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Mawassy Z, Henner P, Avellan A, Rose J. Comprehensive framework for overcoming scientific challenges related to assessing radioactive ultra-fine (nano/micro) particles transfer at the atmosphere-leaf interface. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2024; 467:133346. [PMID: 38320349 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2023.133346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2023] [Revised: 12/07/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 02/08/2024]
Abstract
Food products are prone into contamination after a nuclear emission of radionuclides. While the mechanisms of emission and deposition of ultrafine radioactive particles are well documented, the transfer of these species from the atmosphere into plants is poorly assessed. This is evident in the lack of quantification of particles distributed within plants, especially regarding particles physical-chemical criteria to plant of different properties. Such knowledge gaps raise the concern about the representativeness of risk assessment tools designed for the transfer evaluation of ionic/soluble species to be qualified for simulating insoluble species exposure and proposes a possible underestimation. This highlights the possible need for special particle codes development to be implemented in models for future emissions. In addition, the later tools utilize transfer factors aggregating relevant sub-processes, suggesting another weak point in their overall reliability. As researchers specialized in the nuclear safety and protection, we intend in this perspective, to develop a compressive analysis of the interaction of ultrafine particles with plants of different specificities at different level processes starting from particles retention and gradual translocation to sink organs. This analysis is leveraged in providing insights for possible improvements in the current modeling tools for better real-life scenarios representation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zeinab Mawassy
- Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire (IRSN), PSE-ENV/SPDR/LT2S, F-13115 Saint-Paul-lez-Durance, France.
| | - Pascale Henner
- Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire (IRSN), PSE-ENV/SPDR/LT2S, F-13115 Saint-Paul-lez-Durance, France.
| | - Astrid Avellan
- Géosciences Environnement Toulouse - CNRS-CNES-IRD-Université Toulouse III Observatoire Midi-Pyrénées, 14 av. Edouard Belin, 31400 Toulouse, France
| | - Jerome Rose
- CNRS, Aix-Marseille Université (AMU), iRD, INRAE, OSU Pytheas, CEREGE UM34, BP 80, 13545 Aix-en-Provence, Cedex 4, France
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2
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Długosz-Lisiecka M. Public Health Decision Making in the Case of the Use of a Nuclear Weapon. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:12766. [PMID: 36232066 PMCID: PMC9564949 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph191912766] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2022] [Revised: 09/20/2022] [Accepted: 09/20/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
The current geopolitical situation and the war on Ukraine's territory generate questions about the possible use of a nuclear weapon and create the need to refresh emergency protective plans for the population. Ensuring the protection of public health is a national responsibility, but the problem is of international size and global scale. Radiological or nuclear disasters need suitable decision making at the right time, which determine large effective radiation protection activities to ensure public health is protected, reduce fatalities, radiation disease, and other effects. In this study, a simulation of a single nuclear weapon detonation with an explosion yield of 0.3 and 1 Mt was applied for a hypothetical location, to indicate the required decision making and the need to trigger protocols for the protection of the population. The simulated explosion was located in a city center, in a European country, for the estimation of the size of the effects of the explosion and its consequences for public health. Based on the simulation results and knowledge obtained from historical nuclear events, practical suggestions, discussion, a review of the recommendations was conducted, exacerbated by the time constraints of a public health emergency. Making science-based decisions should encompass clear procedures with specific activities triggered immediately based on confirmed information, acquired from active or/and passive warning systems and radiometric specific analysis provided by authorized laboratories. This study has the potential to support the preparedness of decision makers in the event of a disaster or crisis-related emergency for population health management and summarizes the strengths and weaknesses of the current ability to respond.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magdalena Długosz-Lisiecka
- Institute of Applied Radiation Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Lodz University of Technology, Wróblewskiego 15, 93-590 Lodz, Poland
