Published: December 5th, 2012 at 9:18 pm ET
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Title: EARLY IN SITU MEASUREMENT OF RADIOACTIVE FALLOUT IN FUKUSHIMA CITY DUE TO FUKUSHIMA DAIICHI NUCLEAR ACCIDENT
Source: Radiat Prot Dosimetry (2012) doi: 10.1093/rpd/ncs320 Oxford University Press
Author: Masashi Takada and Toshikazu Suzuki
First published online: December 2, 2012
Emphasis Added
Abstract
Using a high-purity germanium detector, both indoor and outdoor radionuclides that had deposited 1.5 d after the radioactive fallout events in the city of Fukushima [pop. 290,000] were experimentally measured. Eleven artificial (131I, 132I, 134Cs, 136Cs, 137Cs, 129Te, 129mTe, 131mTe, 132Te, 140La and 99mTc) and 5 natural radionuclides were identified. Total air kerma rates were mainly due to 132I, 134Cs and 136Cs from 4 to 6 µGy/h at a 7.5-cm height from the ground. Radioactive contamination on the ground was contributed by 132I and 132Te, from 330 to 420 Bq/cm2 [3,300,000 to 4,200,000 Bq/m2]. In a worst-case scenario, the maximum skin dose rates were estimated to be from 520 to 670 µGy/h [microsieverts per hour]. Effective dose rates were evaluated to be 10 to 15 µSv/h and reached 17.9 µSv/h at 4 a.m. on 16 March. In the effective dose rates, 132I, 134Cs and 132Te were the main contributors. Our measurements are useful for estimating dose levels in the public in the city of Fukushima during the days after radioactive fallout contamination.
See also:
- Asahi: Iodine-132 not considered in tests showing high thyroid radiation levels in Fukushima residents -- Dose could be much greater
- Absorbed radiation dose of iodine-132 was 10 times higher than iodine-131 in Northern Japan after Fukushima meltdowns -- Plus iodine-132 is 9 times more 'effective' at irradiating thyroid
Published: December 5th, 2012 at 9:18 pm ET
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Surprise, its like new news! It just happened, something new, something different from MIT to OXFORD.
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More sensitive equipment gathers the hard to detect radionuclides and the belated results begin tickling in.
Interesting how they still refer to 'skin dose' rates, I guess they think all citizens in the area were wearing appropriate gas masks at time.
Normally around 300,000 in the city, around 2 million in the prefecture?
As compared to say this area affect by a reactor (first two comments esp. PV comment)…
http://www.theoildrum.com/node/9405#comment-910558
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Now that resident posters here (you) have educated yourselves somewhat since Fukushima, read the comments at the link as the events were unfolding, doubt you could follow what they meant at the time but now you know what they were saying…
http://www.theoildrum.com/node/7751
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There is a very good point to be learned here about other radionuclide's that aren't tested for. There always only testing for the usual radioactive elements like I-131 or 134Cs, There are dozens of other worse radioactive nuclide's to test for but they never do. They should test a for a range of them like Tellurium,Strontium,Uranium,Plutonium,Americium as well a dozen or so radioactive halogens and actinides that came out of there and settled all over the surrounding area and Japan
There very radioactive and can bioaccumulate and damage plants,animals and people.
Try googling "radioactive nucleotides" you'll see what I mean
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I am not going to accept a lowball reporting of a common fallout isotope by a scientist from the National Institute of Radiological Sciences in Japan 636 days after the blowup. Frankly I disbelieve the entire report based on that omission.
Very little C-137 measured at all by their fancy germanium detectors, but millions of becquerels of C-134…Impossible!
Why? Because it flies in the face of nuclear fallout history past and present:
Past:
"STUK documented the following activity levels in ground level air at Nurmijarvi on April 28 [1986]:
134Cs: 7,200,000 µBq/m3 137Cs: 11,900,000 µBq/m3
The Chernobyl fallout in Greece and its effects on the dating of archaeological materials:
May 2-6, 1986 Ptolemaida Ground deposition 137Cs 19,000 Bq/m2
May 2-6, 1986 Ptolemaida Ground deposition 134Cs 9,000 Bq/m2
(1986). Chernobyl fallout studies in the Black Sea and other ocean areas: Preliminary cesium data in ocean water…Cesium-134 contamination is reported as about 50% of cesium-137 levels
SW Bavaria 1986: Contamination with 134Cs averaged about 40% of 137Cs levels.
http://www.davistownmuseum.org/cbm/Rad7b.html
Present:
"the cesium from Fukushima came in a one-to-one ratio of Cs-137 to Cs-134"
ref: http://www.nuc.berkeley.edu/UCBAirSampling
SP: So why lie about Cs-137?
Because Cs-134 goes away in 20 years (maybe) while Cs-137 takes 300 years. Far better to report the land is not contaminated with Cs-137.
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Thanks sickputer! That clears things up.
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"the cesium from Fukushima came in a one-to-one ratio of Cs-137 to Cs-134" (UC Berkeley, College of Engineering)
If one looks into the precise older numbers, a ~2:1 ratio (with time rising) on Cs137/134 is more propable. But that would read even worse from "their" POV maybe.
