Development of radiation measurement and digital technologies for the decommissioning of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant

Takasaki, Koji

Hokeikyo Nyusu, (73), p.2 - 5, 2024/04

The development of radiation measurement and digital technology for the decommissioning of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, which is being conducted by the Remote System and Sensing Technology Division of CLADS, will be presented.

Estimation of the activity median aerodynamic diameter of plutonium particles using image analysis

Takasaki, Koji; Yasumune, Takashi; Yamaguchi, Yukako; Hashimoto, Makoto; Maeda, Koji; Kato, Masato

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 60(11), p.1437 - 1446, 2023/11

https://doi.org/10.1080/00223131.2023.2196969

The aerodynamic radioactive median diameter (AMAD) is necessary information to assess the internal exposure. On June 6, 2017, at a plutonium handling facility in Oarai site of Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA), during the inspection work of a storage container that contains nuclear fuel materials, accidental contamination occurred and five workers inhaled radioactive materials including plutonium. Some smear papers and an air sampling filter were measured with the imaging plate, and we conservatively estimated minimum AMADs for two cases, plutonium nitrate and plutonium dioxide. As a result of AMAD estimation, even excluding a giant particle of a smear sample, the minimum AMADs of plutonium nitrate from smear papers were 4.3 - 11.3 m and those of plutonium dioxide were 5.6 - 14.1 m. Also, the minimum AMAD of plutonium nitrate from an air sampling filter was 3.0 m and that of plutonium dioxide was 3.9 m.

A Phoswich alpha/beta detector for monitoring in the site of Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station

Morishita, Yuki; Takasaki, Koji; Kitayama, Yoshiharu; Tagawa, Akihiro; Shibata, Takuya; Hoshi, Katsuya; Kaneko, Junichi*; Higuchi, Mikio*; Oura, Masatoshi*

Radiation Measurements, 160, p.106896_1 - 106896_10, 2023/01

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.radmeas.2022.106896

This study proposes a newly developed phoswich alpha/beta detector that can discriminate alpha and beta particles emitted from the alpha and beta contaminations in the FDNPS site. The phoswich alpha/beta detector is made up of two layers of scintillators that detect alpha and beta particles. The pulse shape discrimination (PSD) method was used to detect alpha particles in high beta particle and high gamma-ray (comparable to gamma-ray dose rate near the FDNPS reactor building) environments. Due to a 23.3% full width at half maximum (FWHM) energy resolution for alpha particles, the detector can be used to distinguish between nuclear fuel materials such as plutonium and its radon progeny (Po-214). Moreover, the detector could distinguish alpha particles from Cs gamma rays with a dose rate background up to 9.0 mSv/h. It is the first to demonstrate that the developed phoswich detector can be used to discriminate and measure alpha and beta particles of the actual contaminated FDNPS samples.

Activity median aerodynamic diameter relating to contamination at Plutonium Fuel Research Facility in Oarai Research and Development Center; Particle size analysis for plutonium particles using imaging plate

Takasaki, Koji; Yasumune, Takashi; Hashimoto, Makoto; Maeda, Koji; Kato, Masato; Yoshizawa, Michio; Momose, Takumaro

JAEA-Review 2019-003, 48 Pages, 2019/03

JAEA-Review-2019-003.pdf:3.81MB

June 6, 2017, at Plutonium Fuel Research Facility in Oarai Research and Development Center of JAEA, when five workers were inspecting storage containers containing plutonium and uranium, resin bags in a storage container ruptured, and radioactive dust spread. Though they were wearing a half face mask respirator, they inhaled radioactive materials. In the evaluation of the internal exposure dose, the aerodynamic radioactive median diameter (AMAD) is an important parameter. We measured 14 smear samples and a dust filter paper with imaging plates, and estimated the AMAD by image analysis. As a result of estimating the AMAD, from the 14 smear samples, the AMADs are 4.3 to 11 m or more in the case of nitrate plutonium, and the AMADs are 5.6 to 14 m or more in the case of the oxidized plutonium. Also, from the dust filter paper, the AMAD is 3.0 m or more in the case of nitrate plutonium, and the AMAD is 3.9 m or more in the case of the oxidized plutonium.

Improvement of estimation of I concentrations in the air using data measured by monitoring posts applied by determination of passing-through time of plume using noble gas counts

Yamada, Junya; Hashimoto, Makoto; Seya, Natsumi; Haba, Risa; Muto, Yasunobu; Shimizu, Takehiko; Takasaki, Koji; Yokoyama, Sumi*; Shimo, Michikuni*

Hoken Butsuri, 52(1), p.5 - 12, 2017/03

https://doi.org/10.5453/jhps.52.5

The purpose of this study is to improve a quick method for estimation of I concentrations in the air using data measured by monitoring posts in case that a nuclear disaster occurs. In this method, I concentrations were estimated by multiplying I count rates of cloud-shine measured with NaI (Tl) detector by concentration conversion factor. A previous study suggested that it was difficult to determine passing-through time of plume from temporal change of I count rates or dose rate. Our study applies the method for estimating passing-through time of plume from temporal change of noble gas counts. The I concentrations in the air at Oarai center, Japan Atomic Energy Agency resulting from the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant were estimated by proposal technique. The result of comparison of this method with sampling method for I concentrations in the air were within factor 3.

