Investigations on distribution of radioactive substances owing to the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station Accident in the fiscal year 2022 (Contract research)

Group for Fukushima Mapping Project

JAEA-Technology 2023-024, 176 Pages, 2024/03

JAEA-Technology-2023-024.pdf:22.16MB

This report presents results of the investigations on the distribution-mapping project of radioactive substances owing to TEPCO Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station (FDNPS) conducted in FY2022. Car-borne surveys, a measurement using survey meters, a walk survey and an unmanned helicopter survey were carried out to obtain air dose rate data to create their distribution maps, and temporal changes of the air dose rates were analyzed. Surveys on depth profile of radiocesium and in-situ measurements as for radiocesium deposition were performed. Based on these measurement results, effective half-lives of the temporal changes in the air dose rates and the deposition were evaluated. Score maps to classify the importance of the measurement points were created, and the factors causing changes in the score when monitoring data from multiple years were used were discussed. The range of fluctuation of past tritium concentration data in seawater was determined, and the causes of the fluctuation were discussed. Monitoring data in coastal area performed in 2022 owing to the comprehensive radiation monitoring plan was summarized, and temporal changes in cesium-137 were analyzed. Using the Bayesian hierarchical modeling approach, we obtained maps that integrated air dose rate distribution data acquired through surveys such as car-borne and walk surveys with respect to the region within 80 km from the FDNPS and Fukushima Prefecture. The measurement results for FY2022 were published on the "Database for Radioactive Substance Monitoring Data", and measurement data were stored as CSV format. Radiation monitoring and analysis of environmental samples owing to the comprehensive radiation monitoring plan were carried out.

Cs contamination of Japanese mustard spinach by resuspended particles in areas with different contamination conditions

Tatsuno, Takahiro*; Yoshimura, Kazuya; Nihei, Naoto*

Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry, 8 Pages, 2024/00

https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-023-09347-9

Soil dust and bioaerosols as potential sources for resuspended Cs occurring near the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant

Ota, Masakazu; Takahara, Shogo; Yoshimura, Kazuya; Nagakubo, Azusa; Hirouchi, Jun; Hayashi, Naho; Abe, Tomohisa; Funaki, Hironori; Nagai, Haruyasu

Journal of Environmental Radioactivity, 264, p.107198_1 - 107198_15, 2023/08

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvrad.2023.107198

One of the current major radiation exposure pathways from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP) accident-fallout is inhalation of the re-suspended Cs occurring in air. While wind-induced soil particle resuspension has been recognized as a primary mechanism of Cs resuspension, studies following the FDNPP accident suggested that fungal spores can be a significant source of the atmospheric Cs particularly in the rural areas such as difficult-to-return zone (DRZ). To elucidate the relative importance of the two resuspension phenomena, we propose a model simulating resuspension of Cs as soil particles and fungal spores, and applied it to DRZ. Our model's calculation showed that soil particle resuspension was responsible for the surface-air Cs observed during winter-spring, but could not account for the higher Cs concentrations observed in summer-autumn. The higher concentrations in the summer-autumn were in general reproduced by implementing fungal spore Cs emission, that replenished low soil particle Cs resuspension in that period. According to our model's concept, Cs accumulation in fungal spores and high spore emission rate characterized by the rural environment were likely responsible for the abundance of spore Cs in the air. It was inferred that the influence of the fungal spores on the atmospheric Cs would last longer since un-decontaminated forests still exist in DRZ.

Thirty-year prediction of Cs supply from rivers to coastal waters off Fukushima considering human activities

Ikenoue, Tsubasa; Shimadera, Hikari*; Nakanishi, Takahiro; Kondo, Akira*

Water (Internet), 15(15), p.2734_1 - 2734_18, 2023/08

https://doi.org/10.3390/w15152734

The Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident caused an accumulation of Cs in coastal sediment. The Cs supply from rivers to the ocean can affect the long-term fate of Cs in coastal sediment. Since the Fukushima coastal river basins include large decontaminated and evacuation order areas, considering the decontamination work and resumption of agriculture is important for predicting the Cs supply. We conducted a 30-year prediction of the Cs supply from the Fukushima coastal rivers to the ocean using a distributed radiocesium prediction model, considering the effects of human activities. In river basins with decontaminated and evacuation order areas, human activities reduced the total Cs outflow from agricultural lands, urban lands, and forest areas to the rivers and the Cs supply to the ocean by 5.0% and 6.0%, respectively. These results indicated that human activities slightly impacted the Cs outflow and supply. The Cs supply from rivers impacted by the accident to the coastal sediment was estimated to correspond to 11-36% of the total Cs in the coastal sediment in the early phase of the accident. Therefore, the Cs supply from rivers to the ocean is important for the long-term behavior of Cs in coastal sediment.

