed Cs(+). Up to 60% of (137)Cs was desorbed after 139 d in dilute KCl media, which was larger than the desorption by conventional short-term extraction with 1 M ammonium acetate. Desorption of (137)Cs continued even after this period. It was also found that high concentration of K(+) prevented desorption of Cs(+) in the initial stage of desorption, but the effect was alleviated with time. The desorbed fraction of stable Cs was smaller than that of (137)Cs. This indicated that (137)Cs may gradually move to more stable states in soils. The half-life of (137)Cs desorption from the slowest sorption site was estimated to be at least two years by a three-site desorption model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kento Murota
- Department of Nuclear Engineering and Management, School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8656, Japan
| | - Takumi Saito
- Nuclear Professional School, School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, 2-22 Shirakata Shirane, Tokai-mura, Ibaraki, 319-1188, Japan.
| | - Satoru Tanaka
- Department of Nuclear Engineering and Management, School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8656, Japan
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41
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Kumar N, Leray I, Depauw A. Chemically derived optical sensors for the detection of cesium ions. Coord Chem Rev 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ccr.2015.11.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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42
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Amr MA, Helal AFI, Al-Kinani AT, Balakrishnan P. Ultra-trace determination of (90)Sr, (137)Cs, (238)Pu, (239)Pu, and (240)Pu by triple quadruple collision/reaction cell-ICP-MS/MS: Establishing a baseline for global fallout in Qatar soil and sediments. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RADIOACTIVITY 2016; 153:73-87. [PMID: 26736181 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2015.12.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2015] [Revised: 11/06/2015] [Accepted: 12/04/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
The development of practical, fast, and reliable methods for the ultra-trace determination of anthropogenic radionuclides (90)Sr, (137)Cs, (238)Pu, (239)Pu, and (240)Pu by triple quadruple collision/reaction cell inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (CRC-ICP-MS/MS) were investigated in term of its accuracy and precision for producing reliable results. The radionuclides were extracted from 1 kg of the environmental soil samples by concentrated nitric and hydrochloric acids. The leachate solutions were measured directly by triple quadrupole CRC-ICP-MS/MS. For quality assurance, a chemical separation of the concerned radionuclides was conducted and then measured by single quadrupole-ICP-MS. The developed methods were next applied to measure the anthropogenic radionuclides (90)Sr, (137)Cs, (238)Pu, (239)Pu, and (240)Pu in soil samples collected throughout the State of Qatar. The average concentrations of (90)Sr, (137)Cs, (238)Pu, (239)Pu, and (240)Pu were 0.606 fg/g (3.364 Bq/kg), 0.619 fg/g (2.038 Bq/kg), 0.034 fg/g (0.0195 Bq/kg), 65.59 fg/g (0.150 Bq/kg), and 12.06 fg/g (0.103 Bq/kg), respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohamed A Amr
- Central Laboratories Unit, Qatar University, P.O. Box 2713, Doha, Qatar; Nuclear Physics Department, NRC, Atomic Energy Authority, Cairo, 13759, Egypt.
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43
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Alkhomashi N, Almasoud FI. Indication of the radioactive fallout in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia following the Fukushima nuclear accident. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RADIOACTIVITY 2016; 152:70-74. [PMID: 26650827 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2015.11.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2015] [Revised: 10/20/2015] [Accepted: 11/13/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
On March 2011, a severe damage has occurred to Fukushima Di-iachi nuclear reactor complex in Japan following the huge earthquake and the resulting Tsunami. Consequently, vast amounts of radioactive fallout were released into the atmosphere and contaminated the environment in Japan. Soon after the accident, traces of anthropogenic radionuclides were detected in environmental samples collected in many parts in the northern hemisphere even very far away from Japan creating a global concern. There is no information about radioactive contamination in the Arabian Peninsula caused by the Japanese Fukushima nuclear accident. The first evidence of Fukushima radioactive fallout in Riyadh (24° 43' N, 46° 38' E), Saudi Arabia has been confirmed in April 8, 2011. The airborne fission products (131)I, (134)Cs and (137)Cs were measured in air samples. The radionuclide concentrations were determined by identifying their characteristic gamma rays using a germanium detector. Their activity concentrations were studied as a function of time over a period of 20 days at the end of which they had mostly fallen below our limit of detection. The maximum activity concentration of (131)I, (134)Cs and (137)Cs in air of, respectively, 323.7 ± 18.5, 17.2 ± 1.0 and 26.0 ± 1.8 μBq m(-3) were observed on April 10-11, 2011. The (131)I/(137)Cs and (134)Cs/(137)Cs activity ratio values in air were presented and discussed. Finally, the effective doses to the public of Riyadh city from inhalation of (131)I, (134)Cs and (137)Cs due to contribution from Fukushima incident was found far below levels of concern.