Applicability of meteorological statistics over a 5-year period to evaluation of annual average of radionuclide concentration in surface air; Based on meteorological statistics for 20 years at Oarai Research and Development Center, JAEA

Seya, Natsumi; Hashimoto, Makoto; Nemoto, Koji*; Shimizu, Takehiko; Takasaki, Koji

Hoken Butsuri, 49(1), p.29 - 38, 2014/03

http://doi.org/10.5453/jhps.49.29

http://doi.org/10.5453/jhps.49.1

Evaluation of annual average of radionuclide concentration in surface air obtained from atmospheric dispersion factor is intended to determine a public dose as a primary source for the safety analysis of nuclear facilities in normal operation. Oarai Research and Development Center (ORDC) of the JAEA have used fixed 5-year meteorological statistics for derivation of atmospheric dispersion factors as average conditions. To show that the meteorological statistics for any 5-year period could be used as representative data for evaluation of average conditions, annual average (1-year average) and 5-year average of evaluated radionuclide concentrations derived from the meteorological data observed from 1991 to 2010 at ORDC were analyzed. The fluctuations of evaluated radionuclide concentrations of any 5-year averages were smaller than those of 1-year averages during 20 years, and any 5-year averages contained no rejections by the F-test (5% significance level). It means that any 5-year averages of radionuclide concentration evaluations are well representative for the safety analysis under normal condition in ORDC.

Environmental radiation monitoring resulting from the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, conducted by Oarai Research and Development Center, JAEA; Results of ambient gamma-ray dose rate, atmospheric radioactivity and meteorological observation

Yamada, Junya; Seya, Natsumi; Haba, Risa; Muto, Yasunobu; Numari, Hideyuki*; Sato, Naomitsu*; Nemoto, Koji*; Takasaki, Hiroichi*; Shimizu, Takehiko; Takasaki, Koji

JAEA-Data/Code 2013-006, 100 Pages, 2013/06

JAEA-Data-Code-2013-006.pdf:12.04MB

This report presents the results of emergency radiation monitoring, including ambient -ray dose rate, atmospheric radioactivity, meteorological observation and estimation of internal exposure resulting from the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant triggered by the earthquake off the pacific coast of Tohoku on 11th March 2011, conducted by Oarai Research and Development Center (ORDC), Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) from March to May, 2011. ORDC is located in the central part of Ibaraki prefecture and approximately 130 km southwest of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. From around 15th to 21st March, 2011, the ambient -ray dose rate increased and many radioactive nuclides were detected in the atmosphere.

An Autoradiographical method using an imaging plate for the analyses of plutonium contamination in a plutonium handling facility

Takasaki, Koji; Sagawa, Naoki; Kurosawa, Shigeyuki; Mizuniwa, Harumi

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 48(6), p.911 - 918, 2011/06

https://doi.org/10.3327/jnst.48.911

An autoradiographical method using an imaging plate (IP) was developed to analyze the plutonium contamination in the plutonium handling facility and was applied to the monitoring of the workplace in a practical uranium-plutonium mixed oxide (MOX) fuel fabrication facility. A good relationship between the photo stimulated luminescence (PSL) intensities of IP and radioactivities measured by a radiation counter was obtained by the least-square fitting, taking the fading effect into consideration. The -radioactivities of plutonium contamination were derived from the PSL image in this IP method, and their relative errors were evaluated from exposure time.

Application of imaging plate to the radiation protection in the MOX fuel fabrication facility

Sagawa, Naoki; Yamazaki, Takumi; Kurosawa, Shigeyuki*; Izaki, Kenji; Mizuniwa, Harumi; Takasaki, Koji

JAEA-Technology 2010-051, 35 Pages, 2011/03

JAEA-Technology-2010-051.pdf:1.83MB

The image analysis method using a imaging plate (IP) is recent technique, and this method can get the information of radioactivity distribution by the unit of Photo Simulated Luminescence (PSL). We have investigated the PSL images obtained by measuring some plutonium samples which are radiation protection samples in order to apply imaging plate to the radiation protection at the MOX fuel facility. Plutonium spots were extracted from the PSL image extracted by the threshold, in which about 99% of the back ground was excluded, and identified by the additional requirement that the spot size is more than 40 pixels. The average background is subtracted from PSL strength of the spot area identified as Pu, and the radioactivity of the Pu spot was evaluated by multiplying the conversion calculation that is in consideration of fading.

Wide-range krypton gas monitor using a plastic scintillation detector operated in current mode with a gate circuit

Takasaki, Koji; Kobayashi, Hirohide; Suzuki, Hideki; Ushigome, Sadaharu*

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 47(3), p.255 - 261, 2010/03

https://doi.org/10.3327/jnst.47.255

The wide-range krypton-85 detector was developed for monitoring of krypton-85 gas, which was discharged from the stack of a nuclear fuel reprocessing plant and varied largely in concentration. The detector combined a current-mode-operated plastic scintillation counter with a gated photomultiplier. The discrimination voltage of gated photomultiplier was determined, and the effects of temperature and humidity were examined on the background measurement. The detector was calibrated by krypton-85 gas and the decision threshold was estimated. These examinations showed that the wide-range krypton-85 detector worked in the measurement range as wide as 10-10 Bq/cm in linearity and the decision threshold of krypton-85 concentration was 1.310 Bq/cm for 10-minute measurement. The parallel measurement was made between this detector and a GM counter in the reprocessing laboratory. Both concentrations showed a good agreement with each other.