Comprehensive exposure assessments from the viewpoint of health in a unique high natural background radiation area, Mamuju, Indonesia

Nugraha, E. D.*; Hosoda, Masahiro*; Kusdiana*; Untara*; Mellawati, J.*; Nurokhim*; Tamakuma, Yuki*; Ikram, A.*; Syaifudin, M.*; Yamada, Ryohei; et al.

Scientific Reports (Internet), 11(1), p.14578_1 - 14578_16, 2021/07

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-93983-2

Mamuju is one of the regions in Indonesia which retains natural conditions but has relatively high exposure to natural radiation. The goals of the present study were to characterize exposure of the entire Mamuju region as a high natural background radiation area (HNBRA) and to assess the existing exposure as a means for radiation protection of the public and the environment. A cross-sectional study method was used with cluster sampling areas by measuring all parameters that contribute to external and internal radiation exposures. It was determined that Mamuju was a unique HNBRA with the annual effective dose between 17 and 115 mSv, with an average of 32 mSv. The lifetime cumulative dose calculation suggested that Mamuju residents could receive as much as 2.2 Sv on average which is much higher than the average dose of atomic bomb survivors for which risks of cancer and non-cancer diseases are demonstrated. The study results are new scientific data allowing better understanding of health effects related to chronic low-dose-rate radiation exposure and they can be used as the main input in a future epidemiology study.

A Unique high natural background radiation area; Dose assessment and perspectives

Hosoda, Masahiro*; Nugraha, E. D.*; Akata, Naofumi*; Yamada, Ryohei; Tamakuma, Yuki*; Sasaki, Michiya*; Kelleher, K.*; Yoshinaga, Shinji*; Suzuki, Takahito*; Rattanapongs, C. P.*; et al.

Science of the Total Environment, 750, p.142346_1 - 142346_11, 2021/01

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.142346

The biological effects of low dose-rate radiation exposures on humans remains unknown. In fact, the Japanese nation still struggles with this issue after the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant accident. Recently, we have found a unique area in Indonesia where naturally high radiation levels are present, resulting in chronic low dose-rate radiation exposures. We aimed to estimate the comprehensive dose due to internal and external exposures at the particularly high natural radiation area, and to discuss the enhancement mechanism of radon. A car-borne survey was conducted to estimate the external doses from terrestrial radiation. Indoor radon measurements were made in 47 dwellings over three to five months, covering the two typical seasons, to estimate the internal doses. Atmospheric radon gases were simultaneously collected at several heights to evaluate the vertical distribution. The absorbed dose rates in air in the study area vary widely between 50 nGy h and 1109 nGy h. Indoor radon concentrations ranged from 124 Bq m to 1015 Bq m. That is, the indoor radon concentrations measured exceed the reference levels of 100 Bq m recommended by the World Health Organization. Furthermore, the outdoor radon concentrations measured were comparable to the high indoor radon concentrations. The annual effective dose due to external and internal exposures in the study area was estimated to be 27 mSv using the median values. It was found that many residents are receiving radiation exposure from natural radionuclides over the dose limit for occupational exposure to radiation workers. This enhanced outdoor radon concentration might be as a result of the stable atmospheric conditions generated at an exceptionally low altitude. Our findings suggest that this area provides a unique opportunity to conduct an epidemiological study related to health effects due to chronic low dose-rate radiation exposure.

Engineering scale development test of MOX fuel fabrication technology to establish commercialized fast reactor fuel, 1; The O/M ratio preparation tests of sintered pellets

Takato, Kiyoto; Murakami, Tatsutoshi; Suzuki, Kiichi; Shibanuma, Kimikazu; Hatanaka, Nobuhiro; Yamaguchi, Bungo; Tobita, Yoshimasa; Shinozaki, Masaru; Iimura, Naoto; Okita, Takatoshi; et al.

JAEA-Technology 2013-026, 42 Pages, 2013/10

JAEA-Technology-2013-026.pdf:3.17MB

In order to cope with making a commercial fast reactor fuel burn-up higher, oxygen-to-metal (O/M) ratio in the fuel specification is designed to 1.95. As the test for the fabrication of such low O/M ratio pellets, two kinds of O/M ratio preparation tests of different reduction mechanism were done. In the first test, we evaluated the technology to prepare the O/M ratio low by annealing the sintered pellets in production scale. In addition, we know from past experience that O/M ratio of the sintered pellets can be reduced by residual carbon when the de-waxed pellets with high carbon content are sintered. Thus, in another test, the green pellets containing a large amount of organic additives were sintered and we evaluated the technology to produce the low O/M ratio sintered pellets by the reduction due to residual carbon. From the first test results, we found a tendency that the higher annealing temperature or the longer annealing time resulted in the lower O/M ratio. However, the amount of O/M ratio reduction was small and it is estimated that a substantial annealing time is necessary to prepare the O/M ratio to 1.95. It is considered that reducing O/M ratio by annealing was difficult because atmosphere gas containing oxygen released from pellets remained and the O/M ratio was changed to the value equilibrated with the gas having high oxygen potential. From another test results, it was confirmed that O/M ratio was reduced by the reduction due to residual carbon. We found that it was important to manage an oxygen potential of atmosphere gas in a sintering furnace low to reduce the O/M ratio effectively.

