scholarly journals Artificial Radionuclides in Squid from northwestern Pacific in 2011 following the Fukushima accident

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wen Yu ◽  
Mathew P. Johansen ◽  
Jianhua He ◽  
Wu Men ◽  
Longshan Lin
Keyword(s):  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Concentration Ratio ◽  
Natural Radionuclides ◽  
Marine Species ◽  
High Water ◽  
Northwestern Pacific ◽  
Fukushima Accident ◽  
Dose Rates ◽  
Radiological Dose ◽  
The Impact

Abstract. In order to better understand the impact of Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) Accident on commercial marine species, squid (Ommastrephe bartrami) samples, obtained from the northwestern Pacific in November 2011, were analyzed for a range of artificial and natural radionuclides (Cs-134, Cs-137, Ag-110m, U-238, Ra-226 and K-40). Short-lived radionuclides Cs-134 and Ag-110m released from Fukushima NPP Accident were found in the samples, with an extremely high water-to-organism concentration ratio for Ag-110m (> 2.9E + 04). The radiological dose rates for the squid from the radionuclides measured were far lower than the relevant benchmark of 10 µGy h−1. For human consumers ingesting these squid, the dose contribution from natural radionuclides (> 99.9 %) including Po-210, was far greater than that of Fukushima-accident radionuclides (

scholarly journals Artificial radionuclides in neon flying squid from the northwestern Pacific in 2011 following the Fukushima accident

2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (23) ◽  
pp. 7235-7242 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wen Yu ◽  
Mathew P. Johansen ◽  
Jianhua He ◽  
Wu Men ◽  
Longshan Lin
Keyword(s):  
Power Plant ◽  
Nuclear Power Plant ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Natural Radionuclides ◽  
Whole Body ◽  
Northwestern Pacific ◽  
Fukushima Accident ◽  
Fdnpp Accident ◽  
Neon Flying Squid ◽  
Concentration Ratios

Abstract. In order to better understand the impact of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP) accident on a commercial marine species, neon flying squid (Ommastrephes bartramii) samples obtained from the northwestern Pacific in November 2011 were analyzed for a range of artificial and natural radionuclides (Cs-134, Cs-137, Ag-110m, U-238, Ra-226, and K-40). Short-lived radionuclides Cs-134 and Ag-110m released from the FDNPP accident were found in the samples, with an extremely high water-to-organism concentration ratio for Ag-110m (>2.9×104). While accident-derived radionuclides were present, their associated dose rates for the squid were far lower than the relevant benchmark of 10 µGy h−1. For human consumers ingesting these squid, the dose contribution from natural radionuclides, including Po-210, was far greater (>99.9 %) than that of Fukushima-accident radionuclides (<0.1 %). The whole-body to tissue and whole-body to gut concentration ratios were calculated and reported, providing a simple method to estimate the whole-body concentration in environmental monitoring programs, and filling a data gap for concentration ratios in cephalopods. Our results help fill data gaps in uptake of nuclear power plant radionuclides in the commercially important Cephalopoda class and add to scarce data on open-ocean nekton in the northwestern Pacific shortly after the Fukushima accident.

scholarly journals RADIOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT OF IONIZING RADIATION IMPACT ON THE TERRESTRIAL NON-HUMAN BIOTA IN LITHUANIA

2015 ◽  
Vol 23 (4) ◽  
pp. 295-301 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marina KONSTANTINOVA ◽  
Nina PROKOPČIUK ◽  
Arūnas GUDELIS ◽  
Donatas BUTKUS
Keyword(s):  
Ionizing Radiation ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Activity Concentration ◽  
Assessment Tool ◽  
Natural Radionuclides ◽  
Soil Layer ◽  
Software Application ◽  
Dose Rates ◽  
Top Soil

The quantitative assessment of radionuclides transfer to non-human biota using their activity concentration ratios is required for models of predictive doses of ionizing radiation. Based on long-term data regarding activity concentration of radionuclides in the top soil layer of the entire territory of Lithuania, and with the help of ERICA Assessment Tool – a software application that calculates dose rates to selected biota, we estimated the radiological impact on the terrestrial non-human biota with special emphasis on the protected areas located in the vicinity of Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant (INPP). Estimated total dose rates of artificial radionuclides – after-Chernobyl 137Cs and 90Sr as well as discharged by INPP – and natural radionuclides, such as 238U and 232Th, were found to be less than ERICA screening value of 10 μGy h–1.

scholarly journals Development of Efficient External Multi-Hazard Risk Quantification Methodology for Nuclear Facilities

Energies ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (20) ◽  
pp. 3925 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shinyoung Kwag ◽  
Jeong Gon Ha ◽  
Min Kyu Kim ◽  
Jung Han Kim
Keyword(s):  
Probability Distribution ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Algebraic Approach ◽  
Computational Time ◽  
Nuclear Facilities ◽  
Fukushima Accident ◽  
Current Sampling ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Energy Plants

