Speciation of cesium in a radiocesium-bearing microparticle emitted from Unit 1 during the Fukushima nuclear accident by XANES spectroscopy using transition edge sensor

Takahashi, Yoshio*; Miura, Hikaru*; Yamada, Shinya*; Sekizawa, Oki*; Nitta, Kiyofumi*; Hashimoto, Tadashi*; Yomogida, Takumi; Yamaguchi, Akiko; Okada, Shinji*; Itai, Takaaki*; et al.

Journal of Hazardous Materials, 495, p.139031_1 - 139031_19, 2025/09

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2025.139031

In this presentation, we analyzed the chemical state of cesium in radiocesium-bearing microparticles (CsMPs) released during the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident using high-resolution X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XANES) and micro X-ray fluorescence (-XRF). The results identified two forms of cesium: one dissolved in glass and the other enriched on the surfaces of internal voids. The latter is considered to have originally existed as a gas and became concentrated during the cooling and solidification of the molten glass. These findings are crucial for understanding the formation process of CsMPs during the accident, as well as for future decommissioning and safety assessments.