Estimation of the air kerma rate from <sub>137</sub>Cs and <sub>134</sub>Cs deposited on the ground in the Sakhalin region of Russia after the Fukushima accident

Previous studies conducted by the Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Well-Being (Rospotrebnadzor) in Sakhalin Region, Russia in 2011–2012 have shown that soils on the southern Kuril Islands were contaminated with 137Cs and 134Cs due to the accident at the Fukush...

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Main Authors: V. P. Ramzaev, A. N. Barkovsky
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Saint-Petersburg Research Institute of Radiation Hygiene after Professor P.V. Ramzaev 2019-03-01
Series:Радиационная гигиена
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Online Access:https://www.radhyg.ru/jour/article/view/594
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author V. P. Ramzaev
A. N. Barkovsky
author_facet V. P. Ramzaev
A. N. Barkovsky
author_sort V. P. Ramzaev
collection DOAJ
description Previous studies conducted by the Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Well-Being (Rospotrebnadzor) in Sakhalin Region, Russia in 2011–2012 have shown that soils on the southern Kuril Islands were contaminated with 137Cs and 134Cs due to the accident at the Fukushima-1 NPP. In this study, we evaluated the air kerma rate from 137Cs and 134Cs using earlier published data on the vertical distribution of Fukushima-derived radiocaesium in the soil at grasslands on the islands of Kunashir, Shikotan and Iturup. The air kerma rate due to gamma-rays from pre-Fukushima 137Cs was estimated as well. In the period from May 2011 to September 2012, the air kerma rate due to the fresh fallout of radioactive caesium varied from 0.31 to 0.84 nGy h−1. On average, the contribution of the radiation from Fukushima-derived 134Cs and 137Cs to the total air kerma rate from radioactive cesium was 35% in the fall of 2011 and 25% in the fall of 2012. The mean normalized kerma rate from Fukushima-derived 137Cs was estimated at a level of 1.63 nGy h−1 per kBq m−2 in mid-May 2011, 1.53 nGy h−1 per kBq m−2 in autumn 2011 and 1.45 nGy h−1 per kBq m−2 in autumn 2012. The mean normalized air kerma rate from pre-Fukushima 137Cs at reference undisturbed grasslands was estimated as 0.77 nGy h−1 per kBq m−2. The results of our calculations of the air kerma rate from Fukushima-derived 137Cs were in good agreement with the forecast of the 2013 UNSCEAR model, which was used to estimate the external doses of the Japanese population after the Fukushima accident. For pre-Fukushima 137Cs, the UNSCEAR model underestimated the calculated normalized air kerma rates in Sakhalin Region by approximately 40%. Our calculations showed that, overall, the aboveground biomass of herbaceous plants had practically no effect on the air kerma rate from radioactive cesium contained in the soil. The fallout of 134Cs and 137Cs after the accident at the Fukushima-1 NPP did not lead to any significant increase in the gamma dose rate in the air at grasslands on Kuril Islands. In 2019–2020, the contribution of radiocaesium to the total gamma dose rate in air will not exceed 5%.
