Integrated radiation air dose rate maps over the 80 km radius of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant and the entire Fukushima Prefecture during 2011-2022

Sakuma, Kazuyuki; Kurikami, Hiroshi; Wainwright, Haruko*; Tanimori, Soichiro*; Nagao, Fumiya; Ochi, Kotaro; Sanada, Yukihisa; Saito, Kimiaki

Journal of Environmental Radioactivity, 280, p.107554_1 - 107554_11, 2024/12

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvrad.2024.107554

In this study, we created the integrated radiation air dose rate maps in the Fukushima region during 2011-2022 using multiple types of surveys such as air-borne, car-borne and walk surveys as well as fixed-location measurements. We applied the Bayesian geostatistical method developed by Wainwright et al. (2017, 2019) to the 80 km radius of the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant and the whole of Fukushima Prefecture while considering the history of the lifting of the evacuation zone in Fukushima. The integrated maps fixed the bias to underestimate air dose rates in forest areas, and successfully created more reproducible integrated maps with a wider area and time series than the previous studies. It is highly expected that the results of this study will be used to evaluate detailed exposure doses to the general public.

Difference in expansion and dehydration behaviors between NH- and K-montmorillonite

Kawakita, Ryohei; Saito, Akito*; Sakuma, Hiroshi*; Anraku, Sohtaro; Kikuchi, Ryosuke*; Otake, Tsubasa*; Sato, Tsutomu*

Applied Clay Science, 231, p.106722_1 - 106722_7, 2023/01

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clay.2022.106722

Watershed-geochemical model to simulate dissolved and particulate Cs discharge from a forested catchment

Sakuma, 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

https://doi.org/10.1029/2021WR031181

Effect of interlayer cations on montmorillonite swelling; Comparison between molecular dynamic simulations and experiments

Yotsuji, Kenji*; Tachi, Yukio; Sakuma, Hiroshi*; Kawamura, Katsuyuki*

Applied Clay Science, 204, p.106034_1 - 106034_13, 2021/04

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clay.2021.106034

Simulation study of the effects of buildings, trees and paved surfaces on ambient dose equivalent rates outdoors at three suburban sites near Fukushima Dai-ichi

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

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvrad.2018.09.001

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.

A Modeling approach to estimate the Cs discharge in rivers from immediately after the Fukushima accident until 2017

Sakuma, Kazuyuki; Nakanishi, Takahiro; Yoshimura, Kazuya; Kurikami, Hiroshi; Namba, Kenji*; Zheleznyak, M.*

Journal of Environmental Radioactivity, 208-209, p.106041_1 - 106041_12, 2019/11

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvrad.2019.106041

We developed a simple model to evaluate and predict Cs discharge from catchment using tank model and L-Q equation. Using this model, Cs discharge and discharge ratio from Abukuma River and 13 other rivers in Fukushima coastal region were estimated from immediately after Fukushima accident to 2017. Cesium-137 discharge ratio to the deposition amount in catchment through Abukuma River and 13 other rivers in Fukushima coastal region during about initial six months were estimated to be 18 TBq (3.1%) and 11 TBq (0.8%), respectively. These values were 1-2 orders of magnitude larger than the previous study observed after June 2011, indicating that initial Cs discharge from catchment through rivers was a significant. However it was founded that an impact on the ocean derived from initial Cs discharge through river can be limited because Cs discharge from Abukuma River and 13 other rivers in Fukushima coastal region (29 TBq) was two orders of magnitude smaller than the direct release from FDNPP into the ocean (3.5 PBq) and from atmospheric deposition into the ocean (7.6 PBq).

Molecular dynamics simulations of physical properties of water and cations in montmorillonite interlayer; Application to diffusion model

Yotsuji, Kenji*; Tachi, Yukio; Kawamura, Katsuyuki*; Arima, Tatsumi*; Sakuma, Hiroshi*

Nendo Kagaku, 58(1), p.8 - 25, 2019/00

https://doi.org/10.11362/jcssjnendokagaku.58.1_8

Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were conducted to investigate physical properties of water and cations in montmorillonite interlayer nanopores. The swelling behaviors and hydration states were firstly evaluated as functions of interlayer cations and layer charge. The diffusion coefficients of water and cations in interlayer nanopores were decreased in comparison with those in bulk water and came closer to those in bulk water when basal spacing increased. The viscosity coefficients of interlayer water estimated indicated a significant effect of viscoelectricity at 1- and 2-layer hydration states and higher layer charge of montmorillonite. These trends from MD calculations were confirmed to be consistent with existing measured data and previous MD simulation. In addition, model and parameter related to viscoelectric effect used in the diffusion model was refined based on comparative discussion between MD simulations and measurements. The series of MD calculations could provide atomic level understanding for the developments and improvements of the diffusion model for compacted montmorillonite.

