Status of study of long-term assessment of transport of radioactive contaminants in the environment of Fukushima (FY2018) (Translated document)

Nagao, Fumiya; Niizato, Tadafumi; Sasaki, Yoshito; Ito, Satomi; Watanabe, Takayoshi; Dohi, Terumi; Nakanishi, Takahiro; Sakuma, Kazuyuki; Hagiwara, Hiroki; Funaki, Hironori; et al.

JAEA-Research 2020-007, 249 Pages, 2020/10

JAEA-Research-2020-007.pdf:15.83MB

The accident of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station, Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, Inc. occurred due to the Great East Japan Earthquake, Sanriku offshore earthquake, of 9.0 magnitude and the accompanying tsunami. As a result, large amount of radioactive materials was released into the environment. Under these circumstances, Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) has been conducting "Long-term Assessment of Transport of Radioactive Contaminants in the Environment of Fukushima" concerning radioactive materials released in environment, especially migration behavior of radioactive cesium since November 2012. This report is a summary of the research results that have been obtained in environmental dynamics research conducted by JAEA in Fukushima Prefecture.

Structure of active sites of Fe-N-C nano-catalysts for alkaline exchange membrane fuel cells

Kishi, Hirofumi*; Sakamoto, Tomokazu*; Asazawa, Koichiro*; Yamaguchi, Susumu*; Kato, Takeshi*; Zulevi, B.*; Serov, A.*; Artyushkova, K.*; Atanassov, P.*; Matsumura, Daiju; et al.

Nanomaterials (Internet), 8(12), p.965_1 - 965_13, 2018/12

https://doi.org/10.3390/nano8120965

Determination of fusion barrier distributions from quasielastic scattering cross sections towards superheavy nuclei synthesis

Tanaka, Taiki*; Narikiyo, Yoshihiro*; Morita, Kosuke*; Fujita, Kunihiro*; Kaji, Daiya*; Morimoto, Koji*; Yamaki, Sayaka*; Wakabayashi, Yasuo*; Tanaka, Kengo*; Takeyama, Mirei*; et al.

Journal of the Physical Society of Japan, 87(1), p.014201_1 - 014201_9, 2018/01

https://doi.org/10.7566/JPSJ.87.014201

Excitation functions of quasielastic scattering cross sections for the Ca + Pb, Ti + Pb, and Ca + Cm reactions were successfully measured by using the gas-filled recoil-ion separator GARIS. Fusion barrier distributions were extracted from these data, and compared with the coupled-channels calculations. It was found that the peak energies of the barrier distributions for the Ca + Pb and Ti + Pb systems coincide with those of the 2n evaporation channel cross sections for the systems, while that of the Ca + Cm is located slightly below the 4n evaporation ones. This results provide us helpful information to predict the optimum beam energy to synthesize superheavy nuclei.

Development of non-PGM catalysts for anion exchange membrane fuel cells

Sakamoto, Tomokazu*; Kishi, Hirofumi*; Yamaguchi, Susumu*; Tanaka, Hirohisa*; Matsumura, Daiju; Tamura, Kazuhisa; Nishihata, Yasuo

Hyomen Kagaku, 37(2), p.78 - 83, 2016/02

https://doi.org/10.1380/jsssj.37.78

We have developed direct liquid fuel anion exchange membrane fuel cell vehicles to deal with the global warming. Non-platinum group metals (PGM) catalyst has been researched to apply for both anode and cathode electrodes. A test driving was carried out for the fuel cell vehicle equipped with no precious metals as catalysts at SPring-8 in 2013. Here we introduce our results of advanced analysis for reaction mechanism and active site of non-PGM catalyst using synchrotron radiation X-rays at SPring-8.

Mathematical Modeling of Radioactive Contaminants in the Fukushima Environment

Kitamura, Akihiro; Kurikami, Hiroshi; Yamaguchi, Masaaki; Oda, Yoshihiro; Saito, Tatsuo; Kato, Tomoko; Niizato, Tadafumi; Iijima, Kazuki; Sato, Haruo; Yui, Mikazu; et al.

Nuclear Science and Engineering, 179(1), p.104 - 118, 2015/01

https://doi.org/10.13182/NSE13-89

The prediction of the distribution and fate of radioactive materials eventually deposited at surface in the Fukushima area is one of the main objectives and expected to be achieved in an efficient manner. In order to make such prediction, a number of mathematical models of radioactive contaminants, with particular attention on cesium, on the land and in rivers, lakes, and estuaries in the Fukushima area are developed. Simulation results are examined with the field investigations simultaneously implemented. The basic studies of the adsorption/absorption mechanism of cesium and soils have been performed to shed light on estimating distribution coefficient between dissolved contaminant and particulate contaminant.

