Tracking of Airborne Radionuclides from the Damaged Fukushima Dai-Ichi Nuclear Reactors by European Networks

Olivier Masson(Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire), A. Baeza, J. Bieringer(Federal Office for Radiation Protection), Kamil Brudecki(Institute of Nuclear Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences), Silvia Bucci(Istituto Superiore per la Protezione e la Ricerca Ambientale), M. Cappai(Istituto Superiore per la Protezione e la Ricerca Ambientale), Fernando P. Carvalho(TARH (Portugal)), O. Connan(Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire), C. Cosma(Babeș-Bolyai University), A. Dalheimer(Deutscher Wetterdienst), Damien Didier(Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire), Guillaume Depuydt(Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire), L.‐E. De Geer(Swedish Defence Research Agency), A. de Vismes(Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire), L. Gini(University of Milan), F. Groppi(University of Milan), Kjartan Guðnason(Icelandic Transport Authority), R. Gurriarán(Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire), Dieter Hainz(TU Wien), Ó. Halldórsson(Icelandic Transport Authority), D.J. Hammond(Environmental Protection Agency), O. Hanley(Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland), K. Holeý(Comenius University Bratislava), Zs. Homoki, A. Ioannidou(University of Milan), Krzysztof Isajenko(Central Laboratory for Radiological Protection), Marija Janković, Christian Katzlberger(Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety), M. Kettunen(Finnish Defence Forces), Renata Kierepko(Institute of Nuclear Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences), R. Kontro(Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority), P.J.M. Kwakman(National Institute for Public Health and the Environment), M. Lecomte, Luis León Vintró(University College Dublin), A.-P. Leppänen(Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority), B. Lind(Norwegian Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority), Galina Lujanienė(Center for Physical Sciences and Technology), P. Mc Ginnity(Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland), C. Mc Mahon(Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland), H Malá(National Radiation Protection Institute), S. Manenti(University of Milan), M. Manolopoulou(Aristotle University of Thessaloniki), Aino K. Mattila(Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority), Alexander Mauring(Norwegian Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority), Jerzy W. Mietelski(Institute of Nuclear Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences), Bredo Møller(Norwegian Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority), Sven Poul Nielsen(Technical University of Denmark), Jelena D. Krneta-Nikolić, R.M.W. Overwater(National Institute for Public Health and the Environment), Sigurður Emil Pálsson(Icelandic Transport Authority), C. Papastefanou(Aristotle University of Thessaloniki), I. Penev(Bulgarian Academy of Sciences), M.K. Pham(International Atomic Energy Agency), Pavel P. Povinec(Comenius University Bratislava), Henrik Ramebäck(Swedish Defence Research Agency), Mário Reis(TARH (Portugal)), W Ringer(Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety), A. Rodríguez, Petr Rulík(National Radiation Protection Institute), Paul R. J. Saey(TU Wien), V. Samsonov(RSPC MT), C. Schlosser(Federal Office for Radiation Protection), G. Sgorbati(Istituto Superiore per la Protezione e la Ricerca Ambientale), B. Šilobritienė(Environmental Protection Agency), C. Söderström(Swedish Defence Research Agency), R. Sogni(Istituto Superiore per la Protezione e la Ricerca Ambientale), L. Solier(Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire), M. Sonck(Federal Agency for Nuclear Control), Georg Steinhäuser(TU Wien), T. Steinkopff(Deutscher Wetterdienst), Philipp Steinmann(Federal Office of Public Health), S. Stoulos(Aristotle University of Thessaloniki), I. Sýkora(Comenius University Bratislava), Dragana Todorović, Neda Tooloutalaie(Swedish Defence Research Agency), Laura Tositti(University of Bologna), J. Tschiersch(Helmholtz Zentrum München), Á. Ugron, E. Vagena(Aristotle University of Thessaloniki), Arturo Vargas(Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya), H. Wershofen(Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt), O.M. Zhukova(RSPC MT)
Environmental Science & Technology
August 2, 2011
10.1021/es2017158
Cited by 367

Abstract

Radioactive emissions into the atmosphere from the damaged reactors of the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant (NPP) started on March 12th, 2011. Among the various radionuclides released, iodine-131 ((131)I) and cesium isotopes ((137)Cs and (134)Cs) were transported across the Pacific toward the North American continent and reached Europe despite dispersion and washout along the route of the contaminated air masses. In Europe, the first signs of the releases were detected 7 days later while the first peak of activity level was observed between March 28th and March 30th. Time variations over a 20-day period and spatial variations across more than 150 sampling locations in Europe made it possible to characterize the contaminated air masses. After the Chernobyl accident, only a few measurements of the gaseous (131)I fraction were conducted compared to the number of measurements for the particulate fraction. Several studies had already pointed out the importance of the gaseous (131)I and the large underestimation of the total (131)I airborne activity level, and subsequent calculations of inhalation dose, if neglected. The measurements made across Europe following the releases from the Fukushima NPP reactors have provided a significant amount of new data on the ratio of the gaseous (131)I fraction to total (131)I, both on a spatial scale and its temporal variation. It can be pointed out that during the Fukushima event, the (134)Cs to (137)Cs ratio proved to be different from that observed after the Chernobyl accident. The data set provided in this paper is the most comprehensive survey of the main relevant airborne radionuclides from the Fukushima reactors, measured across Europe. A rough estimate of the total (131)I inventory that has passed over Europe during this period was <1% of the released amount. According to the measurements, airborne activity levels remain of no concern for public health in Europe.

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