Investigations on distribution of radioactive substances owing to the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station Accident in the fiscal year 2020 (Contract research)

Group for Fukushima Mapping Project

JAEA-Technology 2021-025, 159 Pages, 2022/01

JAEA-Technology-2021-025.pdf:46.66MB

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 FY2020. Car-borne surveys, a flat ground measurement using survey meters, a walk survey and an unmanned helicopter survey were carried out to obtain air dose rate data. Air dose rate distribution maps were created and temporal changes of the air dose rates were analyzed. Regarding radiocesium deposition into the ground, surveys on depth profile of radiocesium and in-situ measurements were performed. Based on these measurement results, effective half-lives of the temporal changes in the air dose rates and the deposition were evaluated. In the examination of scoring for classifying the importance of measurement points, a score map was created for Fukushima Prefecture and the 80 km zone from the FDNPS, and the factors causing changes in the score when monitoring data from multiple years were used were discussed. Using the Bayesian hierarchical modeling approach, we obtained maps that integrated the air dose rate distribution data obtained from aircraft monitoring, car-borne surveys, and walk surveys with respect to the region within 80 km from the FDNPS and Fukushima Prefecture. The measurement results for FY2020 were published on the "Expansion Site of Distribution Map of Radiation Dose", 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.

A Scaling approach for retention properties of crystalline rock; Case study of the in-situ long-term sorption and diffusion experiment (LTDE-SD) at the sp Hard Rock Laboratory in Sweden

Tachi, Yukio; Ito, Tsuyoshi*; Gylling, B.*

Water Resources Research, 57(11), 20 Pages, 2021/11

https://doi.org/10.1029/2020WR029335

This paper focuses on the scaling approach for sorption and diffusion parameters from laboratory to in-situ conditions using the dataset of LTDE-SD experiment performed at the sp HRL. The near-surface heterogeneities at both fracture surface and rock matrix could be evaluated by conceptual model with high porosity and diffusivity, and sorption capacity, and their gradual change at the near-surface zones. The modelling results for non-sorbing Cl-36 and weak-sorbing Na-22 could validate the model concept and the parameter estimation of porosity and diffusivity, by considering the disturbed zone of 5 mm thickness with gradual parameter changes. The De values of these cationic and anionic tracers showed typical cation excess and anion exclusion effects. The modelling results for high sorbing tracers (Cs-137, Ra-226, Ni-63 and Np-237) with different sorption mechanism could confirm the validity of the scaling approaches of Kd values as a function of particle size and their relation to the near-surface disturbances.

Performance of in situ gamma-ray spectrometry in the assessment of radioactive cesium deposition around the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant

Ji, Y.-Y.*; Ochi, Kotaro; Hong, S. B.*; Nakama, Shigeo; Sanada, Yukihisa; Mikami, Satoshi

Radiation Physics and Chemistry, 179, p.109205_1 - 109205_11, 2021/02

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.radphyschem.2020.109205

In situ gamma-ray spectrometry using diverse survey platforms has been conducted in contaminated areas with several dose rate levels around the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP). Six survey sites, including two evacuation zones around the FDNPP, were selected for ground-based gamma-ray spectrometry using HPGe (high purity Ge) and LaBr(Ce) detectors to assess the radioactive cesium deposition in the ground. The diverse levels of radioactivity of Cs were then distributed to six survey sites from 30 to 3000 kBq m in the measurement period of October 2018. A method to directly calculate the depth profile using in situ measurement was introduced so as to have representation over a wide area, and the results were successfully compared with those of sample analysis at one point in the site.

Interactive in-situ steering using interactive in-situ visualization framework based on particle

Kawamura, Takuma

Dai-34-Kai Suchi Ryutai Rikigaku Shimpojiumu Koen Rombunshu (Internet), 3 Pages, 2020/12

The search for computational parameters in simulations is an important issue in optimizing design variables and increasing the accuracy of simulations. However, due to the recent improvement in the performance of computational units, the data I/O speed has become a bottleneck, making it difficult to store the calculation results consisting of huge parameters in storage. In this study, we focused on in-situ steering, in which computational parameters are explored simultaneously with the computation on the supercomputer. We have extended our previously developed particle-based interactive in-situ visualization framework to develop a technique for interactively steering the computational parameters of batch-processed simulations. We applied this technique to a real-time simulation under development in our mid-term plan, and showed that the user can optimize the parameter search by adjusting the computational parameters in real time with feedback from the visualization.

