• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
• /
• v.10 no.3
• /
• pp.153-163
• /
• 1978

The problems of solid waste disposal into the ground in connection with environmental aspects in the vicinity of a site would be very significant, though ground disposal for solid waste is safe and economical method. Studies of the waste-movement and migration of radionuclides (Sr-90 and Cs-137) for the disposal into the ground were performed under laboratory and field conditions. Affinity of the soils for radionuclide solution was higher than that in the acid solution. The sorption of radionuclides by the soils showed a time-dependent reation. The migration rates of radiostrontium and radiocesium were a range of 3.73$\times$10$^{-3}$ to 10.9$\times$10$^{-3}$ cm/day. The nuclides in the soil migrate much more slowly than the water, probably due to its high exchange capacity. The observed distribution of tritium was compared with that calculated by a mathematical model based on diffusivity. This study suggests that the tritiated water can be used to trace the movement of ground water.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
• /
• v.44 no.4
• /
• pp.128-148
• /
• 2019

Massive environmental monitoring has been conducted continuously since the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power accident in March of 2011 by different monitoring methods that have different features together with migration studies of radiocesium in diverse environments. These results have clarified the characteristics of radiological environments and their temporal change around the Fukushima site. At three months after the accident, multiple radionuclides including radiostrontium and plutonium were detected in many locations; and it was confirmed that radiocesium was most important from the viewpoint of long-term exposure. Radiation levels around the Fukushima site have decreased greatly over time. The decreasing trend was found to change variously according to local conditions. The air dose rates in environments related to human living have decreased faster than expected from radioactive decay by a factor of 2-3 on average; those in pure forest have decreased more closely to physical decay. The main causes of air dose rate reduction were judged to be radioactive decay, movement of radiocesium in vertical and horizontal directions, and decontamination. Land-use categories and human activities have significantly affected the reduction tendency. Difference in the air dose rate reduction trends can be explained qualitatively according to the knowledge obtained in radiocesium migration studies; whereas, the quantitative explanation for individual sites is an important future challenge. The ecological half-lives of air dose rates have been evaluated by several researchers, and a short-term half-life within 1 year was commonly observed in the studies. An empirical model for predicting air dose rate distribution was developed based on statistical analysis of an extensive car-borne survey dataset, which enabled the prediction with confidence intervals. Different types of contamination maps were integrated to better quantify the spatial data. The obtained data were used for extended studies such as for identifying the main reactor that caused the contamination of arbitrary regions and developing standard procedures for environmental measurement and sampling. Annual external exposure doses for residents who intended to return to their homes were estimated as within a few millisieverts. Different forms of environmental data and knowledge have been provided for wide spectrum of people. Diverse aspects of lessons learned from the Fukushima accident, including practical ones, must be passed on to future generations.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
• /
• v.23 no.2
• /
• pp.83-88
• /
• 1998

Chitosan is a nontoxic natural chealtor which was made by chitin, and reduced a contamination of radiostrontium in animals. In this experiment, A different molecular weight of C-14 chitosan was intravenously administered to mice, and then the distribution of C-14 chitosan in the body was observed. Male mice (8 to 10 weeks, body weight of 30 to 35g) of ICR strain were used. C-14 chitosan was diluted with saline and then given intravenously in mice. After the administration of C-14 chitosan, mice was sacrificed at the 6th hour, 1st, 3rd, 5th, and 7th day. Beta radioactivities in the blood, liver, kidney, liver, muscle, testis, and urine was measured using a liquid scintillation analyzer. Most of the C-14 chitosan was excreted through urine within 6 hours. Biodistribution of C-14 chitosan was similar despite the difference of moleclar weight. Higher distributions of radioactivities were found in the liver, kidney, spleen. The relative concentration in tissue increased for the 6 hours and then decreased. In conclusion, most of C-14 chitosan was excreted through urine despite the difference of molecular weight. and, low molecular weight of C-14 chitosan showed higher distribution than high molecular weight of C-14 chitosan in tissues.

• Analytical Science and Technology
• /
• v.33 no.6
• /
• pp.274-284
• /
• 2020

This study described the analytical method for simultaneous determination of 89Sr and 90Sr in liquid sample using automated separation system. Radiostrontium in 0.5 kg of liquid sample was concentrated as SrCO3 to reduce the volume of sample, and purified from the sample using Sr-resin 2 mL (BV, Bed volume). The behavior of Sr and interferences such as Ba, Ca and Y were estimated with various flow rate ranging from 1 to 4 mL min-1. The detailed procedure for the purification of Sr on Sr-resin was presented. The purified radiostronitum was measured in Cerenkov mode and then measured in Scintillation mode by mixing scintillation cocktail. The measured value in both modes were used to calculate the activity of 89Sr and 90Sr. The performance tests were carried out the lab-control-sample having various activity ratio of between 89Sr and 90Sr. The recovery of Sr was ranged from 68 to 94 %. The relative bias of 89Sr activity was ranged from -5 to 20 %, and it was ranged from -10 to 10 % for 90Sr.