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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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Mariam, Joshi M, Khan A, Mishra G, Tripathi S, Sapra B. Experimental estimates of hygroscopic growth of particulate fission product species (mixed CsI–CsOH) with implications in reactor accident safety research. PROGRESS IN NUCLEAR ENERGY 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pnucene.2022.104216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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Talaat K, Hecht A, Xi J. A comparison of CFPD, compartment, and uniform distribution models for radiation dosimetry of radionuclides in the lung. JOURNAL OF RADIOLOGICAL PROTECTION : OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR RADIOLOGICAL PROTECTION 2021; 41:739-763. [PMID: 33823493 DOI: 10.1088/1361-6498/abf548] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2021] [Accepted: 04/06/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Radioactive aerosols that arise from natural sources and nuclear accidents can be a long-term hazard to human health. Despite the heterogeneous particle deposition in the respiratory tract, uniform aerosol doses have long been assumed in respiratory radiation dosimetry predictions, such as in the compartment and uniform distribution models. It is unclear how these deposition patterns affect internal radiation doses, which are critical in the health assessment of radioactive hazards. This work seeks to quantify the radio-dosimetry sensitivity to initial deposition patterns by comparing computational and compartment/uniform models. A new approach was developed to implement the compartment model into voxel phantoms (e.g. VIP-man) for radiation dosimetry. The calculated radiation fluence, energy deposition density and organ doses were compared to those obtained from coupling computational fluid-particle dynamics (CFPD) with Monte Carlo radiation transport and to those obtained from uniform source distribution approximation. The results show that the source particle distribution within the respiratory system substantially influences the radiation dosimetry distribution. The compartment and uniform models underestimated aerosol deposition in the crania ridge, leading to lower doses in the trachea and surrounding organs. For 0.5 MeV gammas, the CFPD-Monte Carlo N-particle (MCNP) model predicted a tracheal dose twice that of the compartment model and four times the uniform model. For 1 MeV betas, the CFPD-MCNP-predicted tracheal dose is 2.6 times that of the compartment model and 14 times the uniform model. Compared to the compartment/uniform models, the CFPD approach predicted a 50% lower beta dose in the lung but higher beta doses in the heart (six times), liver (four times) and stomach (2.5 times). It is suggested that including compartments for the lung periphery and tracheal carina ridge may improve the dosimetry accuracy of compartment models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Khaled Talaat
- Department of Nuclear Engineering, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, United States of America
| | - Adam Hecht
- Department of Nuclear Engineering, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, United States of America
| | - Jinxiang Xi
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Massachusetts, 1 University Ave., Falmouth Hall 202B, Lowell, MA, 01854, United States of America
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Mishra G, Tripathi SN, Saud T, Joshi M, Khan A, Sapra BK. Interaction of cesium bound fission product compounds (CsI and CsOH) with abundant inorganic compounds of atmosphere: Effect on hygroscopic growth properties. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2021; 418:126356. [PMID: 34329010 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2021.126356] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2021] [Revised: 05/18/2021] [Accepted: 06/07/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Cesium compounds if present in atmosphere, can affect human health as well as the ecosystem due to their highly hazardous nature. Interaction of cesium compounds with abundantly available atmospheric salts can modify the hygroscopic behavior in sub-saturation relative humidity (RH) domain. Any marked modification in growth factor (GF) for the mixed particle state in comparison to the single particles ultimately affects the settling rates and hence the deposition flux. This work studies the hygroscopic behavior of two important cesium bound fission product aerosols (CsI, CsOH) internally mixed with some common atmospheric particles viz. [Formula: see text] and NaNO3 for a fixed dry particle size of 100 nm. Experimental measurements, performed with Hygroscopic tandem differential mobility analyzer in the range of 20-94% RH, have been compared with the predictions made from Zdanovskii-Stokes-Robinson (ZSR) approach. Apart from the single/pure particle state for the constituents (i.e. mixing ratios 1:0 and 0:1), three other mixing ratios 1:4, 1:1 and 4:1 have been considered. The results show that the GF vs RH pattern for mixed particles is different from that for single CsI and CsOH particles. The intrinsic water uptake behavior for these cesium compounds was found to be perturbed for some of the chosen combinations as well. Deliquescent transition for the mixed particles was observed at lower RH compared to the single electrolytes. Relative differences noticeable for the chosen mixing ratios could be related to the available fractions in the mixed state. Overall, ZSR method was found to be capturing the trend of increasing GFs with increasing RH. Terminal gravitational settling velocities calculated from the measured GFs were also found to be different for single and mixed particles. The relative difference was significant for some combinations and test conditions. Any modification in settling velocity ultimately impacts the deposition flux estimations. Hence neglecting the presence of atmospheric salts affects the accuracy of the source term estimates for a postulated nuclear reactor accident scenario.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gaurav Mishra
- Nuclear Engineering and Technology Programme, Department of Mechanical Engineering, IIT, Kanpur 208016, India; National Aerosol Facility, IIT, Kanpur 208016, India
| | - S N Tripathi
- Department of Civil Engineering, IIT, Kanpur 208016, India; Centre for Environmental Science and Engineering, IIT, Kanpur 208016, India.
