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Sakoda, Akihiro; Ishimori, Yuu; Hasan, Md. M.*; Jin, Q.*; Iimoto, Takeshi*
Atmosphere (Internet), 15(6), p.701_1 - 701_12, 2024/06
Times Cited Count:0 Percentile:0.00(Environmental Sciences)Building materials such as brick and concrete are known indoor radon (Rn) and thoron (Rn) sources. Most radon and thoron exhalation studies are based on the laboratory testing of pieces and blocks of such materials. To discuss if laboratory findings can be applied to a real-world environment, we conducted intensive in-situ exhalation tests on two solid concrete interior walls of an apartment in Japan for over a year. Exhalation rates of radon () and thoron () were measured by a measurement system, mainly consisting of an accumulation chamber and dedicated monitors. The indoor air temperature () and absolute humidity () were measured in parallel, and the wall-surface temperature and water content were occasionally measured. All data obtained here were investigated to reveal environmental and material-associated factors affecting exhalation from the concrete walls. There were weak correlations between or and T or at one tested wall, and moderate correlations of and strong correlations of with or at the other wall. Our findings on were consistent with those in a previous laboratory work where a concrete sample was subject to various temperatures, although a corresponding laboratory study of could not be collected. Additionally, moderate or strong correlation between and was observed for both tested walls. The comparison of the measured data and theoretical calculations revealed a new issue on how much impact each process of the emanation and migration within concrete pore spaces has on radon and thoron exhalation. This study provides an insight into parameterizing radon and thoron source inputs in modeling the spatiotemporal dynamics of indoor radon and thoron.
Sakoda, Akihiro; Ishimori, Yuu; Jin, Q.*; Iimoto, Takeshi*
Applied Radiation and Isotopes, 207, p.111180_1 - 111180_8, 2024/05
Times Cited Count:1 Percentile:82.00(Chemistry, Inorganic & Nuclear)The impacts of mathematical models and associated parameters on radon (Rn) and thoron (Rn) exhalation rates based on in-situ testing at building interior solid walls were demonstrated to improve data analysis techniques. The results showed that the heterogeneity of their activity concentrations within the measurement system was more significant for thoron than radon. The diurnal variation in indoor radon should be considered for better data quality. In conclusion, a model should be appropriately made and selected under the purposes and accuracy requirements of the exhalation test.
Katengeza, E. W.*; Sanada, Yukihisa; Ochi, Kotaro; Iimoto, Takeshi*
Cogent Engineering (Internet), 11(1), p.2340203_1 - 2340203_9, 2024/04
The uncertainty of radioactivity measurements can be influenced by the vertical distribution of the target radionuclide in the sediments. This study used 2015-2019 field measurement data from 47 ponds to evaluate the depth dependence of calibration factors of plastic scintillation fiber (PSF) and its influence on measurement uncertainty. By changing the depth of focus from 10 cm to 15-20 cm when calculating the conversion factor, the normalized mean square error of the radiocesium concentration estimated by the PSF with respect to the radiocesium concentration in core sediments sampled at the same location was found to be smaller.
Terasaka, Yuta; Iimoto, Takeshi*; Saso, Michitaka*; Fujita, Reiko*
Nihon Genshiryoku Gakkai-Shi ATOMO, 66(4), p.203 - 207, 2024/04
no abstracts in English
Takahara, Shogo; Iimoto, Takeshi*; Igarashi, Takayuki*; Kawabata, Masako*
Hoken Butsuri (Internet), 58(2), p.50 - 58, 2023/08
The Health Physics Society of Japan established a working group to obtain the insights and findings from the articles, which are related to the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station (1F) accident, published in the Japanese Journal of Health Physics. This paper describes the results of the review on 47 articles, which are classified into the field without risk communication, environmental measurement and monitoring, radiation dose measurement and assessment, radiation medicine and radioactive waste. In the reviewed articles, there are various insights and issues depending on the standpoint of the authors and social interests in the timing those published. It is important to face these insights and issues to consider prudently "what is health physics or radiation protection?" for the future development of the Health Physics society.