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In this light, this new statement ("In the effective dose rates, 132I, 134Cs and 132Te were the main contributors.") is really absurd. This data should raise an outcry (or at least something like irritation) in the related "scientific community". But maybe most of them are already "beyond irritation"… :/
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Thx, Sickputer!
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take any Japanese Govt number multiply by 3,
take any Tepco number multiply by 10
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I knew we were screwed when they reported ten million becquerels went into the Pacific on I think the 13th and they retracted the story by the afternoon. The first report was the right one. We have been in a fiction ever since.
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Welcome to the new age Japan…
Imagine Dragons – Continued Silence
Radioactive
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IeD_VvTFvac
Wake up Japan, you are what you eat…
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Radiation traveled thousands of miles, and went through everyone, and got on everything. It's still there, and it kills.
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Black substance… This is from Fukushima Diary — but I'm very curious to learn more if anyone has any further info?? They say it's cyanobacteria, but cyanobacteria is blue-green algae. So, it doesn't make sense to me, but it's intriguing.
"It’s cyanobacteria to concentrate extremely high level of radioactive material. So far, almost only Cs-134/137 have been analyzed, but no one know if it doesn’t concentrate Pu or Uranium. Cyanobacteria is basically everywhere, but it was found mass generating with significantly high level of Cesium in Minamisoma and Tokyo. No one is sure about why it concentrates this high level of cesium. Officially, it was not observed after Chernobyl either. This is something nobody has ever experienced.On 5/15/2012, FD reported the black substance with 240,000 Bq/Kg of cesium was found at 5km from Imperial Palace. Considering that if it contains over 100 Bq/Kg of Cs-137, it must be shielded carefully as nuclear waste before 311, 240,000 Bq/Kg is extremely high.On 6/3/2012, FD reported the black substance with 290,000 Bq/kg of cesium was found at 18km from National Diet again. On 8/31/2012, the one with 21,346 Bq/kg of cesium was found at Harajuku station.
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Speculation I read thinks the black substance comes from burning nuclear waste and not using proper filtration. The exhaust falls to the ground and collects.
At Chernobyl and TMI and elsewhere growths were found where they didn't think anything could survive let alone multiply.
As always check the comments for further information…
http://unitedcats.wordpress.com/2007/05/29/major-biological-discoveryinside-the-chernobyl-reactor/
http://chronicle.augusta.com/news/metro/2012-09-06/srs-nuclear-growth-biological-what-does-it-eat
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The whole radiation issue centers on cesium because it can be detected by any commercial detector. If they can clean up what the public can detect, they don't have to worry about everything else that the public can't monitor, even if it's just as damaging to human health. If you look at the clean up efforts, technological innovations, the PR from the government and universities, everything is directed at Cs137, which is only a small percent of the total release. It's the old "out of sight, out of mind" ploy.
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I agree about the behaviors, dosdos, but it also fits the bureaucratic mindset that they busy themselves with what fits the model (what they can detect), rather than what actually exists. They will have protocols, rules, meetings, committees, memos, reports, press conferences, equipment, and so forth – busy, busy, busy – on the wrong tasks. It seems to be what human beings do when working together in structured groups.
So, even without evil leaders muhahahaaaa – the behaviors would (unfortunately) not be surprising.
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well I would expect new commercial detectors that can detect full spectrum real soon.
The market is there.
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Hmm..
Like this one among many..??
gs.flir.com/detection/radiation/handhelds
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What's disturbing is Fuku is a seaside area – the Japs love seafood and kelp – the sea air pre 3/11 was somewhat naturally Iodised and yet still their thyroids weren't immune to the rads, and seemed to soak it up.
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The Japanese don't just love seafood aand kelp..it is their traditional diet.
This is very sad..scary.
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Yes, the Pacific Ocean not only Japans bread basket but the worlds. IMHO
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@HOTR, That ship sailed (no pun intended) on March 11.
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YES..lament then..now..in the future.
Even remedies purported to help are useless umless uncontaminated food be acquired.
http://www.macrobiotics.nl/encyclopedia/encyclopedia_m.html
Useless..
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Useless..useless..useless..
FEEL the rant..
Thanks..
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"on 4 a.m. on 16 March."
"…during the days after radioactive fallout contamination…"
Wow, they could measured all the on ongoing fallout emissions starting about March 14 to today, in a single measurment done on March 16 at 16:00 pm 2011. They could even predict 2012 fallouts and include them to give the total emissions. Unbeleivable.
And they did not even find Plutonium nor radioactive Silver or Americium while many researchers did find them. This research seems to be biased and total crap. Probably the wind did not even blow at 16:00 pm but did blow at 17:00 and most of the fallouts happened at other times than exactly 16:00pm on the 16. And what about the ongoing fallout releases? Oh! Right, sorry I forgot, it is something that we must not talk about in order not to make people affraid.
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no xenon measurements might explain a low cesium etc reading..??
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