Annual report on the environmental radiation monitoring around the Tokai Reprocessing Plant FY 2024

Kokubun, Yuji; Hosomi, Kenji; Inoue, Kazumi; Koike, Yuko; Uchiyama, Rei; Sasaki, Kazuki; Maehara, Yushi; Matsuo, Kazuki; Uesugi, Misaki; Yamashita, Daichi; et al.

JAEA-Review 2025-057, 168 Pages, 2026/03

JAEA-Review-2025-057.pdf:2.43MB

The Nuclear Fuel Cycle Engineering Laboratories conducts environmental radiation monitoring around the reprocessing plant in accordance with the "Safety Regulations for Reprocessing Plant of JAEA, Part IV: Environmental Monitoring". This report summarizes the results of environmental radiation monitoring conducted during the period from April 2024 to March 2025 and the results of dose calculations for the surrounding public due to the release of radioactive materials from the plant into the atmosphere and ocean. In the results of the above environmental radiation monitoring, several items were affected by radioactive materials emitted from the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station of Tokyo Electric Power Company, Incorporated (changed to Tokyo Electric Power Holdings, Inc. on April 1, 2016), which occurred in March 2011. Also included as appendices are an overview of the environmental monitoring plan, an overview of measurement methods, measurement results and their changes over time, meteorological statistics results, radioactive waste release status, and an evaluation of the data which deviated of the normal range.

Hydrogen embrittlement in Al-Zn-Mg alloys; Semispontaneous decohesion of precipitates

Shimizu, Kazuyuki*; Toda, Hiroyuki*; Hirayama, Kyosuke*; Fujihara, Hiro*; Tsuru, Tomohito; Yamaguchi, Masatake; Sasaki, Taisuke*; Uesugi, Masayuki*; Takeuchi, Akihisa*

International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 109, p.1421 - 1436, 2025/03

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhydene.2025.02.123

Our preceding investigation revealed that multiple hydrogen traps at coherent interfaces of MgZn precipitates initiated spontaneous interface decohesion, causing hydrogen-induced quasicleavage cracking in Al-Zn-Mg alloys. Herein, we performed a quantitative and systematic investigation to discern the mechanisms by which hydrogen trapped at coherent/semi-coherent interfaces of precipitates could influence macroscopic hydrogen embrittlement by modulating the coherent interface of MgZn through aging. To explore this hydrogen embrittlement phenomenon based on hydrogen trapping at the precipitate interface, we determined the hydrogen trapping energy of the semi-coherent MgZn interface via first-principles calculations (0.56 eV/atom). Hydrogen partitioning of all hydrogen trapping sites, including vacancies, grain boundaries, and coherent and semi-coherent MgZn interfaces, revealed that in overaged alloys, over 90% of the hydrogen was sequestered at semi-coherent interfaces. Owing to the inherent characteristics of the MgZn interface, the hydrogen sequestered at the semi-coherent interface decreased the interfacial cohesive energy, causing semispontaneous decohesion of the interface and quasicleavage fracture in the Al-Zn-Mg alloys. These results implied that intergranular fracture was not directly induced by hydrogen trapped at grain boundaries but rather by the decohesion of precipitate interfaces along grain boundaries.

Assessment of hydrogen embrittlement behavior in Al-Zn-Mg alloy through multi-modal 3D image-based simulation

Fujihara, Hiro*; Toda, Hiroyuki*; Ebihara, Kenichi; Kobayashi, Masakazu*; Mayama, Tsuyoshi*; Hirayama, Kyosuke*; Shimizu, Kazuyuki*; Takeuchi, Akihisa*; Uesugi, Masayuki*

International Journal of Plasticity, 174, p.103897_1 - 103897_22, 2024/03

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijplas.2024.103897

Hydrogen(H) embrittlement in high-strength aluminum(Al) alloys is a crucial problem. H accumulation at the interface of precipitates in Al alloy is considered to cause embrittlement. However, there is no quantitative knowledge regarding the interaction between H distribution and stress field near cracks. In this study, using a multi-modal three-dimensional image-based simulation combining the crystal plasticity finite element method and H diffusion analysis, we tried to capture the stress distribution near the crack, its influence on the H distribution, and the probability of crack initiation in the experimental condition. As a result, it was found that grain boundary cracks transition to quasi-cleavage cracks in the region where the cohesive energy of the semi-coherent interface of MgZn precipitates decreases due to H accumulation near the tip. We believe the present simulation method successfully bridges nanoscale delamination and macroscale brittle fracture.

Hydrogen embrittlement and its prevention in 7XXX aluminum alloys with high Zn concentrations

Shimizu, Kazuyuki*; Toda, Hiroyuki*; Fujihara, Hiro*; Yamaguchi, Masatake; Uesugi, Masayuki*; Takeuchi, Akihisa*; Nishijima, Masahiko*; Kamada, Yasuhiro*

Corrosion, 79(8), p.818 - 830, 2023/08

https://doi.org/10.5006/4300

7xxx aluminum alloys are representative high-strength aluminum alloys; however, mechanical property degradation due to hydrogen hinders further strengthening. We propose the dispersion of Mn-based second-phase particles as a novel technique for preventing 7xxx aluminum alloy hydrogen embrittlement. In this study, the deformation and fracture behaviors of high hydrogen 7xxx alloys containing 0.0% Mn and 0.6% Mn are observed in situ using synchrotron radiation X-ray tomography. The obtained macroscopic hydrogen embrittlement is quantitatively analyzed based on hydrogen partitioning in alloys. Adding 0.6% Mn, generating second-phase particles with high hydrogen trapping abilities, significantly suppresses hydrogen-induced quasicleavage fracture.

Irradiation history of Itokawa regolith material deduced from noble gases in the Hayabusa samples

Nagao, Keisuke*; Okazaki, Ryuji*; Nakamura, Tomoki*; Miura, Yayoi*; Osawa, Takahito; Bajo, Kenichi*; Matsuda, Shintaro*; Ebihara, Mitsuru*; Ireland, T.*; Kitajima, Fumio*; et al.

Science, 333(6046), p.1128 - 1131, 2011/08

https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1207785

A steroid surface materials record regolith processes and a history of cosmic-ray irradiation. Noble gas isotopes in three rocky grains from Itokawa have been determined. High concentrations of solar He, Ne, and Ar, as high as those in lunar soils, are released at variable temperatures from each sample. The isotopic compositions are essentially identical to those of solar wind but distinguishable in He relative abundance. These noble gas characteristics can be explained by repeated implantation and preferential loss of solar He by removal of weathered He-rich rim on the grain surface through friction among regolith grains on Itokawa. Residence time of regolith materials on Itokawa is alculated to be shorter than 10 Myr, suggesting that regolith materials of small asteroids would escape easily to space.

Speciation of various elements and aqueous environment in water in Ryugu related to organic matter synthesis and its location in C-type asteroid parent body

Takahashi, Yoshio*; Kawai, Takahiro*; Fukushi, Keisuke*; Ono, Tomohiro*; Takamoto, Ayu*; Yamaguchi, Akiko; Uesugi, Masayuki*; Suga, Hiroki*; Yamashita, Shohei*; Yoshida, Hideto*; et al.

no journal, , 

Water is thought to have once existed on the asteroid Ryugu, but has since dissipated. In this study, we attempted to estimate the pH and Eh of water that once existed on Ryugu by calculations based on various chemical equilibria and detailed analysis of Ryugu samples. As a result, it was found that the water that once existed on Ryugu was reductive and alkaline. Such an aqueous environment may have been important for various organic chemical reactions related to the origin of life.