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Iguchi, Satoshi; Yoshida, Masato; Hirano, Hiroshi*; Wada, Masaomi*; Mori, Yoshihito*; Kitamura, Akihiro
Journal of Robotics and Mechatronics, 37(4), p.973 - 983, 2025/08
In nuclear fuel fabrication facilities, gloveboxes are typically dismantled manually. The integration of remotely controlled equipment, comprising a robot arm and a size reduction tool, can enhance work efficiency and mitigate radiation exposure risks in dismantling operations. The hydraulic cutter is regarded as a highly effective tool for reducing the size of steel frame structures, which are commonly composed of gloveboxes. However, when an object is severed by a hydraulic cutter fixed to a robot arm, the resultant reaction force may compromise the integrity of the robot arm or nearby structures. Consequently, in this study, we designed and manufactured a buffer device that can loosely hold the cutter to automatically align the object and absorb the reaction force. Furthermore, a visual support system was developed to assist the operator in performing remote dismantling operations. This system utilized a 3D viewer to project the robot arm, the buffer device, and the working environment. The functionality of the buffer device and 3D viewer was evaluated for the glovebox test bed. The experimental results satisfactorily confirmed the functionality of the buffer device to self-align the object and absorb sudden movements of the hydraulic cutter. Moreover, the 3D viewer provided the robot arm operator with an unobstructed perspective of the work environment, thereby confirming the efficacy of the visual support system in facilitating remote dismantling operations.
Asakawa, Jun; Kimura, Yasuhisa; Hirano, Hiroshi*; Kitamura, Akihiro
Hoken Butsuri (Internet), 60(1), p.63 - 73, 2025/04
Yoshida, Masato; Iguchi, Satoshi; Hirano, Hiroshi*; Kitamura, Akihiro
Nuclear Engineering and Design, 431, p.113691_1 - 113691_16, 2025/01
Times Cited Count：0 Percentile：30.56(Nuclear Science & Technology)The Plutonium Fuel Fabrication Facility is currently in the decommissioning phase, with glovebox dismantling operations ongoing since 2010. During conventional glovebox dismantling operations, the glovebox to be dismantled is enclosed within plastic tents to contain contamination. The glovebox is then dismantled by workers wearing air-fed suits with thermal or mechanical cutting tools, which typically generate dross or sparks in the form of radioactive aerosols during cutting. Despite the longevity and meticulous organization of this manual method, the workload remains considerable, while the allowable working time is limited. In addition, the potential for inhalation exposure to plutonium is elevated in the event of an accident given the contamination of the work area. To overcome disadvantages associated with conventional glovebox dismantling methods, new methods are currently being developed. The primary objective is to reduce the reliance on operation based on air-fed suits and enhance worker safety by introducing remote equipment and a new floor-reinforcing panel. Another objective is to suppress waste generation by reusing all equipment on multiple occasions which is achieved by developing a containment system that have a large open port with a pallet for the storage and reuse of equipment for successive operations. Furthermore, a glove operation compartment is designed and tested for the manual handling of dismantled materials as an additional strategy to reduce work based on air-fed suits and mitigate secondary waste generation.
Nagai, Yuya; Kimura, Yasuhisa; Hirano, Hiroshi*; Kitamura, Akihiro
Hoken Butsuri (Internet), 59(4), p.168 - 181, 2024/12
We have dismantled one glovebox that stood very near at the wall of a controlled room and a part of one transfer tunnel that penetrated walls of control rooms. We have developed new containment boundaries because conventional tent enclosure cannot be applied to these objects. In this report, we present the features of new containment boundaries and dismantlement procedures we have developed and the details of the dismantlement activities we have implemented.
Kitamura, Akihiro; Hirano, Hiroshi*; Yoshida, Masato
Nuclear Engineering and Design, 411, p.112435_1 - 112435_14, 2023/09
Times Cited Count：2 Percentile：47.86(Nuclear Science & Technology)This study presents the features and brief history of the glovebox dismantling facility and the primary dismantlement results. Subsequently, we evaluate the novelties of the facility from operational experiences in manual and remote glovebox dismantlement methods and discuss their characteristics. Furthermore, we evaluate the worker exposure dose based on the obtained data. Finally, we show how these experiences are effectively fed back to the technological dismantlement development for our decommissioning project.
