title: Present and future studies on environmental radioactivity in Japan.
abstract: In this paper, recent studies on environmental radioactivity are briefly reviewed. Considering the growing dependency on nuclear energy in Asia, emphasis has been given to (14)C cycle at the ground surface including rice paddy fields and to long-range atmospheric transport of natural and anthropogenic radioactive materials. Studies on the dynamic behaviour of (14)C are being carried out and some important experimental results are becoming available for models of (14)C migration in rice paddy. Long-range atmospheric transport models have been improved substantially by using sophisticated physical models and simulation techniques to improve emergency preparedness. Although our knowledge on radon flux distribution in Asia has been improved and radon has become a more reliable atmospheric tracer, we still need more intensive measurements of exhalation flux and atmospheric concentration of radon and radium content in soil.
authors.affiliation: Department of Energy Engineering and Science, Graduate School of Engineering, Nagoya University, Furocho, Chikusa, Nagoya 464-8603, Japan. yamazawa@nucl.nagoya-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Hiromi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yamazawa
mesh_terms: D000396:Air Pollutants, Radioactive / Q000032:analysis*; D002250:Carbon Radioisotopes / Q000032:analysis*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D007564:Japan; D008962:Models, Theoretical
chemical_list: D000396:Air Pollutants, Radioactive; D002250:Carbon Radioisotopes