Shimada, Kazumasa; Nagai, Haruyasu; Hashimoto, Makoto; Iimoto, Takeshi*
Nihon Genshiryoku Gakkai-Shi ATOMO, 65(5), P. 290, 2023/05
This article is part of the special feature article "What should be done from now on after the 1F accident and what should be conveyed to the next generation after the 1F accident?" of the Atomic Energy Society of Japan, which summarizes the discussions and future proposals on nuclear disaster prevention in which the members of the Health Physics and Environment Science Subcommittee have been involved. In view of the recommendations of the Accident Investigation Committee of the Atomic Energy Society of Japan and the Meteorological Society of Japan, the behavior of radioactive plumes and the prediction of residents' evacuation behavior should be studied to support decision-making on evacuation and other protective measures for residents in and outside the UPZ. Furthermore, decision-making on protective measures and practical risk communication to residents based on radiation health risks to residents and ethical aspects are newly proposed.
Igarashi, Yu; Yamaguchi, Ichiro*; Oda, Keiji*; Fukushi, Masahiro*; Sakama, Minoru*; Iimoto, Takeshi*
Nihon Hoshasen Anzen Kanri Gakkai-Shi, 21(2), p.74 - 76, 2022/11
no abstracts in English
Ochi, Kotaro; Funaki, Hironori; Yoshimura, Kazuya; Iimoto, Takeshi*; Matsuda, Norihiro; Sanada, Yukihisa
Radiation and Environmental Biophysics, 61(1), p.147 - 159, 2022/03
Times Cited Count:2 Percentile:32.67(Biology)Hasan, Md. M.*; Janik, M.*; Sakoda, Akihiro; Iimoto, Takeshi*
Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 193(12), p.770_1 - 770_10, 2021/12
Times Cited Count:2 Percentile:9.66(Environmental Sciences)Potentially higher cancer risk due to exposure from natural background radiation was indicated for Bangladeshi population by estimations based on the countrywide study. Several regions with elevated natural background exhibited higher soil radium and thorium contents than the world average. Being the decay products of these radioactive elements, natural radon isotopes could constitute environmental risk factors for internal radiation exposure to the lungs of people living in these areas. Although lung cancer is one of most prevalent types of cancer in Bangladesh, its status and features are still unclear. To clarify the present status of one of the potential risk factors for lung cancer in the country, this review intends to ascertain the countrywide radon exposure, and its pathways by types of local dwelling and by regions; which would provide an indication of the internal exposures in areas of elevated natural background radiation and radionuclides of soil as well as an understanding of the preliminary contribution of environmental radon on the country's lung cancer prevalence. In this review, countrywide air radon exposures for Bangladeshi dwellings and workplaces are organized from peer-reviewed published papers. Radon has been identified as one of influential sources of radiation dose in Bangladesh with its higher radon exhalation and emanation rate from soil. A novel nationwide depiction of the overall indoor and soil radon levels for Bangladesh has been made through radiation maps. This would be helpful for designing future systematic radon/radiological surveys and research on the country's lung cancer prevalence.
Takahashi, Tomoyuki*; Fukaya, Yukiko*; Iimoto, Takeshi*; Uni, Yasuo*; Kato, Tomoko; Sun, S.*; Takeda, Seiji; Nakai, Kunihiro*; Nakabayashi, Ryo*; Uchida, Shigeo*; et al.
Hoken Butsuri (Internet), 56(4), p.288 - 305, 2021/12
We report the results of activities related to the Task Group of Parameters Used in Biospheric Dose Assessment Models for Radioactive Waste Disposal at the Japan Health Physics Society.
Hokama, Tomonori; Fujita, Hiroki; Nakano, Masanao; Iimoto, Takeshi*
Radiation Protection Dosimetry, 196(3-4), p.136 - 140, 2021/11
Times Cited Count:0 Percentile:0.00(Environmental Sciences)During the early phase of a nuclear accident, major radioactive materials are released into the environment, necessitating the prompt deployment of various protective actions to avoid or reduce radiation exposure. To implement these actions, the levels of radioactivity in the environment should be determined. However, the radioactivity concentrations of artificial alpha-particle-emitting radionuclides such as plutonium are difficult to measure in airborne samples, because they are interfered with natural radionuclides such as uranium decay products. Therefore, chemical separation is required to measure the concentrations. This study presents a new emergency monitoring system for airborne samples, which performs multiple-pulse time-interval analysis (MTA) without chemical separation. The system is used in conjunction with an alpha/beta-particle survey meter and adopted an analysis method focusing on the detected time interval of each particle. Its features are that a short time to output measurement result, easy handling and nondestructive. The estimated detection limit of the system was 9.510 Bq m. The MTA-based monitoring system could be useful in situations requiring prompt measurement and screening of samples.