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Affiliation(s)
- N Alkhomashi
- Nuclear Science Research Institute, King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST), P.O. Box 6086, Riyadh 11442, Saudi Arabia.
| | - Fahad I Almasoud
- Nuclear Science Research Institute, King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST), P.O. Box 6086, Riyadh 11442, Saudi Arabia
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44
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Zare MR, Kamali M, Fallahi Kapourchali M, Bagheri H, Khoram Bagheri M, Abedini A, Pakzad HR. Investigation of (235)U, (226)Ra, (232)Th, (40)K, (137)Cs, and heavy metal concentrations in Anzali international wetland using high-resolution gamma-ray spectrometry and atomic absorption spectroscopy. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2016; 23:3285-3299. [PMID: 26490904 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-015-5473-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2015] [Accepted: 09/21/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Measurements of natural radioactivity levels and heavy metals in sediment and soil samples of the Anzali international wetland were carried out by two HPGe-gamma ray spectrometry and atomic absorption spectroscopy techniques. The concentrations of (235)U, (226)Ra, (232)Th, (40)K, and (137)Cs in sediment samples ranged between 1.05 ± 0.51-5.81 ± 0.61, 18.06 ± 0.63-33.36 ± .0.34, 17.57 ± 0.38-45.84 ± 6.23, 371.88 ± 6.36-652.28 ± 11.60, and 0.43 ± 0.06-63.35 ± 0.94 Bq/kg, while in the soil samples they vary between 2.36-5.97, 22.71-38.37, 29.27-42.89, 472.66-533, and 1.05-9.60 Bq/kg for (235)U, (226)Ra, (232)Th, (40)K, and (137)Cs, respectively. Present results are compared with the available literature data and also with the world average values. The radium equivalent activity was well below the defined limit of 370 Bq/kg. The external hazard indices were found to be less than 1, indicating a low dose. Heavy metal concentrations were found to decrease in order as Fe > Mn > Sr > Zn > Cu > Cr > Ni > Pb > Co > Cd. These measurements will serve as background reference levels for the Anzali wetland.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Reza Zare
- Department of Physics, Malek-ashtar University of Technology, Shahin-shahr, Islamic Republic of Iran.
| | - Mahdi Kamali
- Chemical Process Research Group, Institute of Process Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, 81746-73441, Islamic Republic of Iran.
- Graduate Faculty of Environment, Department of Environmental Engineering, University of Tehran, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran.