| | - T Saud
- National Aerosol Facility, IIT, Kanpur 208016, India
| | - Manish Joshi
- Radiological Physics and Advisory Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai 400085, India
| | - Arshad Khan
- Radiological Physics and Advisory Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai 400085, India
| | - B K Sapra
- Radiological Physics and Advisory Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai 400085, India; Homi Bhabha National Institute, Anushaktinagar, Mumbai 400094, India
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Hirose K. Atmospheric effects of Fukushima nuclear accident: A review from a sight of atmospheric monitoring. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RADIOACTIVITY 2020; 218:106240. [PMID: 32421574 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2020.106240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2019] [Revised: 02/29/2020] [Accepted: 03/09/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP) accident, which occurred in March 2011, has released large amounts of radionuclides (such as radioiodine and radiocesium) into the atmosphere, resulting in the contamination of terrestrial and marine environments. To assess radiological and environmental effects of the FDNPP-derived radionuclides, huge amounts of radioactive monitoring activities have been conducted to environmental samples. In this paper, we review results of atmospheric radioactivity monitoring for the FDNPP accident. Learning from atmospheric radioactivity monitoring of the FDNPP accident is as follows; 1. At the initial stage of accident, large spatiotemporal variability of emitted radionuclides near the FDNPP site occurred at short (less than 1 h) time scale and small (less than 10 km) space scale due to complicated emissions of radionuclides and variable flow of Fukushima radioactive plume, 2. Chemical form of FDNPP-derived radionuclides, in which a typical example is coexistence of 137Cs-bearing submicron particles and 137Cs-bearing large hot particles in the plume, is important to have better understanding of their atmospheric behaviors as do released mechanisms and their fate in environment, 3. Atmospheric effects of the FDNPP accident continue over 8 years, in which high activity levels of the FDNPP-derived 137Cs in surface air and deposition have continued at least until the end of 2018 owing to the post-accident release and resuspension because most of the FDNPP-derived 137Cs deposited on the ground surface still remains in the soil surface as a potential source of atmospheric 137Cs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katsumi Hirose
- Department of Materials and Life Sciences, Sophia University, Tokyo, Japan.
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8
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Evangeliou N, Eckhardt S. Uncovering transport, deposition and impact of radionuclides released after the early spring 2020 wildfires in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone. Sci Rep 2020; 10:10655. [PMID: 32606447 PMCID: PMC7327000 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-67620-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2020] [Accepted: 06/10/2020] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
In the beginning of April 2020, large fires that started in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone (CEZ) established after the Chernobyl accident in 1986 caused media and public concerns about the health impact from the resuspended radioactivity. In this paper, the emissions of previously deposited radionuclides from these fires are assessed and their dispersion and impact on the population is examined relying on the most recent data on radioactive contamination and emission factors combined with satellite observations. About 341 GBq of 137Cs, 51 GBq of 90Sr, 2 GBq of 238Pu, 33 MBq of 239Pu, 66 MBq of 240Pu and 504 MBq of 241Am were released in 1st-22nd April 2020 or about 1,000,000,000 times lower than the original accident in 1986 and mostly distributed in Central and East Europe. The large size of biomass burning particles carrying radionuclides prevents long-range transport as confirmed by concentrations reported in Europe. The highest cumulative effective doses (> 15 μSv) were calculated for firefighters and the population living in the CEZ, while doses were much lower in Kiev (2-5 μSv) and negligible in Belarus, Russia and Europe. All doses are radiologically insignificant and no health impact on the European population is expected from the April 2020 fires.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikolaos Evangeliou
- Department of Atmospheric and Climate Research (ATMOS), Norwegian Institute for Air Research (NILU), Instituttveien 18, PO Box 100, 2027, Kjeller, Norway.
