Analysis of particles in the stagnant water of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station building by microbeam X-ray spectroscopy

Yomogida, Takumi   ; Kobata, Masaaki  ; Watanabe, Yusuke  ; Fujimori, Shinichi   ; Kirihara, Yoichi  ; Yaita, Tsuyoshi; Okamoto, Yoshihiro  ; Doi, Reisuke  ; Kobayashi, Toru ; Tsuji, Takuya  ; Tanida, Hajime  ; Takeda, Yukiharu   ; Okane, Tetsuo  ; Kitatsuji, Yoshihiro  

We detected particles containing Uranium(U) in stagnant water of Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station building and analyzed by synchrotron microbeam X-ray spectroscopy. We found two different types of U-containing particles: fine U particles (a few micrometers in diameter) and Fe particles with adsorbed U (tens to hundreds of micrometers in diameter). The X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) spectra of these particles showed that the U distributed on the Fe particles was in a more oxidized states than the fine U particles, which suggested these U had migrated to the stagnant water through a different formation process.