Kitamura, Akihiro; Hirano, Hiroshi*; Yoshida, Masato; Takeuchi, Kentaro
Hoken Butsuri (Internet), 58(2), p.76 - 90, 2023/08
The alpha contaminated gloveboxes have been dismantled for over 20 years in Plutonium Fuel Fabrication Facility. The so called wet recovery equipment gloveboxes, which recover plutonium and uranium from scrap fuel by dissolving and extracting processes, were chosen as the priority gloveboxes to be dismantled. These gloveboxes and other gloveboxes in the same room were size reduced and removed up until 2022. Also, non-radioactive ancillary facility and non-radioactive giant glovebox were removed from 2007 to 2010 for ease of glovebox dismantling activities that follows and for making waste storage spaces. Several incidents were occurred and recidivism prevention measures were implemented on each occasion. In this report, glovebox dismantling activities we conducted in the past 20 years are reviewed and lessons we have learned are summarized.
Shibanuma, Tomohiro; Hirano, Hiroshi*; Kimura, Yasuhisa; Aita, Takahiro; Yoshida, Masato; Nagai, Yuya; Kitamura, Akihiro
Hoken Butsuri (Internet), 58(2), p.91 - 98, 2023/08
We developed new containment tents that are more easily assembled and effectively functioned, by improving and refurbishing the shortcomings of the conventional tents. The new tents have been already tested in the real airborne contamination situation occurred at the plutonium fuel fabricating facility. The tents appropriately functioned for intended use but other shortcomings emerged and therefore we had modified the structure of the tents further.
Di Palma, A.; Adamo, P.*; Dohi, Terumi; Fujiwara, Kenso; Hagiwara, Hiroki; Kitamura, Akihiro; Sakoda, Akihiro; Sato, Kazuhiko; Iijima, Kazuki
Chemosphere, 308, Part 1, p.136179_1 - 136179_13, 2022/12
Times Cited Count：2 Percentile：8.84(Environmental Sciences)The present study shows the use of mosses transplanted in bags, called as moss bags, as biosensors of airborne radioactive dusts in the environment of the evacuated zone of Fukushima. A standardized protocol was applied and three moss species were used. Background sites of Okayama Prefecture were used for comparison. In the Fukushima area, the moss bags were able to accumulate radiocaesium in all exposure sites and periods, with Sphagnum palustre moss acting as the most performant moss. The radiocaesium activity concentrations dectected in mosses were in strong agreement with the Cs deposition levels and decontamination status of each exposure site. The accumulation of soil-derived radiocaesium by moss bags was supported by autoradiography and electron microscopy analyses. The linear dependency of Cs accumulation with the exposure time allowed a radiocaesium quantitative assessment.
Urushidate, Tadayuki*; Yoda, Tomoyuki; Otani, Shuichi*; Yamaguchi, Toshio*; Kunii, Nobuaki*; Kuriki, Kazuki*; Fujiwara, Kenso; Niizato, Tadafumi; Kitamura, Akihiro; Iijima, Kazuki
JAEA-Review 2022-023, 8 Pages, 2022/09
JAEA-Review-2022-023.pdf:1.19MB
After the accident of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station, the Japan Atomic Energy Agency has newly set up a laboratory in Fukushima and started measuring radioactivity concentrations of environmental samples. In October 2015, Fukushima Radiation Measurement Group has been accredited the ISO/IEC 17025 standard by the Japan Accreditation Board (JAB) as a testing laboratory for radioactivity analysis (
Cs, 
Cs) based on Gamma-ray spectrometry with germanium semiconductor detectors. The laboratory has measured approximately 60,000 of various environmental samples at the end of March 2022. The laboratory quality control and measurement techniques have been accredited by regular surveillance of JAB. In September 2019, the laboratory renewed accreditation as a testing laboratory for radioactivity analysis.
Cs discharge from a forested catchmentSakuma, Kazuyuki; Hayashi, Seiji*; Yoshimura, Kazuya; Kurikami, Hiroshi; Malins, A.; Funaki, Hironori; Tsuji, Hideki*; Kobayashi, Takamaru*; Kitamura, Akihiro; Iijima, Kazuki
Water Resources Research, 58(8), p.e2021WR031181_1 - e2021WR031181_16, 2022/08
Times Cited Count：2 Percentile：20.09(Environmental Sciences)Kikuchi, Haruka; Hirano, Hiroshi*; Kitamura, Akihiro
Nihon Genshiryoku Gakkai Wabun Rombunshi, 21(1), p.50 - 63, 2022/03
The air fed suit is a kind of personal protective equipment that provides purified air through a hose and that protects a worker from radiation hazards. In the Nuclear Fuel Cycle Engineering Laboratories of the JAEA, the suit is used for size reduction and dismantlement of radioactively contaminated, in particular with plutonium, gloveboxes and equipment. Although the suit has been widely adopted in the similar activities, there still exist potential hazards due to the limiting features of the suit itself and its supplemental system. In fact, we had faced with several unexpected problems regarding such restricted aspects during the dismantling activities. To address these failure potentials, we have implemented various countermeasures and improvements to enhance the workers safety. We describe the disadvantages of the air fed suit system and positive feedbacks we have implemented.
