Lens dosimetry study in Sr+Y beta field; Full-face mask respirator shielding and dosemeter positioning

Tsujimura, Norio; Hoshi, Katsuya; Yamazaki, Takumi; Momose, Takumaro; Aoki, Katsunori; Yoshitomi, Hiroshi; Tanimura, Yoshihiko; Yokoyama, Sumi*

KEK Proceedings 2020-5, p.21 - 28, 2020/11

Development of a new detector system to evaluate position and activity of plutonium particles in nasal cavities

Morishita, Yuki; Yamamoto, Seiichi*; Momose, Takumaro; Kaneko, Junichi*; Nemoto, Norio

Radiation Protection Dosimetry, 178(4), p.414 - 421, 2018/03

https://doi.org/10.1093/rpd/ncx127

Plutonium dioxide (PuO) is used to fabricate a mixed oxide fuel for fast breeder reactors. When a glove box containing PuO fails, such as by rupture of a glove or a vinyl bag, airborne contamination of plutonium (Pu) can occur. If the worker inhale PuO particles, they deposit in the lung and cause lung cancer. The nasal smear and nose blow methods are useful for checking workers for PuO intake in the field. However, neither method can evaluate the quantitative activity of Pu. No alpha-particle detector that can be used for direct measurements in the nasal cavity has been developed. Therefore, we developed a nasal monitor capable of directly measuring the activity of Pu in the nasal cavity to precisely evaluate the internal exposure dose of a worker. Prismatic-shaped 22 acrylic light guides were used to compose a detector block, and a ZnS(Ag) scintillator was adhered to the surface of these light guides. Silicon photomultiplier (SiPM) arrays with 88 channels were used as a photodetector. Actual PuO particles were measured using the nasal monitor. The nasal monitor could be directly inserted in the nasal cavities. The activity distribution of Pu was obtained by the nasal monitor. The average efficiencies in 4 were 11.43% and 11.58% for the left and right nasal cavities, respectively. The effect of and rays on the detection of the alpha particles of Pu was negligible. The difference in the measured Pu activity between the ZnS(Ag) scintillation counter and the nasal monitor was within 4.0%. The developed nasal monitor can solve the uncertainty problem encountered with the nasal smear and the nose blow methods. We expect this monitor to be useful for accurately estimating the internal exposure dose of workers.

Results of whole body counting for JAEA staff members engaged in the emergency radiological monitoring for the Fukushima nuclear disaster

Takada, Chie; Kurihara, Osamu*; Kanai, Katsuta; Nakagawa, Takahiro; Tsujimura, Norio; Momose, Takumaro

NIRS-M-252, p.3 - 11, 2013/03

http://repo.nirs.go.jp/dspace/bitstream/918273645/330/1/nirs_m_252.pdf

A massive earthquake and tsunami on March 11, 2011 resulted in an enormous amount of release of radioactivity to the environment. On the day after the earthquake occurrence, Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) started emergency radiological monitoring. The measurements with whole body counter (WBC) for the staff members who had returned from Fukushima started at the end of March. The measured activity of I due to inhalation for emergency staff varied from LLD to 7 kBq, which corresponded to a range of estimated initial intakes of 1 to 60 kBq when extrapolated back to the date on which the staff started the operation in Fukushima. The measured activity of Cs and Cs were both in the ranges of LLD - 3 kBq. The range of initial intake of Cs to I was 11 when taking a median from all the measurements. The maximum committed effective dose of 0.8 mSv was recorded for a worker, a member of the 2nd monitoring team dispatched from March 13 to 14.

Special environmental monitoring around Tokai-mura after the accident of the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Station

Fujita, Hiroki; Nagaoka, Mika; Kono, Takahiko; Takeyasu, Masanori; Kawasaki, Masatsugu; Okura, Takehisa; Tsujimura, Norio; Sumiya, Shuichi; Momose, Takumaro; Furuta, Sadaaki

Proceedings of 13th International Congress of the International Radiation Protection Association (IRPA-13) (Internet), 7 Pages, 2012/05

http://www.irpa.net/members/P12.31fp.pdf

The nuclear accident at Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Station of Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO) was caused by the Tohoku District-off the Pacific Ocean Earthquake. Various kinds of radionuclides were released from the power station right after the accident occurred and then reached our laboratories. Therefore, environmental monitoring was reinforced by observation of air absorbed dose rate, periodic collection of airborne dust, precipitation. The collected samples were used to determine radioactivity of ray emitters by High pure Germanium semiconductor detector. Moreover, rainwater and humidity were collected to do the usual routine monitoring. In some samples, Sr, I, Cs and Cs were detected with radioactivity released from the Fukushima station. In other samples such as seawater, seabed soil and etc., similar radionuclides were detected including the influence of the accident.

