title: Air radioactivity levels following the Fukushima reactor accident measured at the Laboratoire Souterrain de Modane, France.
abstract: The radioactivity levels in the air of the radionuclides released by the Fukushima accident were measured at the Laboratoire Souterrain de Modane, in the South-East of France, during the period 25 March-18 April 2011. Air-filters from the ventilation system exposed for one or two days were measured using low-background gamma-ray spectrometry. In this paper we present the activity concentrations obtained for the radionuclides (131)I, (132)Te, (134)Cs, (137)Cs, (95)Nb, (95)Zr, (106)Ru, (140)Ba/La and (103)Ru. The activity concentration of (131)I was of the order of 100 μBq/m(3), more than 100 times higher than the activities of other fission products. The highest activities of (131)I were measured as a first peak on 30 March and a second peak on 3-4 April. The activity concentrations of (134)Cs and (137)Cs varied from 5 to 30 μBq/m(3). The highest activity concentration recorded for Cs corresponded to the same period as for (131)I, with a peak on 2-3 April. The results of the radioactivity concentration levels in grass and mushrooms exposed to the air in the Modane region were also measured. Activity concentrations of (131)I of about 100 mBq/m(2) were found in grass.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire Souterrain de Modane, CNRS-CEA, 1125 route de Bardonnèche, 73500 Modane, France. ploaiza@lsm.in2p3.fr
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Loaiza
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Brudanin
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Piquemal
authors.forename: J-L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Reyss
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Stekl
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Warot
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zampaolo
mesh_terms: D000363:Agaricales / Q000737:chemistry; D000396:Air Pollutants, Radioactive / Q000032:analysis*; D005507:Food Contamination, Radioactive / Q000032:analysis; D005602:France; D062406:Fukushima Nuclear Accident; D007564:Japan; D006109:Poaceae / Q000737:chemistry; D011834:Radiation Monitoring; D011851:Radioactivity; D011868:Radioisotopes / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D000396:Air Pollutants, Radioactive; D011868:Radioisotopes