Probabilistic safety assessment (PSA) of nuclear facilities on external multi-hazards has become a major issue after the Fukushima accident in 2011. However, the existing external hazard PSA methodology is for single hazard events and cannot cover the impact of multi-hazards. Therefore, this study proposes a methodology for quantifying multi-hazard risks for nuclear energy plants. Specifically, we developed an efficient multi-hazard PSA methodology based on the probability distribution-based Boolean algebraic approach and sampling-based method, which are currently single-hazard PSA methodologies. The limitations of the probability distribution-based Boolean algebraic approach not being able to handle partial dependencies between the components are solved through this sampling-based method. In addition, we devised an algorithm that was more efficient than the existing algorithm for improving the limits of the current sampling-based method, as it required a significant computational time. The proposed methodology was applied from simple examples to single- and multi-hazard PSA examples of actual nuclear power plants. The results showed that the proposed methodology was verified in terms of accuracy and efficiency perspectives. Regarding the sampling-based method, it was confirmed that the proposed algorithm yielded fragility and risk results that have similar degrees of accuracy, even though it extracted a smaller number of samples than the existing algorithm.

MODELLING AND SIMULATION FOR RADIOLOGICAL DOSE ASSESSMENT OF PSAMMOTHERAPY AND CLIMATOTHERPY

2020 ◽  
Vol 188 (3) ◽  
pp. 276-284
Author(s):  
Kh A Allam
Keyword(s):  
Reference Point ◽  
Gamma Ray ◽  
Natural Radionuclides ◽  
Absorbed Dose ◽  
Dose Assessment ◽  
Beach Sand ◽  
Dose Rates ◽  
Occupational Dose ◽  
Mathematical Simulations ◽  
Radiological Dose

Abstract Patient and occupational dose rates due to psammotherapy (sand therapy) and climatotherapy treatments in high natural background areas in Egypt have been evaluated. Monte Carlo mathematical simulations using adult human phantoms were applied to consider the effect of elevated 238U, 232Th and 40K concentrations and the nonhomogeneous distribution of natural radionuclides in beach sand. Three situations: phantom covered by sand or lying on the beach and points in air at several heights above sand level, were considered. The gamma-ray doses per treatment were calculated at a reference point located on the phantom surface centrally above the genital area. The thus calculated patient-absorbed-dose ranges at this reference point were 0.006–0.018 mGy and 0.004–0.023 mGy per climatotherapy and psammotherapy treatments, respectively.

Differentiating Fukushima and Nagasaki sourced plutonium from global fallout: Pu vs Cs in soils and biota

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mathew Johansen ◽  
Donovan Anderson ◽  
David Child ◽  
Michael Hotchkis ◽  
Hirofumi Tsukada ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Wild Boar ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Global Fallout ◽  
Systematic Sampling ◽  
Fukushima Accident ◽  
Dose Rates ◽  
Highly Sensitive ◽  
Fdnpp Accident ◽  
Wild Boar Meat ◽  
Study Sites

&lt;p&gt;The release of plutonium (Pu) from the 2011 Fukushima accident has raised questions on how prevalent it is in the environment and how its cycling into the biosphere compares with that from the previous Nagasaki and global-fallout sources.&amp;#160; Here, we report on systematic sampling and analysis of soils, earthworms, and wild boar as markers of Pu in the deposition areas near the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station (FDNPS) and Nagasaki. Highly-sensitive Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS) methods were used to distinguish the Pu sourced from the FDNPS accident, and Nagasaki-detonation, from worldwide fallout Pu. We primarily used &lt;sup&gt;241&lt;/sup&gt;Pu/&lt;sup&gt;239&lt;/sup&gt;Pu atom ratios, as the other typically-used Pu measures (&lt;sup&gt;240&lt;/sup&gt;Pu/&lt;sup&gt;239&lt;/sup&gt;Pu atom ratios, activity concentrations) were less sensitive and did not distinguish the FDNPS Pu from background in most study samples.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Near the FDNPS, results indicate that five years after the accident, 0.4% &amp;#8211; 2% of the Pu in the local soils (0-5cm) had originated from the FDNPS releases, the remainder being from global fallout.&amp;#160; The trace amounts of FDNPS Pu (e.g., 0.02-0.04 Bq kg&lt;sup&gt;-1&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;sup&gt;239&lt;/sup&gt;Pu estimated in local ~3km deposition) contrasted sharply with the &lt;sup&gt;134+137&lt;/sup&gt;Cs content which was about 10&lt;sup&gt;6&lt;/sup&gt; times greater than background in the same samples. The accident also contributed new Pu of ~0.3% &amp;#8211; 3% in earthworms and ~1% &amp;#8211; 10% in wild boar near the FDNPS. The soil and wild boar data from across the study sites consistently indicate only low levels of new accident-Pu and do not support the concept of a substantial undiscovered deposit of Pu near the FDNPS. Unlike sparsely-taken individual soil samples that might miss a Pu hotspot, the wild boar samples represent the integration of uptake throughout their entire foraging areas.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Near Nagasaki, our measurements in 2016 show a lasting legacy of Pu sourced from the 1945 detonation (~93% soils, ~88% earthworm, ~96% boar in samples &lt;5km from the Nagasaki hypocentre; the remainder from global fallout). Even with these high percentages arising from the 1945 detonation, &amp;#160;the Pu amounts at all study sites in Japan are comparable&amp;#160; to background fallout levels elsewhere and are orders of magnitude lower than what remains near Chernobyl. At the study areas, the dose rates from Pu to organisms, as well as to potential human consumers of wild boar meat, have been only slightly elevated above background and are orders of magnitude lower than the dose potentials from the &lt;sup&gt;134,137&lt;/sup&gt;Cs in samples from near the FDNPS. &amp;#160;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The results demonstrate progress in increasing the sensitivity of AMS methods, including the use of &lt;sup&gt;241&lt;/sup&gt;Pu/&lt;sup&gt;239&lt;/sup&gt;Pu atom ratios, to compare recent and past nuclear contamination events and suggest that the Nagasaki-detonation Pu will be distinguishable in the environment long after the FDNPP-accident Pu is not.&lt;/p&gt;

