Investigations and consideration on contamination inspection and decontamination criteria at a nuclear emergency

Togawa, Orihiko; Hokama, Tomonori; Hiraoka, Hirokazu; Saito, Shota

JAEA-Research 2023-011, 78 Pages, 2024/03

JAEA-Research-2023-011.pdf:2.09MB

When radionuclides are released into the atmospheric environment at a nuclear emergency, protective measures such as evacuation and temporal relocation are carried out using motor vehicles such as private cars and buses to reduce radiation exposure to residents. To confirm conditions of contamination for the evacuated/relocated residents and the used motor vehicles, contamination inspection is conducted in the middle of the route from border areas of Nuclear Emergency Planning Zone to evacuation shelters. In the present inspection in Japan, a value of OIL4 = 40,000 cpm is used as decontamination criteria. For the details and derivation methods of the value, however, no official documents are found which give systematically detailed descriptions and explanation. It is also recognized that even few experts on nuclear emergencies can explain these subjects in detail as a whole. In order to explain scientifically and technically the OIL4 value of decontamination criteria used in contamination inspection in Japan, this report aims at investigating and estimating the deviation methods of OIL4, and examining and considering these results. To achieve the objectives, we show the bases for decontamination criteria, and investigate and estimate the derivation methods for limits of a surface contamination density corresponding to the generic criteria for each exposure pathway. Moreover, we give the OIL4 value some consideration and suggestions from a viewpoint of positioning and feature of OIL4 in Japan, and cautionary points at revising the value.

Effect of REE nano-particles on microbial metabolism and oxidation of Ce(III) by MnO

Onuki, Toshihiko; Masaki, Shota*; Utsunomiya, Satoshi*; Tanaka, Kazuya*; Yu, Q.; Kozai, Naofumi; Sakamoto, Fuminori; Saito, Takumi

no journal, , 

Some low-molecular-mass organic species released from the yeast after exposure to CeNPs. Although the CeNPs did not cause cytotoxicity, the organic species enhaced solubility of Ce nano particles. Formation of Ce nano-particles on the cell surface suppressed the oxidation of trivalent Ce to tetravalent Ce by Mn oxides.

Study on optimization method for contamination inspection of vehicles in nuclear emergency, 1; Quick measurement by existent portable radiation portal monitors for vehicles

Hiraoka, Hirokazu; Kawasaki, Kohei*; Kimura, Masanori; Togawa, Orihiko; Saito, Shota; Ezaki, Iwao*

no journal, , 

When the nuclear emergency occurs, inhabitants take the contamination inspection to evacuate. A large number of vehicle will come to the inspection area and make there congested. To do the quick inspection, simultaneous measurement of tires and wipers using the portable radiation portal monitors for vehicles is a key point. Consequently, we attempted the count rates obtained from tires and wipers are discriminated. First, the vehicle was driven at 5 km/h and the -ray counts rate was measured by the monitor. Ba sources were attached around the tire or on the wiper and measurements were taken 30 times each. Next, discrimination conditions based on a linear function were applied to the normalized count rates, with the maximum count rate of the measured values (Net value) set to 1.0, to evaluate the discrimination accuracy between the tire and the wiper. The evaluation results showed that the pattern with the source attached around the tire correctly discriminated 29 out of 30 times, while the pattern with the source attached on the wiper correctly discriminated 20 out of 30 times. It was found that in order to improve the accuracy of discrimination, the measurement method must be improved so that there is a large difference between measured values of the tire and the wiper.

Study on optimization method for contamination inspection of vehicles in nuclear emergency, 3; Verification of discriminative ability for contamination by the new set-up for portable radiation portal monitors for vehicles

Hiraoka, Hirokazu; Kawasaki, Kohei*; Kimura, Masanori; Togawa, Orihiko; Saito, Shota; Ezaki, Iwao*

no journal, , 

In nuclear emergency, vehicles which evacuating inhabitants use be taken the contamination inspection. For the quick inspection, it seems that realization of simultaneous inspection of tires and wipers by portable radiation portal monitors for vehicles is necessary. In order to fulfill the simultaneous inspection, the authors develop the measuring method which is able to suitably distinguish and evaluate each contamination. Monte Carlo simulation showed ahead that the new set-up of detectors improves the discriminative ability for contamination. In this study, based on the simulation results, the authors attached radiation sources to a vehicle, and verified the ability by the new-setup. As a result, the ability improved compared to one of the usual method.