"Crystal lattice engineering", an approach to engineer protein crystal contacts by creating intermolecular symmetry; Crystallization and structure determination of a mutant human RNase 1 with a hydrophobic interface of leucines

Yamada, Hidenori*; Tamada, Taro; Kosaka, Megumi*; Miyata, Kohei*; Fujiki, Shinya*; Tano, Masaru*; Moriya, Masayuki*; Yamanishi, Mamoru*; Honjo, Eijiro; Tada, Horiko*; et al.

Protein Science, 16(7), p.1389 - 1397, 2007/07

https://doi.org/10.1110/ps.072851407

In an attempt to control protein incorporation in a crystal lattice, a leucine zipper-like hydrophobic interface (comprising four leucine residues) was introduced into a helical region (helix 2) of the human pancreatic ribonuclease 1 (RNase 1) that was predicted to form a suitable crystallization interface. Although crystallization of wild type RNase 1 has not yet been reported, the RNase 1 mutant having four leucines (4L-RNase 1) was successfully crystallized under several different conditions. The crystal structures were subsequently determined by X-ray crystallography by molecular replacement using the structure of bovine RNase A. The overall structure of 4L-RNase 1 is quite similar to that of the bovine RNase A, and the introduced leucine residues formed the designed crystal interface. To further characterize the role of the introduced leucine residues in crystallization of RNase 1, the number of leucines was reduced to three or two (3L- and 2L-RNase 1, respectively). Both mutants crystallized and a similar hydrophobic interface as in 4L-RNase 1 was observed. A related approach to engineer crystal contacts at helix 3 of RNase 1 (N4L-RNase 1) was also evaluated. N4L-RNase 1 also successfully crystallized, and formed the expected hydrophobic packing interface. These results suggest that appropriate introduction of a leucine zipper-like hydrophobic interface can promote intra molecular symmetry for more efficient protein crystallization in crystal lattice engineering efforts.

Investigation of causes of a failed steam jet and devising an improved jet design

Shimizu, Ryo; Takaya, Akikazu; Shirozu, Hidetomo; Uchida, Naoki; Tanaka, Kosuke; Yamaguchi, Akira; Aoto, Kazumi; Watahiki, Masaru

Nihon Genshiryoku Gakkai Wabun Rombunshi, 4(3), p.203 - 212, 2005/09

https://doi.org/10.3327/taesj2002.4.203

It was occurred that process solution leaked from the steam jet in the acid recovery process of Tokai reprocessing plant. So we retrieved the jet from the cell and observed the inside. As a result, it was revealed that a defect by corrosion, which penetrated the inside of the structure, arose from the steam nozzle root in the suction room of the jet. To ascertain why such failure occurred, we carried out observation of metallurgical structure of the jet, an analysis of temperature distribution of the structure involving verification using mock-ups and evaluation of material by corrosion test. Consequently, the origin of the corrosion defect was pin hole which was occurred on the surface of the end of the material at the steam nozzle root, where nitric acid fluid was contacted, and then the defect progressed along the temperature of about 120 of the structure. Anisotropy of the material, possibly originating in the manufacturing process, was observed from the result of evaluation of material by corrosion test. Finally, we devised a new design of improved corrosion resistance on the result of the whole investigations.

Vaporization properties of SrUO and BaUO in atmospheres simulating accident conditions

Huang, J.*; Yamawaki, Michio*; Yamaguchi, Kenji*; Yasumoto, Masaru*; Sakurai, Hiroshi*; Suzuki, Yasufumi

Journal of Nuclear Materials, 248, p.257 - 261, 1997/09

https://doi.org/10.1016/S0022-3115(97)00202-X

no abstracts in English

Absorption and translocation of radioactive cesium in Cypress planted trees

Hirai, Keizo*; Komatsu, Masafumi*; Akama, Akio*; Noguchi, Ryotaro*; Nagakura, Junko*; Ohashi, Shinta*; Saito, Tetsu*; Kawasaki, Tatsuro*; Yazaki, Kenichi*; Ikeda, Shigeto*; et al.

no journal, , 

no abstracts in English

Nitrate contamination via groundwater of the pasture and farmland beyond the watershed boundary in the forest streamwater

Fukushima, Keitaro*; Iwasaki, Kenta*; Oda, Yoshiya*; Sakai, Masaru*; Katata, Genki*; Yamaguchi, Takashi*; Nakayama, Masataka*; Kubota, Tomohiro*; Nagano, Hirohiko; Watanabe, Makoto*; et al.

no journal, , 

no abstracts in English

Nitrate contamination of mountainous headwater streams from adjacent agricultural and pasture lands beyond the watershed boundary in eastern Hokkaido, Japan

Fukushima, Keitaro*; Iwasaki, Kenta*; Oda, Yoshiya*; Sakai, Masaru*; Katata, Genki*; Yamaguchi, Takashi*; Kubota, Tomohiro*; Nagano, Hirohiko*; Watanabe, Makoto*; Koarashi, Jun

no journal, , 

no abstracts in English