Improvement in interactive remote in situ visualization using SIMD-aware function parser and asynchronous data I/O

Kawamura, Takuma; Idomura, Yasuhiro

Journal of Visualization, 23(4), p.695 - 706, 2020/08

https://doi.org/10.1007/s12650-020-00652-z

An in-situ visualization system based on the particle-based volume rendering offers a highly scalable and flexible visual analytics environment based on multivariate volume rendering. Although it showed excellent computational performance on the conventional CPU platforms, accelerated computation on the latest many core platforms revealed performance bottlenecks related to a function parser and particles I/O. In this paper, we develop a new SIMD-aware function parser and an asynchronous data I/O method based on task-based thread parallelization. Numerical experiments on the Oakforest-PACS, which consists of 8208 Intel Xeon Phi7250 (Knights Landing) processors, demonstrate an order of magnitude speedup with keeping improved strong scaling up to 100 k cores.

Investigations on distribution of radioactive substances owing to the FDNPP accident in the fiscal year 2018 (Contract research)

Group for Fukushima Mapping Project

JAEA-Technology 2019-019, 135 Pages, 2020/03

JAEA-Technology-2019-019.pdf:22.01MB

After the accident at TEPCO Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station (FDNPS), distribution situation survey on radioactive materials have been conducted with financially supported by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (later the Nuclear Regulatory Agency) from June 2011 to FY2018. Results obtained in the project in FY2018 are presented in this report. Car-borne surveys, a flat ground measurement using survey meters, a walk survey and an unmanned helicopter survey were carried out to obtain air dose rate data. Air dose rate distribution maps were created and temporal changes of air dose rate were analyzed. Regarding radiocesium deposition in the soil, depth profile survey in the soil and in-situ measurement were performed. Based on these measurement results, effective half-life of the air dose rate and the deposition were evaluated. Considering radiation monitoring data obtained in previous surveys and the installation positions of existing monitoring posts, we tried to make the "score" of the importance of measurement points. Using the Bayesian hierarchical modeling approach, we obtained a map that integrated the air dose rate distribution data obtained from aircraft monitoring, car-borne surveys, and walk surveys for the entire region within 80 km from the FDNPS. The measurement results for FY2018 were published on the "Expansion Site of Distribution Map of Radiation Dose", and measurement data were stored as CSV format. Radiation monitoring and environmental sample analysis owing to the comprehensive radiation monitoring plan were carried out.

The In-situ experiment for performance confirmation of engineered barrier system at Horonobe Underground Research Laboratory; Installation of engineered barrier system and backfilling the test niche at the 350m gallery

Nakayama, Masashi; Ono, Hirokazu

JAEA-Research 2019-007, 132 Pages, 2019/12

JAEA-Research-2019-007.pdf:11.29MB
JAEA-Research-2019-007-appendix(CD-ROM).zip:39.18MB

The Horonobe Underground Research Laboratory (URL) Project has being pursued by Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) to enhance the reliability of relevant disposal technologies through investigations of the deep geological environment within the host sedimentary formation at Horonobe, northern Hokkaido. The URL Project consists of two major research areas, "Geoscientific Research" and "Research and Development on Geological Disposal Technologies". The in-situ experiment for performance confirmation of engineered barrier system (EBS experiment) had been prepared from 2013 to 2014 fiscal year at GL-350m gallery, and heating by electric heater in simulated overpack had started in January, 2015. One of objectives of the EBS experiment is acquiring data concerned with Thermal-Hydrological-Mechanical-Chemical (THMC) coupled behavior. These data will be used in order to confirm the performance of engineered barrier system. This report shows following works had carried out at the GL-350 m gallery. Excavation of a test niche and a test pit, Setting buffer material blocks and a simulated overpack into the test pit, Backfilling the niche by compaction backfilling material and setting backfilling material blocks, Casting concrete type plug and contact grouting, Consolidate measurement system and start measuring.

