Probabilistic risk assessment of solar particle events considering the cost of countermeasures to reduce the aviation radiation dose

Fujita, Moe*; Sato, Tatsuhiko; Saito, Susumu*; Yamashiki, Yosuke*

Scientific Reports (Internet), 11, p.17091_1 - 17091_9, 2021/09

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-95235-9

Radiation exposure to flight crews and passengers, which is called aviation exposure, is an important topic in radiological protection, particularly due to solar energetic particles (SEP). We assessed the risks against the counter measure costs to reduce SEP doses and dose rates for eight flight routes during five ground level enhancements (GLE). A four-dimensional dose-rate database developed by the Warning System for Aviation Exposure to Solar Energetic Particles, WASAVIES, was employed in the SEP dose evaluation. Our calculations suggest that GLE that is enough to request a change in flight conditions occurs once per 47 and 17 years respectively, in the case of following the dose and dose-rate regulations. The annual risks against the counter measure costs are up to around 1500 USD per long-distance and high-latitude flight.

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.

Behavior of light elements in iron-silicate-water-sulfur system during early Earth's evolution

Iizuka, Riko*; Goto, Hirotada*; Shito, Chikara*; Fukuyama, Ko*; Mori, Yuichiro*; Hattori, Takanori; Sano, Asami; Funakoshi, Kenichi*; Kagi, Hiroyuki*

Scientific Reports (Internet), 11(1), p.12632_1 - 12632_10, 2021/06

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-91801-3

The Earth's core consist of Fe-Ni alloy with some light elements (H, C, O, Si, S etc.). Hydrogen (H) is the most abundant element in the universe and one of the promising candidates. In this study, we have investigated the effects of sulfur(S) on hydrogenation of iron-hydrous silicate system containing saturated water in the ideal composition of the primitive Earth. We observed a series of phase transitions of Fe, dehydration of the hydrous mineral, and formation of olivine and enstatite with increasing temperature. The FeS formed as the coexisting phase of Fe under high-pressure and temperature condition, but its unit cell volume did not increase, suggesting that FeS is hardly hydrogenated. Recovered samples exhibited that H and S can be incorporated into solid Fe, which lowers the melting temperature as Fe(H)-FeS system. No detection of other light elements (C, O, Si) in solid Fe suggests that they dissolve into molten iron hydride and/or FeS in the later process of Earth's core-mantle differentiation.

Radioactivity and radionuclides in deciduous teeth formed before the Fukushima-Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident

Takahashi, Atsushi*; Chiba, Mirei*; Tanahara, Akira*; Aida, Jun*; Shimizu, Yoshinaka*; Suzuki, Toshihiko*; Murakami, Shinobu*; Koarai, Kazuma; Ono, Takumi*; Oka, Toshitaka; et al.

Scientific Reports (Internet), 11(1), p.10355_1 - 10355_11, 2021/05

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-89910-0

Quantum chemical calculation studies toward microscopic understanding of retention mechanism of Cs radioisotopes and other alkali metals in lichens

Suno, Hiroya; Machida, Masahiko; Dohi, Terumi; Omura, Yoshihito*

Scientific Reports (Internet), 11(1), p.8228_1 - 8228_13, 2021/04

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-87617-w

We evaluate stability of caesium (Cs) and other alkali-metal cation complexes of lichen metabolites in both gas and aqueous phases to discuss why lichens can retain radioactive Cs in the thalli over several years. We focus on oxalic acid, (+)-usnic acid, atranorin, lecanoric acid, and protocetraric acid, which are common metabolite substances in various lichens including, e.g., and retaining Cs in Fukushima, Japan. By performing quantum chemical calculations, their gas-phase complexation energies and aqueous-solution complexation free energies with alkali-metal cations are computed for their neutral and deprotonated cases. Consequently, all the molecules are found to energetically favor cation complexations and the preference order is LiNaKRbCs for all conditions, indicating no specific Cs selectivity but strong binding with all alkali cations. Comparing complexation stabilities among these metabolites, lecanoric and protocetraric acids seen in medullary layer are found to keep higher affinity in their neutral case, while (+)-usnic acid and atranorin in upper cortex exhibit rather strong affinity only in deprotonated cases through forming stable six atoms' ring containing alkali cation chelated by two oxygens. These results suggest that the medullary layer can catch all alkali cations in a wide pH range around the physiological one, while the upper cortex can effectively block penetration of metal ions when the metal stress grows. Such insights highlight a physiological role of metabolites like blocking of metal-cation migrations into intracellular tissues, and explain long-term retention of alkali cations including Cs in lichens containing enough such metabolites to bind them.

