Assessment of individual external exposure doses based on environmental radiation in areas affected by the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station accident

Sato, Rina; Yoshimura, Kazuya; Sanada, Yukihisa; Mikami, Satoshi; Yamada, Tsutomu*; Nakasone, Takamasa*; Kanaizuka, Seiichi*; Sato, Tetsuro*; Mori, Tsubasa*; Takagi, Marie*

Environment International, 194, p.109148_1 - 109148_8, 2024/12

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2024.109148

Assessment of individual external doses from ambient dose equivalents is used for predictive and retrospective assessments where personal dosimeters are not applicable. However, it tends to contain more errors than assessment by personal dosimetry due to various parameters. Therefore, in order to accurately assess the individual dose from ambient dose equivalents, a model that estimates effective doses considering life patterns and the shielding effects by buildings and vehicles, were developed in this study. The model parameters were examined using robust datasets of environmental radiation measured in the areas affected by the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station accident in 2020 to 2021. The accuracy of the model was validated by comparison with 106 daily personal doses measured in Fukushima Prefecture in 2020. The measured personal dose was well reproduced by the model-estimated effective dose, showing that the model can be used to assess the individual exposure dose, similar to personal dosimetry. Furthermore, this model is an effective tool for radiation protection, as it can estimate the individual dose predictively and retrospectively by using environmental radiation data.

MPS method simulation for estimating fuel debris distributions under the damaged reactor pressure vessel of 1F Unit-2

Bando, Yamato*; Yamaji, Akifumi*; Yamashita, Takuya

Proceedings of International Conference on Environmental Remediation and Radioactive Waste Management (ICEM2023) (Internet), 9 Pages, 2023/10

https://doi.org/10.1115/ICEM2023-112652

Development of risk assessment code for dismantling of radioactive components in decommissioning stage of nuclear reactor facilities

Shimada, Taro; Sasagawa, Tsuyoshi; Miwa, Kazuji; Takai, Shizuka; Takeda, Seiji

Proceedings of International Conference on Environmental Remediation and Radioactive Waste Management (ICEM2023) (Internet), 7 Pages, 2023/10

https://doi.org/10.1115/ICEM2023-109848

Nuclear regulatory inspection should be performed on the basis of the risk information during the decommissioning phase of the nuclear power plant. However, it is difficult because the methodology for quantitatively assessing the radiation exposure risk during decommissioning activities has not been established. Therefore, a decommissioning risk assessment code, DecAssess-R, has been developed based on the decommissioning safety assessment code, DecAssess, which creates event trees from initiating events and evaluates the radiation risk resulting from public exposure dose for each accident sequence. The assessment took into account that mobile radioactive inventories that can be easily dispersed in the work area, such as radioactive dust accumulated in HEPA filters attached to a contamination control enclosure, will fluctuate with the progress of the decommissioning work. Initiating events were selected based on the investigation of accidents and malfunctions during dismantling, disassembly, and component replacement activities around the world, and event trees were created from the initiating events to indicate the progress scenario. The frequencies of occurrence were determined with reference to general industry data in addition to the above accidents and malfunctions, and the probabilities of event progression were determined with reference to failure data during the operation phase. The exposure risks during dismantling of components in the reference BWR were evaluated. As a result, the public exposure dose was maximum in case of fire during dismantling of reactor internals and fire spread to combustibles and filters, including radioactivity temporarily stored in the work area. The exposure risk was also maximum because the probability of occurrence of this accident sequence was greater than that of other scenarios.

Changes in sulfur metabolism in mouse brains following radon inhalation

Kanzaki, Norie; Sakoda, Akihiro; Kataoka, Takahiro*; Sun, L.*; Tanaka, Hiroshi; Otsu, Iwao*; Yamaoka, Kiyonori*

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(17), p.10750_1 - 10750_14, 2022/09

https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191710750

Reactive sulfur species (RSS) involve oxidative stress deeply and contribute anti-inflammatory effect, but no studied have focused on RSS changes after irradiation. In this study, we comprehensively analyzed the metabolites, focusing on RSS in mouse brain following radon inhalation. The ratio of oxidized glutathione to reduced glutathione and proportion of RSS in GSH or cysteine increased by radon inhalation. The sulfur ion might bind to GSH or cysteine chemically under conditions of oxidative stress, even at very low-dose exposure. We performed the overall assessment of high-dimensional data by applying machine learning and showed the specific characteristics of the effects by the exposure conditions. Our results suggested that RSS could produce a biological defense against oxidative stress following radon inhalation.

Radon solubility and diffusion in the skin surface layer

Sakoda, Akihiro; Ishida, Tsuyoshi*; Kanzaki, Norie; Tanaka, Hiroshi; Kataoka, Takahiro*; Mitsunobu, Fumihiro*; Yamaoka, Kiyonori*

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(13), p.7761_1 - 7761_12, 2022/07

https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19137761

In specific situations such as bathing in a radon spa, where the radon activity concentration in thermal water is far higher than that in air, it has been revealed that radon uptake via skin can occur and should be considered for more precise dose evaluation. The primary aim of the present study was to numerically demonstrate the distribution as well as the degree of diffusion of radon in the skin, with a focus on its surface layers (i.e., stratum corneum). We made a biokinetic model that included diffusion theory at the stratum corneum, and measured radon solubility in the stratum corneum to get a crucial parameter. The implementation of the model suggested that the diffusion coefficient in the stratum corneum was as low as general radon-proof sheets. The depth profile of radon in the skin was found to be that after a 20-minute immersion in water, the radon activity concentration at the top surface skin layer was approximately 1000 times higher than that at the viable skin layer. The information on the position of radon as a radiation source would contribute to special dose evaluation where specific target cell layers are assumed for the skin.