| | - Sabine Eckhardt
- Department of Atmospheric and Climate Research (ATMOS), Norwegian Institute for Air Research (NILU), Instituttveien 18, PO Box 100, 2027, Kjeller, Norway
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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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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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12
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Otaki JM, Taira W. Current Status of the Blue Butterfly in Fukushima Research. J Hered 2018; 109:178-187. [PMID: 28431090 DOI: 10.1093/jhered/esx037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2016] [Accepted: 04/12/2017] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Adverse biological impacts of the Fukushima nuclear accident have been revealed using the pale grass blue butterfly, Zizeeria maha, since 2012, which were often considered incompatible with the conventional understanding of radiation biology. This discrepancy likely originates from different system conditions and methodologies. In this article, we first respond to comments from the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR) regarding our study; "technical errors" in unit usage and mathematical models noted by UNSCEAR are not errors but reflect our research philosophy not to introduce theoretical assumptions associated with unit conversion and mathematical fit. Second, we review our recent studies to support the original 2012 conclusions. Because the high morphological abnormality rate and small body size detected in Fukushima in 2011 have already ceased, likely through adaptive evolution, their present geographical distributions were investigated throughout Japan. Local populations showing relatively high abnormality rates and small body sizes were rare and basically restricted to Miyagi and its northern populations excluding the Fukushima populations, supporting the causal involvement of the accident. Lastly, we stress the importance of understanding the whole picture of the biological impacts of the Fukushima accident. In addition to the direct radiation impacts, indirect impacts through unknown radiation-associated mechanisms, such as immunological responses to insoluble particulate matter and nutritional deficiencies in plants and animals, would be in effect. Further environmental studies beyond conventional radiation biology and physics are necessary to understand the complex responses of organisms, including humans, to the Fukushima nuclear accident.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joji M Otaki
- BCPH Unit of Molecular Physiology, Department of Chemistry, Biology and Marine Science, University of the Ryukyus, Okinawa, Japan
| | - Wataru Taira
- BCPH Unit of Molecular Physiology, Department of Chemistry, Biology and Marine Science, University of the Ryukyus, Okinawa, Japan
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Vasyanovich M, Mostafa MYA, Zhukovsky M. ULTRAFINE AEROSOL INFLUENCE ON THE SAMPLING BY CASCADE IMPACTOR. RADIATION PROTECTION DOSIMETRY 2017; 177:49-52. [PMID: 29036634 DOI: 10.1093/rpd/ncx169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Cascade impactors based on inertial deposition of aerosols are widely used to determine the size distribution of radioactive aerosols. However, there are situations where radioactive aerosols are represented by particles with a diameter of 1-5 nm. In this case, ultrafine aerosols can be deposited on impactor cascades by diffusion mechanism. The influence of ultrafine aerosols (1-5 nm) on the response of three different types of cascade impactors was studied. It was shown that the diffusion deposition of ultrafine aerosols can distort the response of the cascade impactor. The influence of diffusion deposition of ultrafine aerosols can be considerably removed by the use of mesh screens or diffusion battery installed before cascade impactor during the aerosol sampling.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Vasyanovich
- Ural Federal University, Ekaterinburg, Russia
- Institute of Industrial Ecology UB RAS, Ekaterinburg, Russia
| | - M Y A Mostafa
- Ural Federal University, Ekaterinburg, Russia
- Department of Physics, Minia University, El-Minia, Egypt
| | - M Zhukovsky
- Ural Federal University, Ekaterinburg, Russia
- Institute of Industrial Ecology UB RAS, Ekaterinburg, Russia
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Shrivastava R, Oza R. Estimation of scavenging coefficients for 131 I and 137 Cs over the Pacific Ocean following the Fukushima accident. PROGRESS IN NUCLEAR ENERGY 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pnucene.2017.03.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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15
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Kaneyasu N, Ohashi H, Suzuki F, Okuda T, Ikemori F, Akata N, Kogure T. Weak size dependence of resuspended radiocesium adsorbed on soil particles collected after the Fukushima nuclear accident. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RADIOACTIVITY 2017; 172:122-129. [PMID: 28346896 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2017.03.001] [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: 12/09/2016] [Revised: 02/20/2017] [Accepted: 03/02/2017] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Most studies of the properties of airborne radionuclides emitted from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant have focused on the relatively early stages of the accident, and little is known about the characteristics of radiocesium in the long-term. In this study, we analyzed activity size distributions of airborne radiocesium collected over 5 months in Tsukuba, Japan. Radiocesium in the accumulation mode size range (0.1-2 μm in aerodynamic diameter) was overwhelming in the early aerosol samples and decreased with time, while that associated with coarse aerosols remained airborne. We examined the radiocesium adsorbed onto airborne soil particles, and found that the size dependence of 137Cs surface density adsorbed on soil particles was weak. That is, radiocesium was distributed homogeneously throughout the aerodynamic diameter range of 2.1-11 μm. This characteristic may be related to the reported structure of radiocesium-bearing soil particles collected from the ground, which consisted of an aggregate of specific clay minerals and other non-cesium adsorbing particles. The resuspension factors for the first two aerosol samples collected during late April and May 2011 were close to those in European cities in the months following the Chernobyl accident, despite different soil and weather conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naoki Kaneyasu
- National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, 16-1 Onogawa, Tsukuba 305-8569, Japan.