The Deposition densities of radiocesium and the air dose rates in undisturbed fields around the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant; Their temporal changes for five years after the accident

Mikami, Satoshi; Tanaka, Hiroyuki*; Matsuda, Hideo*; Sato, Shoji*; Hoshide, Yoshifumi*; Okuda, Naotoshi*; Suzuki, Takeo*; Sakamoto, Ryuichi*; Ando, Masaki; Saito, Kimiaki

Journal of Environmental Radioactivity, 210, p.105941_1 - 105941_12, 2019/12

AA2019-0019.pdf:2.65MB

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvrad.2019.03.017

The deposition densities of radiocesium and the air dose rates were repeatedly measured in a large number of undisturbed fields within the 80km zone that surrounds the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant site between 2011 and 2016, and features of their temporal changes were clarified. The average air dose rate excluding background radiation in this zone decreased to about 20% of the initial value during the period from June 2011 to August 2016, which was essentially a result of the radioactive decay of Cs with a half-life of 2.06y. The air dose rate reduction was faster than that expected from the decay of radiocesium by a factor of about two, with most of this reduction being attributed to the penetration of radiocesium into the soil. The average deposition densities of Cs and Cs in fields that were not decontaminated were found to have decreased nearly according to their expected radioactive decay, which indicated that the movement of radiocesium in the horizontal direction was relatively small. The effect of decontamination was apparently observed in the measurements of air dose rates and deposition densities. Nominally, the average air dose rates in the measurement locations were reduced by about 20% by decontamination and other human activities, of which accurate quantitative analysis is and continue to be a challenge.

Development of the unmanned surface vehicle for radiation monitoring at seabed; Observation of temporal change of radiocesium concentration in the sea bottom sediment at coastal zone of Fukushima

Sanada, Yukihisa; Miyamoto, Kenji*; Ochi, Kotaro; Matsuzaki, Koji*; Ogawa, Toshihiro*; Senga, Yasuhiro*

Kaiyo Riko Gakkai-Shi, 24(2), p.9 - 18, 2018/12

https://doi.org/10.14928/amstec.24.2_9

Seven years passed since Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Station accident which was caused large amount of radionuclide release to the sea. Elucidation of behavior mechanism of radiocesium in the seabed is required for restarting fishing industry. We developed radiation detection system using the unmanned surface vehicle for in-situ measurement of radiocesium concentration in seabed sediment. This system is able to automatically navigate to measurement point and obtain the radiation data on the bottom sediment. The detector was calibrated by comparing the actual sediment samples. The periodical measurement off-shore the Fukushima Prefecture was performed using developed this system. As these results, distribution of radiocesium concentration was changed due to oceanographic condition. However, radiocesium inventory was tendency to decrease according to radiocesium half-life in measurement area. This system is effective for elucidation of behavior mechanism of radiocesium because it can easily measure the radiocesium concentration in the bottom sediment.

Development of an analytical method for estimating three-dimensional distribution of sediment-associated radiocesium at a reservoir bottom

Ochi, Kotaro; Urabe, Yoshimi*; Yamada, Tsutomu*; Sanada, Yukihisa

Analytical Chemistry, 90(18), p.10795 - 10802, 2018/09

https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.analchem.8b01746

After the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station accident, the distributions of sediment-associated radiocesium have been investigated to evaluate the dispersion and accumulation of radiocesium in the reservoir field. To develop an analytical method for measuring the horizontal and vertical distributions of radiocesium on a wide scale, we obtained 253 -ray spectra using a NaI(Tl) scintillation detector at the bottom of 64 ponds in Fukushima during 2014-2016. The depth profile of sediment-associated radiocesium was found to be correlated with intensities of scattered and photo peaks. In parallel, core sediments were collected in same ponds to validate the estimates. Good agreement was observed between the results of in situ spectrometry and core sampling. These results indicated that our developed method would be a good approach for understanding the behavior of radiocesium and determining whether decontamination of reservoirs is required.