Sr in cattle bone and tooth samples by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometryKoarai, Kazuma; Matsueda, Makoto; Aoki, Jo; Yanagisawa, Kayo*; Terashima, Motoki; Fujiwara, Kenso; Kino, Yasushi*; Oka, Toshitaka; Takahashi, Atsushi*; Suzuki, Toshihiko*; et al.
Journal of Analytical Atomic Spectrometry, 36(8), p.1678 - 1682, 2021/08
Times Cited Count：7 Percentile：53.39(Chemistry, Analytical)Rapid analysis of Sr in bone and tooth samples of cattle were achieved by an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) coupled with mass shift and solid phase extraction techniques. Limit of detection (LOD) in the ICP-MS measurement of 0.1 g samples was lower than that of the radioactivity measurement. Analytical time of the ICP-MS method was reduced from 20 days to 11 hours, compared with the radiometric method. Therefore, the ICP-MS method can be rapid and useful procedure of Sr in small bone and tooth samples derived from terrestrial animals.
Matsueda, Makoto; Yanagisawa, Kayo*; Koarai, Kazuma; Terashima, Motoki; Fujiwara, Kenso; Abe, Hironobu; Kitamura, Akihiro; Takagai, Yoshitaka*
ACS Omega (Internet), 6(29), p.19281 - 19290, 2021/07
Times Cited Count：4 Percentile：30.67(Chemistry, Multidisciplinary)Online solid-phase extraction-inductively coupled plasma-quadrupole mass spectrometry with oxygen dynamic reaction cell (online SPE-ICP-MS-DRC) was shown to be a thorough automatic analytical system, circumventing the need for human handling. At three stepwise separations (SPE-DRC-Q mass filters), we showed that interference materials allowed the coexistence of abundance ratios of 1.5
10
for 
Tc/Mo. Using this optimized system, a detection limit of Tc was 9.3 pg/L (5.9 mBq/L) for a 50 mL injection and sequential measurements were undertaken at a cycle of 24 min/sample.
Sr in hard tissue samplesKoarai, Kazuma; Matsueda, Makoto; Aoki, Jo; Yanagisawa, Kayo*; Fujiwara, Kenso; Terashima, Motoki; Kitamura, Akihiro; Abe, Hironobu
KEK Proceedings 2020-4, p.180 - 185, 2020/11
Strontium-90 and Y, its daughter nuclide, adverse effects on the bone marrow. Monitoring of Sr in the bones have been required after the Fukushima-Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident. However, conventional radioactivity measurement method for Sr requires a complicated separation of Y and a time-consuming measurement. ICP-MS system has been applied to Sr concentration survey of water, soil, and edible part of fish. We applied the ICP-MS system for the bones for the first time. In this study, reference bone (JSAC 0785 fish bone) was used as measurement samples. Sample preparation of the bone was performed using a microwave digestion instrument. After sample preparation, Sr was determined using ICP-MS system with cascade separation steps based on on-line column separation and oxygen reaction. Strontium-90 in the bones was successfully separated from Ca, Ba, Y, Zr, Fe, Se, and Ge, which interfered in ICP-MS measurement, in the separation steps.
Nagao, Fumiya; Niizato, Tadafumi; Sasaki, Yoshito; Ito, Satomi; Watanabe, Takayoshi; Dohi, Terumi; Nakanishi, Takahiro; Sakuma, Kazuyuki; Hagiwara, Hiroki; Funaki, Hironori; et al.
JAEA-Research 2020-007, 249 Pages, 2020/10
JAEA-Research-2020-007.pdf:15.83MB
The accident of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station, Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, Inc. occurred due to the Great East Japan Earthquake, Sanriku offshore earthquake, of 9.0 magnitude and the accompanying tsunami. As a result, large amount of radioactive materials was released into the environment. Under these circumstances, Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) has been conducting "Long-term Assessment of Transport of Radioactive Contaminants in the Environment of Fukushima" concerning radioactive materials released in environment, especially migration behavior of radioactive cesium since November 2012. This report is a summary of the research results that have been obtained in environmental dynamics research conducted by JAEA in Fukushima Prefecture.