Analysis of the HI-TRAC VW Transfer Cask Dose Rates for Spent Fuel Assemblies Loaded in Nuclear Power Plant Krsko Storage Campaign One

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Davor Grgic ◽  
Mario Matijevic ◽  
Paulina Duckic ◽  
Radomir Jecmenica
Keyword(s):  
Power Plant ◽  
Nuclear Power Plant ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Variance Reduction ◽  
Spent Fuel ◽  
Dose Rates ◽  
Dry Storage ◽  
Fuel Assemblies ◽  
Spent Fuel Pool ◽  
The Impact

Abstract In this paper shielding analysis was performed to determine neutron and gamma dose rates around the transfer cask HI-TRAC VW loaded with Spent Fuel Assemblies (SFA) from Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) Krsko Spent Fuel Dry Storage (SFDS) Campaign one. The HI-TRAC VW is a multi-layered cylindrical vessel designed to accept a Multi Purpose Canister (MPC) during loading, unloading and transfer to dry storage building. The MPC can contain up to 37 spent fuel assemblies. The analysis was divided into two steps. The first step was the source term generation using ORIGEN-S module of the SCALE code package. The source was calculated based on the operating history of spent fuel assemblies currently located in the NPP Krsko spent fuel pool. The obtained particle intensities and source spectra of the SFA were used in the second step to calculate the dose rates around the transfer cask. A comprehensive hybrid shielding analysis included the calculation of dose rates resulting from fuel neutrons and gammas, neutron induced gammas (n-g reaction), and hardware activation gammas under normal conditions and during accident scenario. To obtain the dose rates within the acceptable uncertainties, FW-CADIS variance reduction scheme, as implemented in ADVANTG code, was adopted for accelerating final MCNP6 calculations. The dose rates around HI-TRAC VW cask were calculated using MCNP6 code for all 16 casks loading belonging to Campaign one in order to illustrate the impact of fuel assembly selection schemes proposed by company responsible for project realization (Holtec International).

scholarly journals The analysis of radioecological monitoring results in the vicinity of the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 19-30 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. K. Kuznetsov ◽  
A. V. Panov ◽  
N. I. Sanzharova ◽  
N. N. Isamov ◽  
N. V. Andreeva ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Power Plant ◽  
Nuclear Power Plant ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Specific Activity ◽  
Natural Radionuclides ◽  
Agricultural Products ◽  
Artificial Radionuclides ◽  
Radioecological Monitoring ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Maximum Content