Predicting sediment and cesium-137 discharge from catchments in eastern Fukushima

Kitamura, Akihiro; Yamaguchi, Masaaki; Kurikami, Hiroshi; Yui, Mikazu; Onishi, Yasuo*

Anthropocene, 5, p.22 - 31, 2014/03

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ancene.2014.07.001

Amount of soil and cesium losses in Eastern Fukushima Prefecture is evaluated by a simple and fast simulation model which we developed utilizing the universal soil loss equation and the geographical information system. We focused on the land use factor of the universal soil loss equation in this study. It was estimated that the forest occupies 64% of the total land surface of the study area, but only accounts for 24% of total soil runoff and 33% of total cesium dispersion. The most contributing component comes from the crop field, while the forest becomes the second. Also, calculation was performed for each river basins and results were compared with field monitoring data.

Development of a model to predict a radionuclide distribution based on soil migration after Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant accident

Yamaguchi, Masaaki; Maekawa, Keisuke; Takeuchi, Shinji*; Kitamura, Akihiro; Onishi, Yasuo*

Genshiryoku Bakkuendo Kenkyu (CD-ROM), 20(2), p.53 - 69, 2013/12

https://doi.org/10.3327/jnuce.20.53

We developed a simple novel and fast simulation model to predict a long-term distribution of Cs deposited on the land surface of Fukushima due to the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant accident triggered by a magnitude 9.0 earthquake and resulting tsunami on 11 March 2011. The model utilizes the Geographical Information System (GIS) to integrate online open data provided by individual institutes, and simulate mechanisms of soil erosion, transport and sedimentation. A preliminary calculation shows the significant deposition of sediments in lakes and reservoirs and eroded silt and clay tend to be transported downstream to river mouths than eroded sand. These results were found to be qualitatively consistent with existing data.

Preliminary calculation of sediment and Cs transport in the Ukedo River of Fukushima

Kurikami, Hiroshi; Kitamura, Akihiro; Yamaguchi, Masaaki; Onishi, Yasuo*

Transactions of the American Nuclear Society, 109(1), p.149 - 152, 2013/11

We applied the TOMAM model to the Ukedo River as a preliminary analysis to roughly understand what was important for cesium migration. The main lessons were as follows: Cesium migrates mainly in high river discharge conditions. Migration in a dissolved form is important in low river discharge conditions, while suspended sediments, especially silt and clay, are main carriers of cesium in high discharge conditions. Bed contamination is mainly reflected by sediment erosion and deposition instead of direct sorption in the riverbed.

Development of multi-purpose MW gyrotrons for fusion devices

Minami, Ryutaro*; Kariya, Tsuyoshi*; Imai, Tsuyoshi*; Numakura, Tomoharu*; Endo, Yoichi*; Nakabayashi, Hidetaka*; Eguchi, Taku*; Shimozuma, Takashi*; Kubo, Shin*; Yoshimura, Yasuo*; et al.

Nuclear Fusion, 53(6), p.063003_1 - 063003_7, 2013/06

https://doi.org/10.1088/0029-5515/53/6/063003

New result in the production and decay of an isotope, 113 of the 113th element

Morita, Kosuke*; Morimoto, Koji*; Kaji, Daiya*; Haba, Hiromitsu*; Ozeki, Kazutaka*; Kudo, Yuki*; Sumita, Takayuki*; Wakabayashi, Yasuo*; Yoneda, Akira*; Tanaka, Kengo*; et al.

Journal of the Physical Society of Japan, 81(10), p.103201_1 - 103201_4, 2012/10

https://doi.org/10.1143/JPSJ.81.103201

An isotope of the 113th element, 113, was produced in a nuclear reaction with a Zn beam on a Bi target. We observed six consecutive decays following the implantation of a heavy particle in nearly the same position in the semiconductor detector, in extremely low background condition. The fifth and sixth decays are fully consistent with the sequential decays of Db and Lr both in decay energies and decay times. This indicates that the present decay chain consisted of 113, Rg (Z = 111), Mt (Z = 109), Bh (Z = 107), Db (Z = 105), and Lr (Z = 103) with firm connections. This result, together with previously reported results from 2004 and 2007, conclusively leads the unambiguous production and identification of the isotope 113, of the 113th element.