Plutonium dioxide particle imaging using a high-resolution alpha imager for radiation protection

Morishita, Yuki; Kurosawa, Shunsuke*; Yamaji, Akihiro*; Hayashi, Masateru*; Sasano, Makoto*; Makita, Taisuke*; Azuma, Tetsushi*

Scientific Reports (Internet), 11(1), p.5948_1 - 5948_11, 2021/03

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-84515-z

The internal exposure of workers who inhale plutonium dioxide particles in nuclear facilities is a crucial matter for human protection from radiation. To determine the activity median aerodynamic diameter values at the working sites of nuclear facilities in real time, we developed a high-resolution alpha imager using a ZnS(Ag) scintillator sheet, an optical microscope, and an electron-multiplying charge-coupled device camera. Then, we designed and applied a setup to measure a plutonium dioxide particle and identify the locations of the individual alpha particles in real time. Employing a Gaussian fitting, we evaluated the average spatial resolution of the multiple alpha particles was evaluated to be 16.2 umFWHM with a zoom range of 5 x. Also, the spatial resolution for the plutonium dioxide particle was 302.7 umFWHM due to the distance between the plutonium dioxide particle and the ZnS(Ag) scintillator. The influence of beta particles was negligible, and alpha particles were discernible in the alpha-beta particle contamination. The equivalent volume diameter of the plutonium dioxide particle was calculated from the measured count rate. These results indicate that the developed alpha imager is effective in the plutonium dioxide particle measurements at the working sites of nuclear facilities for internal exposure dose evaluation.

Interface atom mobility and charge transfer effects on CuO and CuO formation on CuPd(111) and CuPt(111)

Tsuda, Yasutaka; Gueriba, J. S.*; Makino, Takamasa*; Dio, W. A.*; Yoshigoe, Akitaka; Okada, Michio*

Scientific Reports (Internet), 11, p.3906_1 - 3906_8, 2021/02

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-82180-w

New method for visualizing the dose rate distribution around the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant using artificial neural networks

Sasaki, Miyuki; Sanada, Yukihisa; Katengeza, E. W.*; Yamamoto, Akio*

Scientific Reports (Internet), 11, p.1857_1 - 1857_11, 2021/01

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-81546-4

This study proposed a new method to visualize the ambient dose rate distribution using artificial neural networks from the results of airborne radiation monitoring. The method used airborne radiation monitoring conducted around Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant by an unmanned aerial vehicle. A lot of survey data which had obtained in the past was used as training data for building a network. The reliability of the artificial neural network method was evaluated by comparison with the ground-based survey data. The dose rate map that was created by the artificial neural networks method reproduced the ground-based survey results better than traditional methods.

Structural and compositional characteristics of Fukushima release particulate material from Units 1 and 3 elucidates release mechanisms, accident chronology and future decommissioning strategy

Martin, P. G.*; Jones, C. P.*; Bartlett, S.*; Ignatyev, K.*; Megson-Smith, D.*; Satou, Yukihiko; Cipiccia, S.*; Batey, D. J.*; Rau, C.*; Sueki, Keisuke*; et al.

Scientific Reports (Internet), 10, p.22056_1 - 22056_17, 2020/12

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-79169-2

Observation of morphological abnormalities in silkworm pupae after feeding CsCl-supplemented diet to evaluate the effects of low dose-rate exposure

Tanaka, Sota; Kinouchi, Tadatoshi*; Fujii, Tsuguru*; Imanaka, Tetsuji*; Takahashi, Tomoyuki*; Fukutani, Satoshi*; Maki, Daisuke*; Notomi, Akihiro*; Takahashi, Sentaro*

Scientific Reports (Internet), 10, p.16055_1 - 16055_7, 2020/09

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-72882-y

Since the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP) accident, morphological abnormalities of the lepidopteran insects have been reported. However, it is unclear whether the abnormalities were caused directly by radiation because they did not study on absorbed dose and dose-effect relationship. In this study, we conducted an internal exposure experiment on silkworm using CsCl-supplemented artificial diet and estimated the absorbed dose to evaluate the morphological abnormalities in silkworm. The ratio of wing to whole body of pupae was compared between the CsCl-exposured and control groups and no significant differences were observed between the groups. This result suggest that morphological abnormalities in lepidopterans are unlikely due to direct radiation effects from Cs contamination after the FDNPP accident.