Cs transfer from soils contaminated by resuspended particles to Japanese mustard spinach in difficult-to-return zone of Fukushima

Tatsuno, Takahiro*; Nihei, Naoto*; Yoshimura, Kazuya; Ote, Nobuhito*

Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry, 332(6), p.1677 - 1686, 2023/06

https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-023-08899-0

Surface analyses of CsOH chemisorbed on concrete and aggregate at around 200C

Luu, V. N.; Nakajima, Kunihisa

Proceedings of 30th International Conference on Nuclear Engineering (ICONE30) (Internet), 9 Pages, 2023/05

https://doi.org/10.1299/jsmeicone.2023.30.1940

Effect of radioactive cesium-rich microparticles on radioactive cesium concentration and distribution coefficient in rivers flowing through the watersheds with different contaminated condition in Fukushima

Tatsuno, Takahiro*; Waki, Hiromichi*; Kakuma, Minato*; Nihei, Naoto*; Takase, Tsugiko*; Wada, Toshihiro*; Yoshimura, Kazuya; Nakanishi, Takahiro; Ote, Nobuhito*

Journal of Environmental Management, 329, p.116983_1 - 116983_13, 2023/03

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2022.116983

Uncertainty reduction of the FPs transport mechanism and debris degradation behavior and evaluation of the reactor contamination of debris state on the basis of the accident progression scenario of Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station Unit 2 and 3 (Contract research); FY2021 Nuclear Energy Science & Technology and Human Resource Development Project

Collaborative Laboratories for Advanced Decommissioning Science; Tokyo Institute of Technology*

JAEA-Review 2022-053, 89 Pages, 2023/02

JAEA-Review-2022-053.pdf:3.47MB

The Collaborative Laboratories for Advanced Decommissioning Science (CLADS), Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA), had been conducting the Nuclear Energy Science & Technology and Human Resource Development Project (hereafter referred to "the Project") in FY2021. The Project aims to contribute to solving problems in the nuclear energy field represented by the decommissioning of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station, Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, Inc. (TEPCO). For this purpose, intelligence was collected from all over the world, and basic research and human resource development were promoted by closely integrating/collaborating knowledge and experiences in various fields beyond the barrier of conventional organizations and research fields. The sponsor of the Project was moved from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology to JAEA since the newly adopted proposals in FY2018. On this occasion, JAEA constructed a new research system where JAEA-academia collaboration is reinforced and medium-to-long term research/development and human resource development contributing to the decommissioning are stably and consecutively implemented. Among the adopted proposals in FY2021, this report summarizes the research results of the "Uncertainty reduction of the FPs transport mechanism and debris degradation behavior and evaluation of the reactor contamination of debris state on the basis of the accident progression scenario of Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station Unit 2 and 3" conducted in FY2021. The present study aims to elucidate the cause of the high dosage under shield plug by clarification of to the cesium behavior of migration, adhesion to structure and deposition as well as evaluate the properties of metal-rich debris predeceasing melted through the materials science approach based on the most probable scenario of accident progression of Unit 2 and 3. In this fiscal year, the followings were achieved.

Sorption structure of cesium ions for weathered biotite and kaolinite

Tsuji, Takuya; Matsumura, Daiju; Kobayashi, Toru; Yaita, Tsuyoshi

SPring-8/SACLA Riyo Kenkyu Seikashu (Internet), 11(1), p.15 - 18, 2023/02

https://doi.org/10.18957/rr.11.1.15

no abstracts in English

Improvement of model for cesium chemisorption onto stainless steel in severe accident analysis code SAMPSON (Joint research)

Miwa, Shuhei; Karasawa, Hidetoshi; Nakajima, Kunihisa; Kino, Chiaki*; Suzuki, Eriko; Imoto, Jumpei

JAEA-Data/Code 2021-022, 32 Pages, 2023/01

JAEA-Data-Code-2021-022.pdf:1.41MB
JAEA-Data-Code-2021-022(errata).pdf:0.17MB

The improved model for cesium (Cs) chemisorption onto stainless steel (SS) in the fission product (FP) chemistry database named ECUME was incorporated into the severe accident (SA) analysis code SAMPSON for the more accurate estimation of Cs distribution within nuclear reactor vessels in the TEPCO's Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station (1F). The SAMPSON with the improved model was verified based on the analysis results reproducing the experimental results which were subjected to the modeling of Cs chemisorption behavior. Then, the experiment in the facility with the temperature gradient tube to simulate SA conditions such as temperature decrease and aerosol formation was analyzed to confirm availability of the improved model to the analysis of Cs chemisorption onto SS. The SAMPSON with the improved model successfully reproduced the experimental results, which indicates that the improved model and the analytical method such as setting a method of node-junction, models of aerosol formation and the calculation method of saturated CsOH vapor pressure can be applicable to the analysis of Cs chemisorption behavior. As the information on water-solubility of Cs deposits was also prerequisite to estimate the Cs distribution in the 1F because Cs can be transported through aqueous phase after the SA, the water-solubility of chemisorbed Cs compounds was investigated. The chemisorbed compounds on SS304 have been identified to CsFeO at 873 K to 973 K with higher water-solubility, CsFeSiO at 973 K to 1273 K and CsSiO at 1073 K to 1273 K with lower water-solubility. From these results, the water-solubility of chemisorbed Cs compounds can be estimated according to the SA analysis conditions such as temperature in the reactor and the CsOH concentration affecting the amount of chemisorbed Cs.