Backward estimation of atmospheric release of Cs and I using total cumulative deposition in terrestrial areas following the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident

Iijima, Masashi*; Takahara, Shogo  

The Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP) accident caused a significant release of radionuclides into the environment. Backward estimations of the source term are generally performed using air concentrations, but they are difficult to measure when radioactive plumes are passing through, and only spatially and temporally limited measurements are available. Therefore, a new method of backward estimation was developed based on the total cumulative deposition density that can provide sufficient measurements by combining the atmospheric transport, dispersion and deposition model calculation. Consequently, our estimations have no significant contradiction with the previous studies that were based on air concentrations and an ambient dose equivalent rate. Further considerations are needed to clarify the source term of the FDNPP accident and explore the extent of uncertainty included in backward estimations considering the difference of model and input data.