| | - Hideo Ohashi
- Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology, 4-5-7 Kounan, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-8477, Japan
| | - Fumie Suzuki
- Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology, 4-5-7 Kounan, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-8477, Japan
| | - Tomoaki Okuda
- Keio University, 3-14-1 Hiyoshi, Kouhoku-ku, Yokohama 223-8522, Japan
| | - Fumikazu Ikemori
- Nagoya City Institute for Environmental Sciences, 5-16-8 Toyoda, Nagoya 457-0841, Japan
| | - Naofumi Akata
- National Institute for Fusion Science, 322-6 Oroshi, Toki, Gifu 509-5292, Japan
| | - Toshihiro Kogure
- Department of Earth and Planetary Science, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan
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16
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Brudecki K, Szufa K, Mietelski JW. 131I age-dependent inhalation dose in Southern Poland from Fukushima accident. RADIATION AND ENVIRONMENTAL BIOPHYSICS 2017; 56:9-17. [PMID: 28012073 PMCID: PMC5315710 DOI: 10.1007/s00411-016-0672-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2016] [Accepted: 12/10/2016] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
A general method for calculating doses absorbed from isotopes released in nuclear accidents is presented. As an example, this method was used to calculate doses for inhabitants of Southern Poland due to inhalation of 131I released due to the Fukushima nuclear plant accident. 131I activity measurements in the air of that region provided the basis for the study. The proposed model is based on a complex biokinetic model for iodine merging the Leggett model developed in 2010 with the human respiratory tract and gastrointestinal tract models recommended by the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP). This model is described here, and it is demonstrated that resulting dose estimates are consistent with those obtained using the ICRP methodology. Using the developed model, total doses were calculated for six age groups of both genders, for gaseous and aerosol fractions alike. The committed effective dose, H 50, for an adult man reached 16 nSv, which is lower than 0.001% of the background dose. The dose for the thyroid of an adult reached 0.33 μSv, which corresponds to circa 0.0007% of the dose to the population of Southern Poland after the Chernobyl nuclear plant accident.
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Affiliation(s)
- K Brudecki
- Institute of Nuclear Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Radzikowskiego 152, 31-342, Kraków, Poland.
| | - K Szufa
- Institute of Nuclear Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Radzikowskiego 152, 31-342, Kraków, Poland
| | - J W Mietelski
- Institute of Nuclear Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Radzikowskiego 152, 31-342, Kraków, Poland
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Masson O, Bieringer J, Brattich E, Dalheimer A, Estier S, Penev I, Ringer W, Schlosser C, Steinkopff T, Steinmann P, Tositti L, Van Beek P, Vismes-Ott AD. Variation in airborne 134Cs, 137Cs, particulate 131I and 7Be maximum activities at high-altitude European locations after the arrival of Fukushima-labeled air masses. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RADIOACTIVITY 2016; 162-163:14-22. [PMID: 27214283 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2016.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2016] [Revised: 05/04/2016] [Accepted: 05/06/2016] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
The Fukushima-labeled air mass arrival, and later the cesium-134 (134Cs), cesium-137 (137Cs) and particulate iodine-131 (hereafter noted 131Ip) maximum levels were registered in Europe at different dates depending on the location. Most of those data were obtained at low-altitude sampling areas. Here, we compare the airborne levels registered at different high-altitude European locations (from 850 m to about 3500 m). The integrated 137Cs activity concentration was not uniform with regard to the altitude even after a long travel time/distance from Japan. Moreover, the relation of integrated 137Cs vs. altitude showed a linear decrease up to an altitude of about 3000 m. A similar trend was noticed for 131Ip (particulate fraction) while it increased above 3000 m. Comparison with 7Be activity concentration showed that, as far as the high altitude location is concerned, the 137Cs and 134Cs maximum concentrations corresponded to the 7Be maximum, suggesting downdraft movements from high tropospheric or stratospheric layers to be responsible for 137,134Cs increase and peak values. This was also confirmed by high potential vorticity and low relative humidity registered during the peak values.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivier Masson
- Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire (IRSN), BP 3, 13115, St Paul lez Durance, Cedex, France.
