Initial decrease in the ambient dose equivalent rate after the Fukushima accident and its difference from Chernobyl

Yoshimura, Kazuya  ; Saegusa, Jun; Sanada, Yukihisa   

The initial decrease in the ambient dose equivalent rate (air dose rate) in 2011 after the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant accident was studied using in-situ monitoring data obtained from March 16, 2011. The air dose rate showed a rapid decrease during the first 0.05 years followed by slow decrease, and the decrease was represented by combining two exponential functions. The air dose rate obtained in the area dominated by paved surfaces and buildings showed a quicker decrease than the unpaved-dominant field. The decrease in the air dose rate was facilitated in residential areas compared to the evacuation zone. These results suggest that urbanized areas and human activities could reduce external exposure of local residents. Comparison of decrease rates between this study and the simulations based on the parameters obtained in Europe suggests that radionuclide migration such as penetration into the soil and horizontal migration in Fukushima were smaller than those in Europe.