EAPSI: Radiocesium Dynamics in Irrigation Ponds Surrounding the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant

Byrnes Ian T, Fort Collins CO

Investigators

Abstract

The goal of the summer research project is to improve the understanding of the transport and dynamics of toxic pollutants in the environment around the Fukushima Prefecture of Japan. Radioactive cesium forms (radiocesium) were deposited in the environment as a result of the accident at Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP) on March 11, 2011. The research will be completed in conjunction with the Institute of Environmental Radioactivity (IER), which is hosted at Fukushima University, Fukushima City. Understanding the continuing effects of the disaster is critical to environmental and policy studies in the both the US and Japan. Studies will be conducted with Dr. Alexei Konoplev at the IER, who pioneered radiocesium transport research at the Chernobyl accident site. The long half life of radiocesium ensures that it will remain in the environment for years to come and the planned research will support the clean up effort in Japan. To collect the required data, samples will be taken from four irrigation ponds that are within ten kilometers of the Fukushima accident site. Cores will be extracted from the bottom sediment in these ponds at a depth of 30 centimeters and returned to the IER. There, the samples will be sliced and counted for radiocesium content. The counting will be accomplished by gamma ray spectrometry with a high purity germanium detector. The characterization accomplished by counting the samples will provide a measure of the volume of radiocesium in the sediment of the irrigation ponds. The results will be compared against data from an analytical model to determine the model's accuracy. Validating the model is important as models are used for making decisions and policy with respect to the nuclear industry. As the world confronts the need for more electricity, nuclear power is a viable alternative that must be weighed against the carefully researched effects on the environment. This award under the East Asia and Pacific Summer Institutes program supports summer research by a U.S. graduate student and is jointly funded by NSF and the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science.