| | - Maryam Fallahi Kapourchali
- Iranian Fisheries Science Research Institute, National Inland water aquaculture Institute, Agricultural Research Education and Extension Organization (A REEO), Bandare Anzali, Islamic Republic of Iran
| | - Hashem Bagheri
- Department of Geology, Faculty of Science, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, 81746-73441, Islamic Republic of Iran
| | - Mahdi Khoram Bagheri
- Energy Engineering and Physics Department, Amir Kabir University of Technology, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
| | - Ali Abedini
- National Inland water Aquaculture Institute, Bandar Anzali, Islamic Republic of Iran
| | - Hamid Reza Pakzad
- Department of Geology, Faculty of Science, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, 81746-73441, Islamic Republic of Iran
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45
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Thyroid side effects prophylaxis in front of nuclear power plant accidents. ANNALES D'ENDOCRINOLOGIE 2016; 77:1-6. [PMID: 26830953 DOI: 10.1016/j.ando.2015.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2015] [Revised: 12/16/2015] [Accepted: 12/20/2015] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
The better knowledge of the mechanisms of nuclear incidents and lessons learned from accidents in the recent past to improve the effectiveness of measures taken following a nuclear accident exposure to fallout of radioactive iodine isotopes. Thus, immediate, passive measures, such as containment, and stopping consumption of contaminated products are paramount. The earliest possible administration of stable iodine as potassium iodide (KI) reduces significantly (up to 90% if taken at the same time of the accident) thyroid radioactive contamination. These tablets should be given in priority to children and pregnant women. The side effects are minor. KI is not recommended for persons aged over 60 years, or for adults suffering from cardiovascular disorders.
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46
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Mészáros R, Leelőssy Á, Kovács T, Lagzi I. Predictability of the dispersion of Fukushima-derived radionuclides and their homogenization in the atmosphere. Sci Rep 2016; 6:19915. [PMID: 26817513 PMCID: PMC4730138 DOI: 10.1038/srep19915] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2015] [Accepted: 12/09/2015] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Long-range simulation of the dispersion of air pollutants in the atmosphere is one of the most challenging tasks in geosciences. Application of precise and fast numerical models in risk management and decision support can save human lives and can diminish consequences of an accidental release. Disaster at Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant has been the most serious event in the nuclear technology and industry in the recent years. We present and discuss the results of the numerical simulations on dispersion of Fukushima-derived particulate (131)I and (137)Cs using a global scale Lagrangian particle model. We compare concentrations and arrival times, using two emission scenarios, with the measured data obtained from 182 monitoring stations located all over the Northern Hemisphere. We also investigate the homogenization of isotopes in the atmosphere. Peak concentrations were predicted with typical accuracy of one order of magnitude showing a general underestimation in the case of (131)I but not for (137)Cs. Tropical and Arctic plumes, as well as the early detections in American and European midlatitudes were generally well predicted, however, the later regional-scale mixing could not be captured by the model. Our investigation highlights the importance of the parameterization of free atmospheric turbulence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Róbert Mészáros
- Department of Meteorology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Ádám Leelőssy
- Department of Meteorology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Tibor Kovács
- Institute of Radiochemistry and Radioecology, University of Pannonia, Veszprém, Hungary
| | - István Lagzi
- Department of Physics, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Budapest, Hungary
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47
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Ballesteros L, Ortiz J, Gallardo S, Martorell S. An overview of measurements of radionuclides in foods of the Comunidad Valenciana (Spain). Radiat Phys Chem Oxf Engl 1993 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/j.radphyschem.2015.05.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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48
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Evangeliou N, Balkanski Y, Florou H, Eleftheriadis K, Cozic A, Kritidis P. Global deposition and transport efficiencies of radioactive species with respect to modelling credibility after Fukushima (Japan, 2011). JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RADIOACTIVITY 2015; 149:164-175. [PMID: 26254209 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2015.07.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2015] [Revised: 07/21/2015] [Accepted: 07/22/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
In this study we conduct a detailed comparison of the modelling response of the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP) accident with global and local observations. We use five different model versions characterized by different horizontal and vertical resolutions of the same General Circulation Model (GCM). Transport efficiencies of (137)Cs across the world are presented as an indication of the expected radioactive impact. Activity concentrations were well represented showing lower Normalized Mean Biases (NMBs) when the better resolved versions of the GCM were used. About 95% of the results using the zoom configuration over Europe (zEur) remained within a factor of 10 from the observations. Close to Japan, the model reproduced well (137)Cs concentrations using the zoom version over Asia (zAsia) showing high correlations, while more than 64% of the modelling results were found within a factor of two from the observations and more than 92% within a factor of 10. Labile and refractory rare radionuclides calculated indirectly showed larger deviations, with about 60% of the simulated concentrations within a factor of 10 from the observations. We estimate that around 23% of the released (137)Cs remained into Japan, while 76% deposited in the oceans. Around 163 TBq deposited over North America, among which 95 TBq over USA, 40 TBq over Canada and 5 TBq over Greenland). About 14 TBq deposited over Europe (mostly in the European part of Russia, Sweden and Norway) and 47 TBq over Asia (mostly in the Asian part of Russia, Philippines and South Korea), while traces were observed over Africa, Oceania and Antarctica. Since the radioactive plume followed a northward direction before its arrival to USA and then to Europe, a significant amount of about 69 TBq deposited in the Arctic, as well. These patterns of deposition are fully consistent with the most recent reports for the accident.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikolaos Evangeliou
- CEA-CNRS-UVSQ UMR 8212, IPSL/LSCE (Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l'Environnement), L'Orme des Merisiers, 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette Cedex, France.