| | | | - Erika Brattich
- Laboratorio di Chimica e Radioattività ambientale, University of Bologna, 40126 Bologna, Italy
| | - Axel Dalheimer
- Deutscher Wetterdienst (DWD), Referat TI 24, Frankfurterstraße 135, 63067 Offenbach, Germany
| | - Sybille Estier
- Federal Office of Public Health, (FOPH), Schwarzenburgstrasse 165, CH-3003 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Ilia Penev
- Institute for Nuclear Research and Nuclear Energy (INRNE), 72 Tzarigradsko shosse, Blvd Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 1784 Sofia, Bulgaria
| | - Wolfgang Ringer
- Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety (AGES), Radon and Radioecology, 4020 Linz, Austria
| | | | - Thomas Steinkopff
- Deutscher Wetterdienst (DWD), Referat TI 24, Frankfurterstraße 135, 63067 Offenbach, Germany
| | - Philipp Steinmann
- Federal Office of Public Health, (FOPH), Schwarzenburgstrasse 165, CH-3003 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Laura Tositti
- Laboratorio di Chimica e Radioattività ambientale, University of Bologna, 40126 Bologna, Italy
| | - Pieter Van Beek
- Laboratoire d'Etudes en Géophysique et Océanographie Spatiales (LEGOS), Observatoire Midi Pyrénées, 14 avenue Edouard Belin, 31400 Toulouse, France
| | - Anne de Vismes-Ott
- Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire (IRSN), LMRE, 501, Bois des Rames, 91400 Orsay, France
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18
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Otaki JM. Fukushima's lessons from the blue butterfly: A risk assessment of the human living environment in the post-Fukushima era. INTEGRATED ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT AND MANAGEMENT 2016; 12:667-672. [PMID: 27640413 DOI: 10.1002/ieam.1828] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2016] [Revised: 07/11/2016] [Accepted: 07/22/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
A series of studies on the pale grass blue butterfly that were carried out to assess the biological effects of the Fukushima nuclear accident teach 3 important lessons. First, it is necessary to have an environmental indicator species, such as the pale grass blue butterfly in Japan, that is common (not endangered), shares a living environment (air, water, and soil) with humans, and is amenable to laboratory experiments. The monitoring of such indicator species before and immediately after a nuclear accident likely reflects acute impacts caused by initial exposure. To assess transgenerational and chronic effects, continuous monitoring over time is encouraged. Second, it is important to understand the actual health status of a polluted region and comprehend the whole picture of the pollution impacts, rather than focusing on the selected effects of radiation alone. In our butterfly experiments, plant leaves from Fukushima were fed to larval butterflies to access whole-body effects, focusing on survival rate and morphological abnormalities (rather than focusing on a specific disease or biochemical marker). Our results revealed that ionizing radiation is unlikely to be the exclusive source of environmental disturbances. Airborne particulate matter from a nuclear reactor, regardless of its radioactivity, is likely equally important. Finally, our butterfly experiments demonstrate that there is considerable variation in sensitivities to nuclear pollution within a single species or even within a local population. Based on these results, it is speculated that high pollution sensitivity in humans may be caused not only by low levels of functional DNA repair enzymes but also by immunological responses to particulate matter in the respiratory tract. These lessons from the pale grass blue butterfly should be integrated in studying future nuclear pollution events and decision making on nuclear and environmental policies at the local and international levels in the postFukushima era. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2016;12:667-672. © 2016 SETAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joji M Otaki
- BCPH Unit of Molecular Physiology, Department of Chemistry, Biology and Marine Science, University of the Ryukyus, Okinawa, Japan.
