Assessment of localized and resuspended ¹³⁷Cs due to decontamination and demolition in the difficult‐to‐return zone of Tomioka town, Fukushima Prefecture

Abstract

This article is part of the special series "Lessons Learned & Consequences of the Fukushima-Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant Accident, 10 Years Later." Articles in this series report on the progress of the environmental monitoring, ecological recovery and resilience, and regulatory oversight associated with the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant accident in Japan.

Temporal variation in environmental radioactivity and radiation exposure doses in the restricted areas around the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant

“…On the other hand, although the detection rate of radiocesium (mainly 137 Cs) fluctuated in a small range throughout the survey period, it always remained at a relatively low level. In our previous study, accident‐derived 137 Cs levels in the SRRB in Tomioka were observed in airborne dust samples, which suggested that the 137 Cs radioactivity in the airborne dust was primarily associated with particles that were resuspended by localized winds and the transfer of construction vehicles as opposed to the decontamination and demolition operations (Supplementary Table S4 ) 28 . Furthermore, human activities such as the transportation of contaminants (removal of soil and radioactive waste) and land restoration might have caused some fluctuations in the ambient dose rate 19 , 28 .…”

“…In our previous study, accident‐derived 137 Cs levels in the SRRB in Tomioka were observed in airborne dust samples, which suggested that the 137 Cs radioactivity in the airborne dust was primarily associated with particles that were resuspended by localized winds and the transfer of construction vehicles as opposed to the decontamination and demolition operations (Supplementary Table S4 ) 28 . Furthermore, human activities such as the transportation of contaminants (removal of soil and radioactive waste) and land restoration might have caused some fluctuations in the ambient dose rate 19 , 28 . In the present study, our result also suggested that the fluctuations in ambient dose rate caused by human activities are accompanied by fluctuations in the detection rate of radiocesium.…”