Hagiwara, Hiroki; Nakanishi, Takahiro; Konishi, Hiromi*; Tsuruta, Tadahiko; Misono, Toshiharu; Fujiwara, Kenso; Kitamura, Akihiro
Journal of Environmental Radioactivity, 220-221, p.106294_1 - 106294_9, 2020/09
Times Cited Count：0 Percentile：0.00(Environmental Sciences)Gorlachev, I.*; Kharkin, P.*; Dyussembayeva, M.*; Lukashenko, S.*; Gluchshenko, G.*; Matiyenko, L.*; Zheltov, D.*; Kitamura, Akihiro; Khlebnikov, N.*
Journal of Environmental Radioactivity, 213, p.106110_1 - 106110_10, 2020/03
Times Cited Count：14 Percentile：43.79(Environmental Sciences)The main goal of the presented research activities is to determine the degree of water contamination of the largest waterway of the STS, the Shagan river, with heavy elements and artificial radionuclides. Such approach made it possible to identify the most significant elements-contaminants typical for the selected object, to determine the most dirty points of the Shagan riverbed, to compare the degree of water contamination with heavy metals and artificial radionuclides, and to calculate the complex indices of water contamination with heavy metals. According to the obtained data, the recommendations can be made for application of Shagan's water for household purpose.
Kuwata, Haruka*; Misono, Toshiharu; Fujiwara, Kenso; Takeishi, Minoru; Manabe, Sachi*; Kitamura, Akihiro
Radiation Environment and Medicine, 9(1), p.28 - 34, 2020/02
The analysis of tritium in aquatic biota is one of the most important research areas in Fukushima. The conventional method for measuring the concentration of tritium consists of complicated pretreatment procedures and requires skillful techniques as well as a significant amount of time. Consequently, there are only a few reports on tritium monitoring data in marine products from the coast of Fukushima. In this study, we measured the Tissue Free Water Tritium (TFWT) and Organically Bound Tritium (OBT) in flounders collected from the coast of Fukushima to examine the impacts of the nuclear accident on aquatic biota. The study was done for a period of 4 years; from 2015 to 2018. The conventional method of analysis was firstly used, after which the method was modified by improving the freeze-drying and combustion water recovery processes. Results from both methods show that the most of the concentrations of the TFWT and OBT in the flounder were below the detection or quantitative limit. The effect of the nuclear accident on humans, through internal exposure, was also examined and found to be negligible. Although some uncertainties exist due to the short cut of the processes, the modified version could be considered an effective and practical approximate method.
Hagiwara, Hiroki; Konishi, Hiromi*; Nakanishi, Takahiro; Fujiwara, Kenso; Iijima, Kazuki; Kitamura, Akihiro
Journal of Environmental Radioactivity, 211, p.106042_1 - 106042_10, 2020/01
Times Cited Count：4 Percentile：16.02(Environmental Sciences)Kim, M.; Malins, A.; Yoshimura, Kazuya; Sakuma, Kazuyuki; Kurikami, Hiroshi; Kitamura, Akihiro; Machida, Masahiko; Hasegawa, Yukihiro*; Yanagi, Hideaki*
Journal of Environmental Radioactivity, 210, p.105803_1 - 105803_10, 2019/12
Times Cited Count：6 Percentile：18.28(Environmental Sciences)To improve the accuracy of simulations for air dose rates over fallout contaminated areas, the distribution of the radionuclides within the environment should be modelled realistically, e.g. considering differences in radioactivity levels between agricultural land, urban surfaces, and forest compartments. Moreover simulations should model the shielding of 
rays by buildings, trees and land topography. Here we outline a system for generating three dimensional models of urban and rural areas in Fukushima Prefecture. The Cs and Cs radioactivity distribution can be set flexibly across the different components of the model. The models incorporate realistic representations of local buildings, based on nine common Japanese designs, individual conifer and broadleaf trees, and the topography of the land surface. Models are generated from Digital Elevation Model (DEM) and Digital Surface Model (DSM) datasets, and refined by users assisted with ortho-photographs of target sites. Completed models are exported from the system in a format suitable for the Particle and Heavy Ion Transport code System (PHITS) for the calculation of air dose rates and other radiological quantities. The system is demonstrated by modelling a suburban area 4 km from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant that has yet to be decontaminated. Air dose rates calculated in PHITS were correlated with measurements taken across the site in a car-borne survey.