Development of a microcalorimeter with transition edge sensor for detection of LX rays emitted by transuranium elements

Nakamura, Keisuke; Maeda, Makoto*; Yasumune, Takashi*; Maehata, Keisuke*; Ishibashi, Kenji*; Tanaka, Keiichi*; Umeno, Takahiro*; Takasaki, Koji; Momose, Takumaro

Radiation Protection Dosimetry, 146(1-3), p.88 - 91, 2011/07

https://doi.org/10.1093/rpd/ncr118

A Transition Edge Sensor (TES) microcalorimeter has been developed for use as an energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer. A TES microcalorimeter is a thermal detector used to measure the energy of an incident photon with increase in temperature. In this work, a TES microcalorimeter with a 5m Au absorber was developed for use in measuring LX rays emitted from transuranium elements. Furthermore, as a cooling system a dilution refrigerator utilizing a Gifford-McMahon refrigerator was used, which needs no liquid helium. The performance of the TES microcalorimeter was evaluated by measuring the LX rays emitted by an Am source. This system proved effective in the measurement of the LX rays because the full width at half maximum of the LX ray was about 80 eV.

Re-evaluation of a method for monitoring airborne radioiodine discharge and its contribution to development of an advanced method

Koarashi, Jun; Mikami, Satoshi; Miyauchi, Toru; Kozawa, Tomoyasu*; Yokota, Tomokazu*; Nakada, Akira; Akiyama, Kiyomitsu; Momose, Takumaro

JAEA-Technology 2010-039, 34 Pages, 2010/12

JAEA-Technology-2010-039.pdf:1.13MB
JAEA-Technology-2010-039(errata).pdf:0.08MB

The current methodology for monitoring airborne radioiodine at the Tokai reprocessing plant (TRP) was reviewed, and some investigations were made to re-evaluate collection and measurement techniques in the methodology. The investigations focused particularly on: (1) in situ collection efficiency of an iodine sampler for I and its dependence on sampling flow rate; (2) evaluation of I and I activities collected in an activated charcoal cartridge; (3) I collection capacity of an activated charcoal cartridge under reprocessing off-gas conditions; and (4) real-time monitoring system for I in airborne effluent. The results obtained gave not only the validity of the TRP's monitoring method, but also technical aspects required for establishing a more reliable and effective monitoring method for radioiodine isotopes.

Radiation detection and measurement in patients contaminated with alpha emitters

Momose, Takumaro; Kurihara, Osamu; Takada, Chie; Furuta, Sadaaki

Proceedings of 1st International Symposium on Radiation Emergency Medicine at Hirosaki University, p.65 - 72, 2010/07

The basic principle of radiation control at plutonium facility such as characteristics of plutonium and relevant radionuclide which are operated in nuclear fuel cycle facilities is introduced and potential radioactive contaminations in accident is discussed. As a practice, decontamination procedure of skin at Tokai Reprocessing Plant, some of the operating principles and applications of various radiation detection and measurement instruments for contamination control and occupational monitoring for internal contamination are introduced. Special methods of measurement for alpha emitters for performing radiological monitoring such as radio autography of plutonium contamination on smear samples, nasal swab sampling and measurement, in vivo and in vitro analysis for plutonium and uranium have been improved and proven. The internal dose calculation code was originally developed in order to estimate retrospectively in case of accidental intake of plutonium.

Radioactive airborne effluent discharged from Tokai reprocessing plant; 1998-2007

Nakada, Akira; Miyauchi, Toru; Akiyama, Kiyomitsu; Momose, Takumaro; Kozawa, Tomoyasu*; Yokota, Tomokazu*; Otomo, Hiroyuki*

JAEA-Data/Code 2008-018, 134 Pages, 2008/10

JAEA-Data-Code-2008-018.pdf:3.23MB

This report provides the data set of atmospheric discharges from Tokai reprocessing plant in Tokai-mura, Japan over the period from 1998 to 2007. Daily and weekly data are shown for Kr that is continuously monitored and for the other nuclide (Alpha emitters, Beta emitters, H, C, I, I) whose activities are evaluated based on weekly batch-samplings, respectively. The data contained in this report are expected to apply for studying the behavior of the radioactive airborne effluent in the environment.

Practical action levels for chelation therapy in plutonium inhalation using nose swab

Kurihara, Osamu; Takada, Chie; Takasaki, Koji; Ito, Kimio; Momose, Takumaro; Miyabe, Kenjiro

Radiation Protection Dosimetry, 127(1-4), p.411 - 414, 2007/11

https://doi.org/10.1093/rpd/ncm295

Practical action levels for beginning chelation therapy to remove plutonium in the body are now under discussion in Japan since there has been no experience in administrating agents to a subject in accidental intake in Japan although a first commercial reprocessing plant is about to start operation. Recently, International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) proposed some medical intervention levels for chelation therapy on ICRP Publication 96. These levels are determined based on internal dose however common monitoring methods such as lung counting or excreta analysis are not necessarily suitable in terms of both sensitivity and promptness. As an alternative, the authors paid attention to nose swabs and introduced the practical action levels.

Development of a neutron personal dose equivalent detector

Tsujimura, Norio; Yoshida, Tadayoshi; Takada, Chie; Momose, Takumaro; Nunomiya, Tomoya*; Aoyama, Kei*

Radiation Protection Dosimetry, 126(1-4), p.261 - 264, 2007/08

https://doi.org/10.1093/rpd/ncm054

The authors developed a new neutron measuring-instrument that was designed to measure neutron personal dose equivalent, (10). This detector is composed a central thermal neutron detector, a core-polyethylene moderator, a front-hemispherical polyethylene moderator and rear-hemispherical boron-contained polyethylene absorber. Dimensions of each part were determined so as to provide energy- and angular-responses close to energy- and angular-dependencies of neutron (10), based on the Monte Carlo calculations.