Radiation monitoring in the residential environment; Time dependencies of air dose rate and Cs inventory

Yoshimura, Kazuya  ; Nakama, Shigeo ; Fujiwara, Kenso 

To better understand the radiation environment in urban area, this study investigated temporal changes in air dose rate as well as Cs inventories (Bq m) in both residential areas and agricultural fields. The air dose rate decreased faster in residential areas than in agricultural fields. It was also observed that the Cs inventory on paved surfaces decreased with time due to horizontal wash-off, while the permeable surfaces showed no significant temporal changes unless decontamination. Our results suggest that the horizontal wash-off of Cs on the paved surfaces facilitated the decrease in air dose rate in urban areas to a greater extent compared with agricultural fields, of which air dose rate was decreased due to vertical migration of Cs.