An assessment on the environmental contamination caused by the Fukushima accident

Highlights

•: Different mechanisms of the release of the radionuclides into the atmosphere and cooling water.
•: Atmospheric releases mainly governed by the volatility of the radionuclides.
•: Significant releases of long-lived radionuclides including ¹³⁷Cs and ⁹⁰Sr into the cooling water.

Abstract

The radiological releases from the damaged fuel to the atmosphere and into the cooling water in the Fukushima Daiich Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP) accident are investigated. Atmospheric releases to the land and ocean mostly occurred during the first week after the accident whereas continuous release from the damaged fuel into the cooling water resulted in an accumulation of contaminated water in the plant during last six years. An evaluation of measurement data and analytical model for the release of radionuclides indicated that atmospheric releases were mainly governed by the volatility of the radionuclides. Using the measurement data on the contaminated water, the mechanism for the release of long-lived radionuclides into the cooling water was analyzed. It was found that the radioactivity concentrations of ⁹⁰Sr in the contaminated water in the Primary Containment Vessel (PCV) of unit 2 and unit 3 were consistently higher than that of ¹³⁷Cs and the radioactivity concentration of ⁹⁰Sr in the turbine building of unit 1 in year 2015 was higher than that in year 2011. It was also observed that the radioactivity concentration of long-lived radionuclides in the contaminated water in the FDNPP is still high even in year 2015. The activity ratio of ²³⁸Pu/^239+240Pu for the contaminated water was in the range of 1.7–5.4, which was significantly different from the ratios from the soil samples representing the atmospheric releases of FDNPP. It is concluded that the release mechanisms into the atmosphere and cooling water are clearly different and there has been significant amount of long-lived radionuclides released into the contaminated water.

January 16, 2018 - Posted by dunrenard | Fukushima 2018 | Fukushima Daiichi, Radionuclides, Releases

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1.This Month

On Sunday, August 2^nd, Veterans for Peace begins their eight-day virtual 2020 Convention. At noon Mountain Daylight Time, the Opening Plenary will tell the story in “The Nuclear Weapons Industry – Creating Victims – More Than 75 Years and Counting.” The scheduled speakers are: the Chief of Council of the Western Shoshone Nation and Spiritual Person, Chief Johnnie Bobb; the social practice artist and educator Yasuyo Tanaka; journalist and author in Kyoto, Japan, Toshiya Morita; and peace activist, Joni Arends, of CCNS.

For more information, visit https://vfp2020.attendease.com/

6 August Hiroshima Day 75th Anniversary Commemorations

by London Campaign for Nuclear Disarmamen

Join London CND for an online event in commemoration of the 75th Anniversary of Hiroshima Day Thu, 6 Aug 2020, 12:00 BST https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/hiroshima-day-75th-anniversary-commemorations-registration-110968068480

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Oregon Physicians for Social Responsibility

https://www.oregonpsr.org/hiroshima_nagasaki Our 2020 memorial event, which marks the 75th anniversary of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, will be held on Thursday August 6 2020 beginning at 6:00 PM. Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, this event will be a virtual online event. More details will be posted as the event organizing progresses, and we hope that you’ll mark your calendars and plan to join us on August 6th!

On Thursday, August 6th, at 6 pm Mountain Daylight Time, a program organized by New Mexico activists, faith leaders, and veterans, the “75^th Anniversary Hiroshima Day One-Hour Online Commemoration” will be available at https://paceebene.org/hiroshimaday2020 .

The scheduled speakers are: Roshi Joan Halifax, Buddhist teacher, Zen priest, anthropologist, and pioneer in the field of end-of-life care; Dr. Ira Helfand, of the International Steering Committee of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons; Jay Coghlan, executive director of Nuclear Watch New Mexico; and Archbishop of Santa Fe, John Wester. The host will be the Reverend John Dear, priest, activist, and author of 35 books. The program is organized by New Mexico 75th Anniversary of Hiroshima/Nagasaki Committee and Pace e Bene. The event will also be available at https://www.hiroshimanagasaki75.org/

A two-day virtual event commemorating the 75th year since the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki is scheduled for August 6th and August 9th. The organizers intend the event to be “a creative, intersectional way to shine a spotlight on local events nationwide, to highlight the stories of survivors, to look toward the future of a world free from nuclear threats, and to amplify the voices of activists, experts and others beyond their typical audience.” To learn more, use #still here or https://www.hiroshimanagasaki75.org/ . http://nuclearactive.org/

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