| | - Yves Balkanski
- CEA-CNRS-UVSQ UMR 8212, IPSL/LSCE (Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l'Environnement), L'Orme des Merisiers, 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette Cedex, France
| | - Heleni Florou
- NCSR "Demokritos", Institute of Nuclear & Radiological Sciences & Technology, Energy & Safety (INRASTES), Environmental Radioactivity Laboratory, 15310 Athens, Greece
| | - Konstantinos Eleftheriadis
- NCSR "Demokritos", Institute of Nuclear & Radiological Sciences & Technology, Energy & Safety (INRASTES), Environmental Radioactivity Laboratory, 15310 Athens, Greece
| | - Anne Cozic
- CEA-CNRS-UVSQ UMR 8212, IPSL/LSCE (Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l'Environnement), L'Orme des Merisiers, 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette Cedex, France
| | - Panayotis Kritidis
- NCSR "Demokritos", Institute of Nuclear & Radiological Sciences & Technology, Energy & Safety (INRASTES), Environmental Radioactivity Laboratory, 15310 Athens, Greece
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49
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Evrard O, Laceby JP, Lepage H, Onda Y, Cerdan O, Ayrault S. Radiocesium transfer from hillslopes to the Pacific Ocean after the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant accident: A review. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RADIOACTIVITY 2015; 148:92-110. [PMID: 26142817 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2015.06.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2015] [Revised: 06/11/2015] [Accepted: 06/22/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
The devastating tsunami triggered by the Great East Japan Earthquake on March 11, 2011 inundated the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP) resulting in a loss of cooling and a series of explosions releasing the largest quantity of radioactive material into the atmosphere since the Chernobyl nuclear accident. Although 80% of the radionuclides from this accidental release were transported over the Pacific Ocean, 20% were deposited over Japanese coastal catchments that are subject to frequent typhoons. Among the radioisotopes released during the FDNPP accident, radiocesium ((134)Cs and (137)Cs) is considered the most serious current and future health risk for the local population. The goal of this review is to synthesize research relevant to the transfer of FDNPP derived radiocesium from hillslopes to the Pacific Ocean. After radiocesium fallout deposition on vegetation and soils, the contamination may remain stored in forest canopies, in vegetative litter on the ground, or in the soil. Once radiocesium contacts soil, it is quickly and almost irreversibly bound to fine soil particles. The kinetic energy of raindrops instigates the displacement of soil particles, and their bound radiocesium, which may be mobilized and transported with overland flow. Soil erosion is one of the main processes transferring particle-bound radiocesium from hillslopes through rivers and streams, and ultimately to the Pacific Ocean. Accordingly this review will summarize results regarding the fundamental processes and dynamics that govern radiocesium transfer from hillslopes to the Pacific Ocean published in the literature within the first four years after the FDNPP accident. The majority of radiocesium is reported to be transported in the particulate fraction, attached to fine particles. The contribution of the dissolved fraction to radiocesium migration is only relevant in base flows and is hypothesized to decline over time. Owing to the hydro-meteorological context of the Fukushima region, the most significant transfer of particulate-bound radiocesium occurs during major rainfall and runoff events (e.g. typhoons and spring snowmelt). There may be radiocesium storage within catchments in forests, floodplains and even within hillslopes that may be remobilized and contaminate downstream areas, even areas that did not receive fallout or may have been decontaminated. Overall this review demonstrates that characterizing