Atmospheric deposition of radionuclides (7Be, 210Pb, 134Cs, 137Cs and 40K) during 2000–2012 at Rokkasho, Japan, and impact of the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant accident

• Published in: Journal of radioanalytical and nuclear chemistry Vol. 303; no. 2; pp. 1217 - 1222
• Main Authors: Akata, Naofumi, Hasegawa, Hidenao, Kawabata, Hitoshi, Kakiuchi, Hideki, Chikuchi, Yuki, Shima, Nagayoshi, Suzuki, Toshitaka, Hisamatsu, Shun’ichi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer Netherlands 01-02-2015; Springer
• Subjects: Accidents; Chemistry; Chemistry and Materials Science; Diagnostic Radiology; Hadrons; Heavy Ions; Inorganic Chemistry; Nuclear accidents; Nuclear Chemistry; Nuclear energy; Nuclear Physics; Nuclear power plants; Physical Chemistry; Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant accident; Atmospheric deposition; Rokkasho village; Radiocesium
• ISSN: 0236-5731; 1588-2780
• DOI: 10.1007/s10967-014-3466-6

We measured the concentrations of several radionuclides in atmospheric deposition samples collected in the period from 2000 to 2012 at Rokkasho, Japan. Monthly
7
Be deposition rates were higher in winter/spring and fall, and monthly
210
Pb deposition rates were highest in winter/spring. Following the accident at the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant in March 2011, the radiocesium (
134
Cs and
137
Cs) deposition rate rapidly increased until it reached the maximum in April 2011, after which the deposition rate of
137
Cs decreased with a half-time of 22 days before remaining constant throughout 2012.