The research presents the data of long-term observations of the impact of the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant operation on the radioecological situation in the region of its location. The dynamics of the content of natural and artificial radionuclides in the components of agricultural ecosystems was studied due to the data based on the information from the radioecological monitoring network developed in 2003. Samples of soils, agricultural products and animal feeds were taken at 11 control sites located on arable lands and grasslands in the vicinity of the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant, and, in settlements, locally produced food was sampled. It was shown that for the period of studies of 2003-2019, the average specific activity of 90Sr in the soils of agroecosystems of the 10 km influence zone of the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant varied within 2.7-4.3 Bq/kg, and specific activity of 137Cs was 14.6-40.8 Bq/kg. At the same time, there were found no trends of increase in the content of artificial radionuclides in soil over time and at different distances from the NPP, and the increased specific activity of 137Cs in soil compared to the global background is explained by the Chernobyl fallout. The variability of the average content of natural radionuclides in the soil for 40K was 481-625 Bq/kg, 226Ra – 20.6-29.5 Bq/ kg, 232Th – 28.2-39.2 Bq/kg, which corresponded to all-Russian data. The average specific activity of 90Sr in grain was 0.24-0.43 Bq/kg, and 137Cs – 0.19-0.37 Bq/kg. Even the maximum levels of artificial radionuclides in grain were 44 times for 90Sr and 85 times for 137Cs lower than the current SanPiN standards. The highest specific activity values of 137Cs and 90Sr in potatoes, vegetables, and gourds were 160 times lower than the SanPiN standards. It was noted that the maximum content of 90Sr in milk was more than 540 times lower than the SanPin standard, and for 137Cs this difference was 330 times. The maximum content of 137Cs in beef turned out to be over 850 times lower than the SanPiN standard for this radionuclide. About 70 Bq/a of 90Sr and 200 Bq/a of 137Cs enter the population diet with locally produced food, which is almost 400 times for 137Cs and 200 times for 90Sr lower than the annual limit. Milk (46%), meat (31%), potatoes and vegetables (14%) make the main contribution to the formation of the internal dose from agricultural products containing 137Cs, and contribution to dose from 90Sr is made by milk (14%) and crop products (potatoes, vegetables, bread) – up to 78%. In general, we concluded that over the past 17 years, the operation of the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant did not lead to a deterioration of the radioecological situation in the region of its location, because during the survey period there was no significant increase in the content of artificial radionuclides in agricultural products, foods and environmental components.

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

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Atsushi Takahashi ◽  
Mirei Chiba ◽  
Akira Tanahara ◽  
Jun Aida ◽  
Yoshinaka Shimizu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Power Plant ◽  
Nuclear Power Plant ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Natural Radionuclides ◽  
Multivariate Regression Analysis ◽  
Epidemiological Studies ◽  
Deciduous Teeth ◽  
Fukushima Accident ◽  
Fukushima Daiichi

Abstract The Fukushima-Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (FNPP) accident in March 2011 released substantial amounts of radionuclides into the environment. We collected 4,957 deciduous teeth formed in children before the Fukushima accident to obtain precise control data for teeth formed after the accident. Radioactivity was measured using imaging plates (IP) and epidemiologically assessed using multivariate regression analysis. Additionally, we measured 90Sr, 137Cs, and natural radionuclides which might be present in teeth. Epidemiological studies of IP showed that the amount of radioactivity in teeth from Fukushima prefecture was similar to that from reference prefectures. We found that artificial radionuclides of 90Sr and 137Cs, which were believed to have originated from past nuclear disasters, and natural radionuclides including 40K and daughter nuclides in the 238U and 232Th series contributed to the generation of radioactivity in teeth. We also found no evidence to suggest that radionuclides originating from the FNPP accident significantly contaminated pre-existing teeth. This is the first large-scale investigation of radioactivity and radionuclides in teeth. The present findings will be indispensable for future studies of teeth formed after the FNPP accident, which will fall out over the next several years and might be more contaminated with radionuclides.

scholarly journals Uncertainties in the assessment of the radiation impact on biota in the vicinity of nuclear facilities

2021 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
pp. 112-123
Author(s):  
S.I. Spiridonov ◽  
◽  
V.E. Nushtaeva ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Radiation Dose ◽  
Dose Rate ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Nuclear Facilities ◽  
Radiation Dose Rate ◽  
Radiation Background ◽  
Dose Rates ◽  
Radioactive Release ◽  
The Impact

Evaluation of radiation impact on biota inhabiting near nuclear facilities of radioactive release to atmosphere from reactors of different types (WWER-1200, BN-600, BN-800, UVV-2M) is consid-ered in the paper. Radiation dose rates to reference groups of terrestrial biota species (annelids, insects, large and small mammals, grasses and conifers) vary from 0.01 to 0.2 µGy/day. The im-pact of the NPP using up-to-date reactor WWER-1200 is shown to be not exceeding 1% of the to-tal radiation impact. To compare correctly radiation impacts on the biota species from radioactive release and from exposure to established radiation dose rate limits, it is necessary to take into account contribution of all constituents of radiation background. Impacts on biota species from the total exposure to radioactive release or the exposure to established radiation dose rate limits were evaluated. Estimated radiation impact from exposure to the radioactive release did not ex-ceed 0.1; the impact from the established dose rate limits was 0.9. Obtained information allows making the following conclusion: uncertainty of quantitative evaluation of radiation impact on bio-ta in planned radiation situations is mainly caused by uncertainty of established dose rate limits. There is a need to establish dose criteria for emergency, it will allow creating “weighty” radioeco-logic justification of “nuclear power plants with account for potential emergency conditions.

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