Formation of Type A glassy cesium-bearing microparticles from HEPA filter materials in Unit 3 during Fukushima Dai-ichi NPS accident; From viewpoint of similarity in silicate glass composition

Hidaka, Akihide   

Author recently proposed that the Type A glassy Cesium-bearing microparticles that were released during the Fukushima accident may have been formed by melting and atomization of glass fibers of the High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter in the Stand-by Gas Treatment System (SGTS) line in Unit 3 during the hydrogen explosion. In the present study, the components of the Type A and glass fibers of HEPA filter were examined using EPMA. The results showed that the components of the Type A were almost the same as that of the glass fibers except for Cs, Fe, Sn, which are considered to have been contained in the in-vessel-derived particles. When the glass fiber was irradiated with the electron beam of the Electron Probe Micro Analyzer (EPMA) under vacuum condition, spherical particles of a few micro m size were formed that looked very similar to the Type A. These strongly suggest that the HEPA filter is Si source of the Type A.