the different mechanisms and factors driving radiocesium transfer is important. In particular, the review determined that quantifying the remaining catchment radiocesium inventory allows for a relative comparison of radiocesium transfer research from hillslope to catchment scales. Further, owing to the variety of mechanisms and factors, a transdisciplinary approach is required involving geomorphologists, hydrologists, soil and forestry scientists, and mathematical modellers to comprehensively quantify radiocesium transfers and dynamics. Characterizing radiocesium transfers from hillslopes to the Pacific Ocean is necessary for ongoing decontamination and management interventions with the objective of reducing the gamma radiation exposure to the local population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivier Evrard
- Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l'Environnement (LSCE), Unité Mixte de Recherche 8212 (CEA-CNRS-UVSQ/IPSL), Gif-sur-Yvette, France.
| | - J Patrick Laceby
- Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l'Environnement (LSCE), Unité Mixte de Recherche 8212 (CEA-CNRS-UVSQ/IPSL), Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Hugo Lepage
- Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l'Environnement (LSCE), Unité Mixte de Recherche 8212 (CEA-CNRS-UVSQ/IPSL), Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Yuichi Onda
- Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Center for Research in Isotopes and Environmental Dynamics (CRIED), University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Olivier Cerdan
- Bureau de Recherches Géologiques et Minières, Orléans, France
| | - Sophie Ayrault
- Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l'Environnement (LSCE), Unité Mixte de Recherche 8212 (CEA-CNRS-UVSQ/IPSL), Gif-sur-Yvette, France
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50
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Shozugawa K, Riebe B, Walther C, Brandl A, Steinhauser G. Fukushima-derived radionuclides in sediments of the Japanese Pacific Ocean coast and various Japanese water samples (seawater, tap water, and coolant water of Fukushima Daiichi reactor unit 5). J Radioanal Nucl Chem 2015; 307:1787-1793. [PMID: 27003954 PMCID: PMC4779456 DOI: 10.1007/s10967-015-4386-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2015] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
We investigated Ocean sediments and seawater from inside the Fukushima exclusion zone and found radiocesium (134Cs and 137Cs) up to 800 Bq kg−1 as well as 90Sr up to 5.6 Bq kg−1. This is one of the first reports on radiostrontium in sea sediments from the Fukushima exclusion zone. Seawater exhibited contamination levels up to 5.3 Bq kg−1 radiocesium. Tap water from Tokyo from weeks after the accident exhibited detectable but harmless activities of radiocesium (well below the regulatory limit). Analysis of the Unit 5 reactor coolant (finding only 3H and even low 129I) leads to the conclusion that the purification techniques for reactor coolant employed at Fukushima Daiichi are very effective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katsumi Shozugawa
- />Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Meguro-Ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Beate Riebe
- />Institute of Radioecology and Radiation Protection, Leibniz Universität Hannover, Herrenhäuser Straße 2, 30419 Hannover, Germany
| | - Clemens Walther
- />Institute of Radioecology and Radiation Protection, Leibniz Universität Hannover, Herrenhäuser Straße 2, 30419 Hannover, Germany
| | - Alexander Brandl
- />Environmental and Radiological Health Sciences, Colorado State University, 1618 Campus Delivery, Fort Collins, CO 80523 USA
| | - Georg Steinhauser
- />Institute of Radioecology and Radiation Protection, Leibniz Universität Hannover, Herrenhäuser Straße 2, 30419 Hannover, Germany
- />Environmental and Radiological Health Sciences, Colorado State University, 1618 Campus Delivery, Fort Collins, CO 80523 USA
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