Katengeza, E. W.*; Ochi, Kotaro; Sanada, Yukihisa; Iimoto, Takeshi*; Yoshinaga, Shinji*
Health Physics, 121(1), p.48 - 57, 2021/07
Times Cited Count:1 Percentile:12.48(Environmental Sciences)Special reconstruction and revitalization bases were designated in Fukushima's difficult-to-return zones by the Japanese government as targets of intensive decontamination to drastically lower air dose rates and enable residents to return. A pond amidst residences of one of these bases was targeted for decontamination and this study aimed at evaluating the effect and effectiveness of the decontamination by decontamination factor, air dose rate reduction factor, and the additional annual effective dose to residents. Air dose rates were measured in-situ with KURAMMA-II while soil core samples were collected and measured for radioactivity in the laboratory by gamma spectrometry. Lower decontamination factors were observed for more deeply distributed radiocesium soil profiles whereas areas covered with gravel demonstrated the largest reduction in air dose rates. Decontamination effectively lowered the radiocesium inventory and air dose rates by 51% and 37-91% respectively. Moreover, the additional annual effective dose to the public changed from 1.70.79 mSv to 1.20.57 mSv because of decontamination representing a dose aversion of 29%. These findings demonstrate how decontaminating ponds in residential areas can help to further lower the external exposure.
Katengeza, E. W.*; Sanada, Yukihisa; Yoshimura, Kazuya; Ochi, Kotaro; Iimoto, Takeshi*
Environmental Science; Processes & Impacts, 22(7), p.1566 - 1576, 2020/07
Times Cited Count:12 Percentile:55.46(Chemistry, Analytical)Miwa, Kazuji; Takeda, Seiji; Iimoto, Takeshi*
Radiation Protection Dosimetry, 184(3-4), p.372 - 375, 2019/10
Times Cited Count:0 Percentile:0.00(Environmental Sciences)The Ministry of the Environment has indicated the policy of recycling the contaminated soil generated by decontamination activity after the Fukushima accident. By recycling to coastal reclamation which is one of effective recycling application, dissolved radiocesium and absorbed radiocesium on soil particles will flow out to the ocean by construction, therefore evaluating radiocesium transition in ocean considering the both types of radiocesium is important for safety assessment. In this study, the radiocesium outflow during constructing and after constructing is modeled, and radiocesium transition in ocean is evaluated by Sediment model suggested in OECD/NEA. The adaptability of sediment model is confirmed by reproducing evaluation of the coastal area of Fukushima. We incorporate the sediment model to PASCLR2 code system to evaluate the doses from radiocesium in ocean.
Sugiyama, Daisuke*; Kimura, Hideo; Tachikawa, Hirokazu*; Iimoto, Takeshi*; Kawata, Yosuke*; Ogino, Haruyuki*; Okoshi, Minoru*
Journal of Radiological Protection, 38(1), p.456 - 462, 2018/03
Times Cited Count:0 Percentile:0.00(Environmental Sciences)Experience after the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station has shown that there is a need to establish radiation protection criteria for radioactive waste management consistent with the criteria adopted for the remediation of existing exposure situations. A stepwise approach to setting such criteria is proposed. Initially, a reference level for annual effective dose from waste management activities in the range 1-10 mSv should be set, with the reference level being less than the reference level for ambient dose. Subsequently, the reference level for annual effective dose from waste management activities should be reduced in one or more steps to achieve a final target value of 1 mSv. The dose criteria at each stage should be determined with relevant stakeholder involvement. Illustrative case studies show how this stepwise approach might be applied in practice.