Empirical equations of crack growth rates based on data fitting of neutron irradiated stainless steel under high temperature water simulating boiling water reactor core conditions

Kasahara, Shigeki; Chimi, Yasuhiro; Hata, Kuniki; Fukuya, Koji*; Fujii, Katsuhiko*

Proceedings of 19th International Conference on Environmental Degradation of Materials in Nuclear Power Systems - Water Reactors (Internet), p.1345 - 1355, 2019/08

This paper describes empirical equation development of crack growth rates (CGR) in consideration of IASCC of neutron irradiated stainless steel to contribute to structural integrity assessment of BWR reactor internals. Empirical equations of CGR (da/dt) were developed based on a formula of da/dt = MK, assuming that "M" and "n" tend to be saturated with increasing neutron fluence. To obtain the empirical equations for normal water chemistry (NWC) and hydrogen water chemistry (HWC) of BWR, a data fitting with least square method was applied to the datasets consisting of F, K and CGR from post irradiation examinations of neutron irradiated stainless steel under simulated NWC and HWC conditions from open literature. As a result, calculated results by the equation for NWC showed good agreement with measured CGR data, meanwhile those for HWC did not. The above difference was seemed to be attributed that CGR data obtained under HWC conditions were scattered extensively.

Estimation of radiocesium dietary intake from time series data of radiocesium concentrations in sewer sludge

Pratama, M. A.; Takahara, Shogo; Munakata, Masahiro; Yoneda, Minoru*

Environment International, 115, p.196 - 204, 2018/06

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2018.03.009

In situ electrochemical study on crevice environment of stainless steel in high temperature water

Soma, Yasutaka; Kato, Chiaki; Ueno, Fumiyoshi

Proceedings of the 18th International Conference on Environmental Degradation of Materials in Nuclear Power Systems - Water Reactors, Vol.2, p.509 - 521, 2018/00

https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-04639-2_116

In-situ electrochemical measurement within crevice of stainless steel in 288C water has been conducted to analyze crevice water chemistry. Small sensors ( 250m) measured local solution electrical conductivity, , polarization resistance, and electrochemical corrosion potential. Real-time response of the as functions of bulk water conductivity, dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration has been quantitatively analyzed. The effect of geometrical factors on the crevice environment was also studied. The differ more than an order of magnitude depending on the oxygen potential inside the crevice. The increased by small amount of bulk DO (e.g. 30 ppb). Maximum was observed with DO of 32000 ppb and became more than 100 times higher than that of bulk water. Crevice geometry affected significantly on the water chemistry inside.

Effect of long-term thermal aging on SCC initiation susceptibility in low carbon austenitic stainless steels

Aoki, So; Kondo, Keietsu; Kaji, Yoshiyuki; Yamamoto, Masahiro

Proceedings of the 18th International Conference on Environmental Degradation of Materials in Nuclear Power Systems - Water Reactors, Vol.2, p.663 - 672, 2018/00

https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-68454-3_51

The objective of this study was to clarify effect of long-term thermal aging on SCC initiation susceptibility in low carbon austenitic stainless steels. Specimens used were Type 304L and 316L steels. Both steels were cold rolled to 20% thickness reduction (CW) and then followed by long-term thermal aging at 288C for 14,000 h (LTA). Crevice Bent Beam (CBB) test was carried out to estimate the SCC initiation susceptibility under BWR simulated water condition at high temperature. The present results of the CBB tests showed that 304L CW + LTA exhibited no SCC susceptibility. In contrast, the SCC initiation susceptibility of 316L increased by the combination of cold rolling and long-term thermal aging. To understand these results, evaluation on the changes in microchemistry, microstructure and mechanical properties induced by the CW and LTA treatment has been developed, and their correlation with the SCC initiation susceptibility is discussed.

Determination of detrapping and trapping rate constants for hydrogen based on experimental thermal desorption spectra

Ebihara, Kenichi; Saito, Kei*; Takai, Kenichi*

Proceedings of 2016 International Hydrogen Conference (IHC 2016); Materials Performance in Hydrogen Environments, p.470 - 477, 2017/00

http://doi.org/10.1115/1.861387_ch53

For understanding hydrogen (H) embrittlement of steels, it is necessary to infer the state that defects trap H in the steels. Thermal desorption spectra of H obtained by the thermal desorption spectrometry (TDS) are used for inferring such a state. Because the thermal desorption spectra include the influence of experimental conditions and hydrogen diffusion as well as information of the defects trapping H, it is necessary to interpret the spectra using the numerical simulation. In the presentation, we determined the detrapping and the trapping rate constants which are necessary for the simulation from the experimental spectra obtained for plate specimens which is so small that H diffusion is ignorable. Then we confirmed that the model using the obtained rate constants can simulate the spectra of larger cylindrical specimens, so that it was found that the rate constant for small specimens can be used for the simulation of the spectra for specimens of different shape or size.