Abstract
A large amount of radionuclides were released into the environment by the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (FNPP) accident. By this accident, radioactive cesium (Cs)-bearing particles were also released. Since these particles stably exist in the environment, the influence of long-term exposure to radiation is concerned if the particle is ingested in the human body. In this review, in order to evaluate the influence of radioactive Cs-bearing particles on the environment, studies on radioactive Cs-bearing particles are summarized. Radioactive Cs-bearing particles can be classified into several kinds depending on their elemental composition and radioactivity. Although the production and distribution of radioactive Cs-bearing particles have still been unclear, details of the situation inside the nuclear reactor at the accident can be investigated from the classification and investigation of their production.
Highlights
On March 11, 2011, a large magnitude 9.0 earthquake occurred in the Pacific Coast of the northeast region of Japan and an accident occurred at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (FNPP) due to the large tsunami generated by the earthquake
In addition to the properties of radioactive Cs-bearing particles, we examine their trace element analysis, distribution in the environment, formation processes and prospects for future research
Yamaguchi et al [13] and Kogure et al [19] sliced radioactive Cs-bearing particles into a thin film using a focused ion beam (FIB) instrument and analyzed the film by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray microanalysis with scanning TEM (STEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). These analyses clearly showed that radioactive Cs-bearing particles are primarily silicate glass composed of Si and O
Summary
On March 11, 2011, a large magnitude 9.0 earthquake occurred in the Pacific Coast of the northeast region of Japan and an accident occurred at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (FNPP) due to the large tsunami generated by the earthquake. This accident was classified in the most serious category of nuclear accident by the International Atomic Energy Agency (level 7), and a large amount of radionuclides were released into the atmosphere and ocean [1]. Heterogeneous spot-like contamination was reported via autoradiography analysis using imaging plates of environmental samples such as plant, soil and atmospheric filters just after the accident [5, 6]. 15 Properties of Radioactive Cs-Bearing Particles Released by the Fukushima Daiichi... 197
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