Yokoyama, Sumi*; Hamada, Nobuyuki*; Hayashida, Toshiyuki*; Tsujimura, Norio; Tatsuzaki, Hideo*; Kurosawa, Tadahiro*; Nabatame, Kuniaki*; Oguchi, Hiroyuki*; Ono, Kazuko*; Kawaura, Chiyo*; et al.
Journal of Radiological Protection, 37(3), p.659 - 683, 2017/09
Times Cited Count:15 Percentile:79.81(Environmental Sciences)Since the International Commission on Radiological Protection recommended reducing the occupational equivalent dose limit for the lens of the eye in 2011, there have been extensive discussions in various countries. This paper reviews the current situations in radiation protection of the ocular lens and the discussions on the potential impact of the new lens dose limit in Japan. Topics include historical changes to the lens dose limit, the current situations in occupational lens exposures (e.g., in medical workers, nuclear workers, and Fukushima nuclear power plant workers) and measurements, and the current status of biological studies and epidemiological studies on radiation cataracts. Our focus is on the situations in Japan, but we believe such information sharing will be useful in many other countries.
Iimoto, Takeshi*; Kinoshita, Norikazu*; Sakaguchi, Aya*; Sugihara, Shinji*; Takamiya, Koichi*; Tagami, Keiko*; Nagao, Seiya*; Bessho, Kotaro*; Matsumura, Hiroshi*; Miura, Taichi*; et al.
KEK Report 2016-3, 134 Pages, 2017/03
This report is summary of study on environmental radioactivity effected from the accident at the TEPCO Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in 5 years after the accident. It was compiled efforts related to the accident reported from the 13th to the 17th "Workshop on Environmental Radioactivity" which was held at the High Energy Accelerator Research and Development Organization.
Akahane, Keiichi*; Iimoto, Takeshi*; Ichiji, Takeshi*; Iwai, Satoshi*; Oguchi, Hiroyuki*; Ono, Kazuko*; Kawaura, Chiyo*; Kurosawa, Tadahiro*; Tatsuzaki, Hideo*; Tsujimura, Norio; et al.
Hoken Butsuri, 50(4), p.257 - 261, 2015/12
In a mixed field of photon and beta radiations, the same dose assigned to skin is normally assigned to the dose to the lens of the eye as a conservative estimate of H(3). In exceptional cases that a very high beta dose might be imparted of the same order with the dose limit, however, the conservatively biased dose must be too limiting, and thereby an accurate estimate of beta (3) is desirable. This article presents a practical proposal of when and how the dosimetry of beta (3) should be made.
Akahane, Keiichi*; Iimoto, Takeshi*; Ichiji, Takeshi*; Iwai, Satoshi*; Oguchi, Hiroyuki*; Ono, Kazuko*; Kawaura, Chiyo*; Tatsuzaki, Hideo*; Tsujimura, Norio; Hamada, Nobuyuki*; et al.
Hoken Butsuri, 49(3), p.153 - 156, 2014/09
A brief review is given of the history and methodology of external dosimetry for the lens of the eye. Under the 1989 revision to domestic radiological protection regulations, the concept on the effective dose equivalent and the dose limit to the lens of the eye (150 mSv/y) both introduced in ICRP 1977 recommendations has changed nationwide the external monitoring methodology in non-uniform exposure situations to the trunk of a radiological worker. In such situations, often created by the presence of a protective apron, the worker is required to use at least two personal dosemeters, one worn on the trunk under the apron and the other, typically, at the collar over the apron. The latter dosemeter serves the dual purpose of providing the dose profile across the trunk for improved effective dose equivalent assessment and of estimating the dose to lens of the eye. The greater or appropriate value between (10) and (0.07), given by the dosemeter, is generally used as a surrogate of (3).
Ogawa, Tatsuhiko; Morev, M.*; Iimoto, Takeshi*; Kosako, Toshiso*
Progress in Nuclear Science and Technology (Internet), 4, p.574 - 577, 2014/04
Depth distributions of radioactive fragments in a thick lead target exposed to 400 MeV/u carbon ions were measured to obtain isotopic production cross-sections of Pb(C,x) X reactions as excitation functions. The procedure of this experiment was validated by comparing the obtained data with the available thin target experimental data. Energy and mass dependences of the obtained cross-sections give insight into the reaction mechanism and will be useful for radiation transport code benchmarking.