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19
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Thiry Y, Garcia-Sanchez L, Hurtevent P. Experimental quantification of radiocesium recycling in a coniferous tree after aerial contamination: Field loss dynamics, translocation and final partitioning. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RADIOACTIVITY 2016; 161:42-50. [PMID: 26774824 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2015.12.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2015] [Revised: 12/18/2015] [Accepted: 12/19/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
After foliar interception of radioactive atmospheric fallout by forest trees, the short-term recycling dynamics of radiocesium from the tree to the soil as well as within the tree is a primary area of uncertainty in the modeling of the overall cycle. The partitioning of radiocesium transfers in a spruce tree exposed to aerial deposits was investigated during one growth season to reveal the dynamics and significance of underlying processes. The rate of radiocesium loss resulting from foliage leaching (wash-off) was shown to have a functional dependence on the frequency of rainy episodes in a first early stage (weathering 60% of initial contamination during 70 days) and on the amount of precipitation in a second stage (weathering 10% of initial deposits during the following 80 days). A classical single exponential decay model with offset and continuous time as predictor lead to a removal half-life t1/2 of intercepted radiocesium of 25 days. During the growth season, the similar pattern of the internal (134)Cs content in new shoots and initially contaminated foliage confirmed that radiocesium was readily absorbed from needle surfaces and efficiently translocated to growing organs. In the crown, a pool of non-leachable (134)Cs (15-30%) was associated with the abiotic layer covering the twigs and needle surfaces. At the end of the growth season, 30% of the initial deposits were relocated to different tree parts, including organs like stemwood (5%) and roots (6%) not directly exposed to deposition. At the scale of the tree, 84% of the residual activity was assimilated by living tissues which corresponds to a foliar absorption rate coefficient of 0.25 year(-1) for modeling purposes. According to the significant amount of radiocesium which can be incorporated in tree through foliar uptake, our results support the hypothesis that further internal transfers could supply the tree internal cycle of radiocesium extensively, and possibly mask the contribution of root uptake for a long time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Y Thiry
- National Radioactive Waste Management Agency (Andra), Scientific Division, 1-7, rue Jean Monnet, 92298 Châtenay-Malabry Cedex, France.
| | - L Garcia-Sanchez
- French Institute for Radiological Protection and Nuclear Safety (IRSN), PRP-ENV/SERIS/L2BT, CE Cadarache bt 183, BP 3, 13115 Saint-Paul-lez-Durance, France.
| | - P Hurtevent
- French Institute for Radiological Protection and Nuclear Safety (IRSN), PRP-ENV/SERIS/L2BT, CE Cadarache bt 183, BP 3, 13115 Saint-Paul-lez-Durance, France.
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20
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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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21
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Evangeliou N, Zibtsev S, Myroniuk V, Zhurba M, Hamburger T, Stohl A, Balkanski Y, Paugam R, Mousseau TA, Møller AP, Kireev SI. Resuspension and atmospheric transport of radionuclides due to wildfires near the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in 2015: An impact assessment. Sci Rep 2016; 6:26062. [PMID: 27184191 PMCID: PMC4869032 DOI: 10.1038/srep26062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2016] [Accepted: 04/27/2016] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
In April and August 2015, two major fires in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone (CEZ) caused concerns about the secondary radioactive contamination that might have spread over Europe. The present paper assessed, for the first time, the impact of these fires over Europe. About 10.9 TBq of (137)Cs, 1.5 TBq of (90)Sr, 7.8 GBq of (238)Pu, 6.3 GBq of (239)Pu, 9.4 GBq of (240)Pu and 29.7 GBq of (241)Am were released from both fire events corresponding to a serious event. The more labile elements escaped easier from the CEZ, whereas the larger refractory particles were removed more efficiently from the atmosphere mainly affecting the CEZ and its vicinity. During the spring 2015 fires, about 93% of the labile and 97% of the refractory particles ended in Eastern European countries. Similarly, during the summer 2015 fires, about 75% of the labile and 59% of the refractory radionuclides were exported from the CEZ with the majority depositing in Belarus and Russia. Effective doses were above 1 mSv y(-1) in the CEZ, but much lower in the rest of Europe contributing an additional dose to the Eastern European population, which is far below a dose from a medical X-ray.