Applicability of for modelling dissolved Cs concentrations in Fukushima river water; Case study of the upstream Ota River

Sakuma, Kazuyuki; Tsuji, Hideki*; Hayashi, Seiji*; Funaki, Hironori; Malins, A.; Yoshimura, Kazuya; Kurikami, Hiroshi; Kitamura, Akihiro; Iijima, Kazuki; Hosomi, Masaaki*

Journal of Environmental Radioactivity, 184-185, p.53 - 62, 2018/04

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvrad.2018.01.001

A study is presented on the applicability of the distribution coefficient () absorption/desorption model to simulate dissolved Cs concentrations in Fukushima river water. The simulation results were in good agreement with the observations on water and suspended sediment fluxes, and on particulate bound Cs concentrations under both ambient and high flow conditions. By contrast the measured concentrations of dissolved Cs in the river water were much harder to reproduce with the simulations. By tuning the values for large particles, it was possible to reproduce the mean dissolved Cs concentrations during base flow periods (observation: 0.32 Bq/L, simulation: 0.36 Bq/L). However neither the seasonal variability in the base flow dissolved Cs concentrations (0.14-0.53 Bq/L), nor the peaks in concentration that occurred during storms (0.18-0.88 Bq/L, mean: 0.55 Bq/L), could be reproduced with realistic simulation parameters.

Stability of montmorillonite edge faces studied using first-principles calculations

Sakuma, Hiroshi*; Tachi, Yukio; Yotsuji, Kenji; Suehara, Shigeru*; Arima, Tatsumi*; Fujii, Naoki*; Kawamura, Katsuyuki*; Honda, Akira

Clays and Clay Minerals, 65(4), p.252 - 272, 2017/08

https://doi.org/10.1346/CCMN.2017.064062

Structure and stability of montmorillonite edge faces (110), (010), (100), and (130) of the layer charges y = 0.5 and 0.33 are investigated by the first-principles electronic calculations based on the density functional theory. Stacking and single layer models are tested for understanding the effect of stacking on the stability of montmorillonite edge faces. Most stacking layers stabilize the edge faces by making hydrogen bonds between the layers; therefore, the surface energy of stacking layers is reduced rather than the single layer model. This indicates that the surface energy of edge faces should be estimated depending on the swelling conditions. Lowest surface energies of (010) and (130) edge faces were realized by the presence of Mg ions on the edge faces. These edge faces have a strong adsorption site for cations due to local negative charge of the edges.

Redistribution and export of contaminated sediment within eastern Fukushima Prefecture due to typhoon flooding

Kitamura, Akihiro; Kurikami, Hiroshi; Sakuma, Kazuyuki; Malins, A.; Okumura, Masahiko; Machida, Masahiko; Mori, Koji*; Tada, Kazuhiro*; Tawara, Yasuhiro*; Kobayashi, Takamaru*; et al.

Earth Surface Processes and Landforms, 41(12), p.1708 - 1726, 2016/09

https://doi.org/10.1002/esp.3944

Sediment erosion and transport processes that are considered to be important in predicting the future radioactive material distribution through sediment-sorbed form in Fukushima Prefecture are simulated. Since large portion of the sediment is considered to be supplied into the rivers, it is important to trace their migration process in terms of each river basin. We choose five river basins, namely the Odaka, the Ukedo, the Maeda, the Kuma, and the Tomioka, from north to south, because of their importance in contamination aspects and prediction studies. The results are summarized as comprehensive dataset of sediment migration for particular river basins in typical typhoon events that account for the most of annual soil erosion. Detail calculations implemented for the amount of sediment supplied in to the river, deposited on river and dam beds, and exported to the ocean.