1. Tracking of airborne radionuclides from the damaged Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear reactors by European networks
- Author
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M. Manolopoulou, J. Bieringer, M. Kettunen, Ó. Halldórsson, Stylianos Stoulos, S. E. Pálsson, Ilia Penev, P.J.M. Kwakman, Philipp Steinmann, Olivier Masson, Fernando P. Carvalho, A. Ugron, Flavia Groppi, Luigi Gini, Simone Manenti, G. Depuydt, B. V. Silobritiene, Jerzy W. Mietelski, K. Isajenko, H. Wershofen, K. Gudnason, E. Vagena, A. Dalheimer, C. Söderström, Clemens Schlosser, Zs. Homoki, M. Reis, N. Tooloutalaie, C. Mc Mahon, Kamil Brudecki, G. Lujaniene, M. Lecomte, Antonio Baeza, K. Holeý, A.-P. Leppänen, Dragana Todorović, B. Lind, Pavel P. Povinec, M. Sonck, Henrik Ramebäck, Sven Poul Nielsen, B. Møller, Thomas Steinkopff, Dieter Hainz, P. Mc Ginnity, P. R. J. Saey, L.-E. De Geer, O. Connan, W. Ringer, Christian Katzlberger, Marija M. Janković, Georg Steinhauser, Damien Didier, Luc Solier, C. Papastefanou, L. León Vintró, Rodolfo Gurriaran, I. Sýkora, D. Hammond, R. Kontro, A. de Vismes, G. Sgorbati, Petr Rulík, Renata Kierepko, M.K. Pham, S. Bucci, Alexander Mauring, Alexandra Ioannidou, Jelena Krneta Nikolić, J. Tschiersch, R. Sogni, V. Samsonov, O. Zhukova, A. Mattila, Alicia Rodríguez, Ronaldus Martinus Wilhelmus Overwater, O. Hanley, Arturo Vargas, Laura Tositti, Helena Malá, M. Cappai, C. Cosma, Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire (IRSN), Bundesamt für Strahlenschutz (BfS), Henryk Niewodniczanski Institute of Nuclear Physics PAN, Instituto Tecnológico e Nuclear, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade Técnica de Lisboa (IST), Laboratoire de Radioécologie de Cherbourg-Octeville (LRC), Babes-Bolyai University [Cluj-Napoca] (UBB), Deutscher Wetterdienst [Offenbach] (DWD), Swedish Defence Research Agency [Stockholm] (FOI), Centre for Radiation, Chemical and Environmental Hazards, Public Health England [London], Department of Nuclear Physics and Biophysics, Comenius University in Bratislava, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, University College Dublin [Dublin] (UCD), National Radiation Protection Institute (NRPI/SURO), Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority [Helsinki] (STUK), Institute for Nuclear Research and Nuclear Energy (INRNE), Académie des sciences de Bulgarie, Swiss Federal Office of Public Health, University of Bologna, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya [Barcelona] (UPC), O. Masson, A. Baeza, J. Bieringer, K. Brudecki, S. Bucci, M. Cappai, F.P. Carvalho, O. Connan, C. Cosma, A. Dalheimer, D. Didier, G. Depuydt, L.E. De Geer, A. De Visme, L. Gini, F. Groppi, K. Gudnason, R. Gurriaran, D. Hainz, Ó. Halldórsson, D. Hammond○, O. Hanley, K. Holeý, Zs. Homoki, A. Ioannidou, K. Isajenko, M. Jankovic, C. Katzlberger, M. Kettunen, R. Kierepko, R. Kontro, P.J.M. Kwakman, M. Lecomte, L. Leon Vintro, A.-P. Leppänen, B. Lind, G. Lujaniene, P. Mc Ginnity, C. Mc Mahon, H. Malá, S. Manenti, M. Manolopoulou, A. Mattila, A. Mauring, J.W. Mietelski, B. Møller, S.P. Nielsen, J. Nikoliκ, R.M.W. Overwater, S. E. Pálsson, Papastefanou, I. Penev, M.K. Pham, P.P. Povinec, H. Ramebäck, M.C. Rei, W. Ringer, A. Rodriguez, P. Rulík, P.R.J. Saey, V. Samsonov, C. Shlosser, G. Sgorbati, B. V. Silobritiene, C. Söderström, R. Sogni, L. Solier, M. Sonk, G. Steinhauser, T. Steinkopff, P. Steinmann, S. Stoulo, I. Sýkora, D. Todorovic, N. Tooloutalaie, L. Tositti, J. Tshiersh, A. Ugron, E. Vagena, A. Varga, H. Wershofen, and and O. Zhukova
- Subjects
010504 meteorology & atmospheric sciences ,Meteorology ,FUKUSHIMA ,Induced radioactivity ,010501 environmental sciences ,Atmospheric sciences ,7. Clean energy ,01 natural sciences ,law.invention ,Atmosphere ,Iodine Radioisotopes ,Washout (aeronautics) ,RADIOCONTAMINATION ,Japan ,law ,Radiation Monitoring ,Nuclear power plant ,Environmental Chemistry ,0105 earth and related environmental sciences ,Radionuclide ,General Chemistry ,Particulates ,Europe ,PLUME ,13. Climate action ,Air Pollutants, Radioactive ,Cesium Radioisotopes ,Nuclear Power Plants ,[SDE]Environmental Sciences ,ARTIFICIAL RADIOACTIVITY ,Environmental science ,Radiation monitoring ,Contaminated air ,Radioactive Hazard Release - Abstract
Radioactive emissions into the atmosphere from the damaged reactors of the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant (NPP) started on March 12th, 2011. Among the various radionuclides released, iodine-131 ( 131I) and cesium isotopes ( 137Cs and 134Cs) were transported across the Pacific toward the North American continent and reached Europe despite dispersion and washout along the route of the contaminated air masses. In Europe, the first signs of the releases were detected 7 days later while the first peak of activity level was observed between March 28th and March 30th. Time variations over a 20-day period and spatial variations across more than 150 sampling locations in Europe made it possible to characterize the contaminated air masses. After the Chernobyl accident, only a few measurements of the gaseous 131I fraction were conducted compared to the number of measurements for the particulate fraction. Several studies had already pointed out the importance of the gaseous 131I and the large underestimation of the total 131I airborne activity level, and subsequent calculations of inhalation dose, if neglected. The measurements made across Europe following the releases from the Fukushima NPP reactors have provided a significant amount of new data on the ratio of the gaseous 131I fraction to total 131I, both on a spatial scale and its temporal variation. It can be pointed out that during the Fukushima event, the 134Cs to 137Cs ratio proved to be different from that observed after the Chernobyl accident. The data set provided in this paper is the most comprehensive survey of the main relevant airborne radionuclides from the Fukushima reactors, measured across Europe. A rough estimate of the total 131I inventory that has passed over Europe during this period was \textless1% of the released amount. According to the measurements, airborne activity levels remain of no concern for public health in Europe. © 2011 American Chemical Society.
- Published
- 2011