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Affiliation(s)
- N. Evangeliou
- Norwegian Institute for Air Research (NILU), Department of Atmospheric and Climate Research (ATMOS), Kjeller, Norway
| | - S. Zibtsev
- National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine, Kiev, Ukraine
| | - V. Myroniuk
- National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine, Kiev, Ukraine
| | - M. Zhurba
- National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine, Kiev, Ukraine
| | - T. Hamburger
- Norwegian Institute for Air Research (NILU), Department of Atmospheric and Climate Research (ATMOS), Kjeller, Norway
| | - A. Stohl
- Norwegian Institute for Air Research (NILU), Department of Atmospheric and Climate Research (ATMOS), Kjeller, Norway
| | - Y. Balkanski
- CEA-UVSQ-CNRS UMR 8212, Institut Pierre et Simon Laplace, Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l’Environnement (LSCE), L’Orme des Merisiers, F-91191 Gif-sur-Yvette Cedex, France
| | - R. Paugam
- King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - T. A. Mousseau
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208, USA
| | - A. P. Møller
- Laboratoire d’Ecologie, Systématique et Evolution, CNRS UMR 8079, Université Paris-Sud, Bâtiment 362, F-91405 Orsay Cedex, France
| | - S. I. Kireev
- Deputy General Director of the State Enterprise “Chernobyl Special Kombinat”, Chernobyl city, 6 Shkolna street, Ukraine
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Takamiya K, Tanaka T, Nitta S, Itosu S, Sekimoto S, Oki Y, Ohtsuki T. Observation of attachment ratio of fission products on solution aerosol. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s10967-015-4574-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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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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Muramatsu H, Kawasumi K, Kondo T, Matsuo K, Itoh S. Size-distribution of airborne radioactive particles from the Fukushima accident. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 2014. [DOI: 10.1007/s10967-014-3690-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Miyamoto Y, Yasuda K, Magara M. Size distribution of radioactive particles collected at Tokai, Japan 6 days after the nuclear accident. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RADIOACTIVITY 2014; 132:1-7. [PMID: 24508948 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2014.01.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2013] [Revised: 01/09/2014] [Accepted: 01/15/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Airborne radioactive particles released by the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP) accident in 2011 were collected with a cascade low-pressure impactor at the Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) in Tokai, Japan, 114 km south of the FDNPP. Size-fractionated samples were collected twice, in the periods of March 17-April 1, 2011, and May 9-13, 2011. These size-fractionated samplings were carried out in the earliest days at a short distance from the FDNPP. Radioactivity of short-lived nuclides (several ten days of half-life) was determined as well as (134)Cs and (137)Cs. The elemental composition of size-fractionated samples was also measured. In the first collection, the activity median aerodynamic diameter (AMAD) of (129m)Te, (140)Ba, (134)Cs, (136)Cs and (137)Cs was 1.5-1.6 μm, while the diameter of (131)I was 0.45 μm. The diameters of (134)Cs and (137)Cs in the second collection were expressed as three peaks at <0.5 μm, 0.94 μm, and 7.8 μm. The (134)Cs/(137)Cs ratio of the first collection was 1.02 in total, but the ratio in the fine fractions was 0.91. A distribution map of (134)Cs/(137)Cs - (136)Cs/(137)Cs ratios was helpful in understanding the change of radioactive Cs composition. The Cs composition of size fractions <0.43 μm and the composition in the 1.1-2.1 μm range (including the AMAD of 1.5-1.6 μm) were similar to the calculated compositions of fuels in the reactors No. 1 and No. 3 at the FDNPP using the ORIGEN-II code. The Cs composition collected in May, 2011 was similar to the calculation results of reactor No. 2 fuel composition. The change of Cs composition implies that the radioactive Cs was released from the three reactors at the FDNPP via different processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yutaka Miyamoto
- Research Group for Analytical Chemistry, Nuclear Science and Engineering Directorate, Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA), Tokai, Ibaraki 319-1195, Japan.
| | - Kenichiro Yasuda
- Research Group for Analytical Chemistry, Nuclear Science and Engineering Directorate, Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA), Tokai, Ibaraki 319-1195, Japan
| | - Masaaki Magara
- Research Group for Analytical Chemistry, Nuclear Science and Engineering Directorate, Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA), Tokai, Ibaraki 319-1195, Japan
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