Lessons learned from atmospheric modeling studies after the Fukushima nuclear accident: Ensemble simulations, data assimilation, elemental process modeling, and inverse modeling

2018 ◽  
Vol 52 (2) ◽  
pp. 85-101 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mizuo Kajino ◽  
Tsuyoshi Thomas Sekiyama ◽  
Anne Mathieu ◽  
Irène Korsakissok ◽  
Raphaël Périllat ◽  
...  
2017 ◽  
Vol 29 (2_suppl) ◽  
pp. 74S-89S ◽  
Author(s):  
Michio Murakami ◽  
Akiko Sato ◽  
Shiro Matsui ◽  
Aya Goto ◽  
Atsushi Kumagai ◽  
...  

The Fukushima nuclear accident in March 2011 posed major threats to public health. In response, medical professionals have tried to communicate the risks to residents. To investigate forms of risk communication and to share lessons learned, we reviewed medical professionals’ activities in Fukushima Prefecture from the prefectural level to the individual level: public communication through Fukushima Health Management Surveys, a Yorozu (“general”) health consultation project, communications of radiological conditions and health promotion in Iitate and Kawauchi villages, dialogues based on whole-body counter, and science communications through online media. The activities generally started with radiation risks, mainly through group-based discussions, but gradually shifted to face-to-face communications to address comprehensive health risks to individuals and well-being. The activities were intended to support residents’ decisions and to promote public health in a participatory manner. This article highlights the need for a systematic evaluation of ongoing risk communication practices, and a wider application of successful approaches for Fukushima recovery and for better preparedness for future disasters.


Author(s):  
Yuanwei Ma ◽  
Dezhong Wang ◽  
Wenji Tan ◽  
Zhilong Ji ◽  
Kuo Zhang

In the Fukushima nuclear accident, due to the lack of field observations and the complexity of source terms, researchers failed to estimate the source term accurately immediately. Data assimilation methods to estimate source terms have many good features: they works well with highly nonlinear dynamic models, no linearization in the evolution of error statistics, etc. This study built a data assimilation system using the ensemble Kalman Filter for real-time estimates of source parameters. The assimilation system uses a Gaussian puff model as the atmospheric dispersion model, assimilating forward with the observation data. Considering measurement error, numerical experiments were carried on to verify the stability and accuracy of the scheme. Then the sensitivity of observation configration is tested by the twin experiments. First, the single parameter release rate of the source term is estimated by different sensor grid configurations. In a sparse sensors grid, the error of estimation is about 10%, and in a 11*11 grid configuration, the error is less than 1%. Under the analysis of the Fukushima nuclear accident, ahead for the actual situation, four parameters are estimated at the same time, by 2*2 to 11*11 grid configurations. The studies showed that the radionuclides plume should cover as many sensors as possible, which will lead a to successful estimation.


2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 12-17
Author(s):  
Reno Alamsyah

The Fukushima nuclear accident that occurred a decade ago has been considered a major accident. In this decade period, various important aspects of this accident were considered well-established for learning to improve nuclear safety infrastructure and prevent similar major accidents. The learning is very relevant for Indonesia, which is considered as an embarking country. Thus, this paper aims to assess the lessons that have been and can be learned by Indonesia from the nuclear accident. This study applies an analytical, descriptive and qualitative methodology using secondary data. In the first step, the important aspects of safety in the accident were identified applying the IAEA general safety requirement standards. The next step is the identification of relevant topics for each of these aspects in order to detail the lessons learned through an analysis of existing laws and regulations and international standards. This paper concludes that Indonesia has learned the lessons from the Fukushima nuclear accident in the aspects of international agreements, regulatory principles, and in accident prevention and mitigation. However, Indonesia still needs significant upgrading in the aspect’s leadership for safety and improvements in all these aspects. If a national decision has been made to build nuclear power plant, then these upgrading and improvements must be made to prevent a large-scale nuclear accident as happened at the Fukushima nuclear power plants.


2019 ◽  
Vol 54 (4) ◽  
pp. 283-288
Author(s):  
S. Yasui

In response to the Fukushima nuclear accident in 2011, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) temporarily increased emergency dose limits from 100 to 250 mSv from March 14 to December 16, 2011, but there were many problems in medical and health care systems. Based on the lessons learned, in 2015, the MHLW deliberated for radiation protection and medical and health care systems to prepare for future nuclear emergencies. The paper aims to describe and share the experience gained in the process of setting medical and healthcare systems. The paper outlines the issues of: (a) on-site medical and health care systems; (b) health care during emergency work and; (c) long-term health care. For the deliberation, the MHLW had to find the way to keep a balance between the protection of the emergency workers and the prompt implementation of crisis response. The MHLW built a consensus among stakeholders by providing lifetime healthcare systems as compensation for the radiation health risks and by enhancing preparedness to eliminate confusion and disorder and improve the level of protection against health risks. The experience gained shows that acceptance of the health risks due to radiation exposure needs not only a scientific basis, but also social acceptance.


Author(s):  
Mei Xu ◽  
Biao Yuan ◽  
Liangyu Wang ◽  
Lijun Zhang

In order to investigate the feasibility of data assimilation in a real nuclear accident environment, measurements of Fukushima nuclear accident were considered. The data assimilation system was constructed by using the Lagrangian puff model as the radioactive material diffusion model, and 86 group real dose rate data from the accident as the observations, and the Ensemble Kalman Filter algorithm as the assimilation algorithm. The experimental results show that the assimilated nuclear accident radiation field is in good agreement with the actual measurements, the land contaminated areas are concentrated in the northwest of the nuclear power plant. With the increase of the real measurements, the error of the radiation field decreases with time. Compared with the results with no assimilation, the uncertainty of assimilated dose rate was reduced more than 80%. Through the data assimilation, the whole error of the radiation field is about 30%. The utilization of the real measurements can reduce the uncertainty of the model prediction.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document