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spelling doaj-art-bd24b51bbeab47308ffca5551beedc162025-08-20T03:43:51ZengSaint-Petersburg Research Institute of Radiation Hygiene after Professor P.V. RamzaevРадиационная гигиена1998-426X2019-03-01121365110.21514/1998-426X-2019-12-1-36-51567Estimation of the air kerma rate from <sub>137</sub>Cs and <sub>134</sub>Cs deposited on the ground in the Sakhalin region of Russia after the Fukushima accidentV. P. Ramzaev0A. N. Barkovsky1Saint-Petersburg Research Institute of Radiation Hygiene after Professor P.V. Ramzaev, Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Well-BeingSaint-Petersburg Research Institute of Radiation Hygiene after Professor P.V. Ramzaev, Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Well-BeingPrevious studies conducted by the Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Well-Being (Rospotrebnadzor) in Sakhalin Region, Russia in 2011–2012 have shown that soils on the southern Kuril Islands were contaminated with 137Cs and 134Cs due to the accident at the Fukushima-1 NPP. In this study, we evaluated the air kerma rate from 137Cs and 134Cs using earlier published data on the vertical distribution of Fukushima-derived radiocaesium in the soil at grasslands on the islands of Kunashir, Shikotan and Iturup. The air kerma rate due to gamma-rays from pre-Fukushima 137Cs was estimated as well. In the period from May 2011 to September 2012, the air kerma rate due to the fresh fallout of radioactive caesium varied from 0.31 to 0.84 nGy h−1. On average, the contribution of the radiation from Fukushima-derived 134Cs and 137Cs to the total air kerma rate from radioactive cesium was 35% in the fall of 2011 and 25% in the fall of 2012. The mean normalized kerma rate from Fukushima-derived 137Cs was estimated at a level of 1.63 nGy h−1 per kBq m−2 in mid-May 2011, 1.53 nGy h−1 per kBq m−2 in autumn 2011 and 1.45 nGy h−1 per kBq m−2 in autumn 2012. The mean normalized air kerma rate from pre-Fukushima 137Cs at reference undisturbed grasslands was estimated as 0.77 nGy h−1 per kBq m−2. The results of our calculations of the air kerma rate from Fukushima-derived 137Cs were in good agreement with the forecast of the 2013 UNSCEAR model, which was used to estimate the external doses of the Japanese population after the Fukushima accident. For pre-Fukushima 137Cs, the UNSCEAR model underestimated the calculated normalized air kerma rates in Sakhalin Region by approximately 40%. Our calculations showed that, overall, the aboveground biomass of herbaceous plants had practically no effect on the air kerma rate from radioactive cesium contained in the soil. The fallout of 134Cs and 137Cs after the accident at the Fukushima-1 NPP did not lead to any significant increase in the gamma dose rate in the air at grasslands on Kuril Islands. In 2019–2020, the contribution of radiocaesium to the total gamma dose rate in air will not exceed 5%.https://www.radhyg.ru/jour/article/view/594the fukushima accidentglobal fallout<sup>134</sup>cs, <sup>137</sup>cssoilgrasslandsair kerma ratekuril islands
spellingShingle V. P. Ramzaev
A. N. Barkovsky
Estimation of the air kerma rate from <sub>137</sub>Cs and <sub>134</sub>Cs deposited on the ground in the Sakhalin region of Russia after the Fukushima accident
Радиационная гигиена
the fukushima accident
global fallout
<sup>134</sup>cs, <sup>137</sup>cs
soil
grasslands
air kerma rate
kuril islands
title Estimation of the air kerma rate from <sub>137</sub>Cs and <sub>134</sub>Cs deposited on the ground in the Sakhalin region of Russia after the Fukushima accident
title_full Estimation of the air kerma rate from <sub>137</sub>Cs and <sub>134</sub>Cs deposited on the ground in the Sakhalin region of Russia after the Fukushima accident
title_fullStr Estimation of the air kerma rate from <sub>137</sub>Cs and <sub>134</sub>Cs deposited on the ground in the Sakhalin region of Russia after the Fukushima accident
title_full_unstemmed Estimation of the air kerma rate from <sub>137</sub>Cs and <sub>134</sub>Cs deposited on the ground in the Sakhalin region of Russia after the Fukushima accident
title_short Estimation of the air kerma rate from <sub>137</sub>Cs and <sub>134</sub>Cs deposited on the ground in the Sakhalin region of Russia after the Fukushima accident
title_sort estimation of the air kerma rate from sub 137 sub cs and sub 134 sub cs deposited on the ground in the sakhalin region of russia after the fukushima accident
topic the fukushima accident
global fallout
<sup>134</sup>cs, <sup>137</sup>cs
soil
grasslands
air kerma rate
kuril islands
url https://www.radhyg.ru/jour/article/view/594
work_keys_str_mv AT vpramzaev estimationoftheairkermaratefromsub137subcsandsub134subcsdepositedonthegroundinthesakhalinregionofrussiaafterthefukushimaaccident
AT anbarkovsky estimationoftheairkermaratefromsub137subcsandsub134subcsdepositedonthegroundinthesakhalinregionofrussiaafterthefukushimaaccident