Distribution of super(131)I, super(134)Cs, super(137)Cs and super(239,240)Pu concentrations in Korean rainwater after the Fukushima nuclear power plant accident

• Published in: Journal of radioanalytical and nuclear chemistry Vol. 296; no. 2; pp. 727 - 731
• Main Authors: Lee, Sang-Han, Heo, Dong-Hye, Kang, Han-Byeol, Oh, Pil-Jae, Lee, Jong-Man, Park, Tae-Soon, Lee, K B, Oh, J S, Suh, Jung-Ki
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 01-05-2013
• Subjects: Korea, Rep; Europe
• ISSN: 0236-5731; 1588-2780
• DOI: 10.1007/s10967-012-2030-5

Radionuclides such as super(131)I, super(134)Cs, super(137)Cs, and super(239,240)Pu in Korean rainwater have been analyzed by Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science (KRISS) since the Fukushima nuclear power plant accident in March 2011 to investigate the activity level, distribution pattern, and temporal variation and to assess the radiation dose the public is exposed to. The concentration of super(131)I in the Korean rainwater samples varied between 0.033 (minimum detectable activity; MDA) and 1.30 Bq kg super(-1) and the concentrations tended to decrease exponentially with time. The concentrations of super(134)Cs and super(137)Cs in rainwater ranged from 0.01 to 334 plus or minus 74 and 0.29 plus or minus 0.01 to 276 plus or minus 1 mBq kg super(-1), respectively. The mean activity ratio of super(137)Cs/ super(134)Cs in the rainwater samples collected from April 18 to May 12 was estimated to be 0.44 plus or minus 0.21, and this value is lower than that (ca. 1) observed in Fukushima, Japan, when there was an escape from the nuclear reactors. When an attempt was made to analyze Pu isotopes in rainwater samples, no Pu isotopes were detected above the MDA in any of the rainwater samples. Although the locations investigated were different from Asia to Europe, the concentrations of super(131)I, super(134)Cs and super(137)Cs in the rainwater are comparable, which suggests a global contamination of super(131)I, super(134)Cs, and super(137)Cs occurred because of the Fukushima nuclear power plant accident.