title: Robust technique using an imaging plate to detect environmental radioactivity.
abstract: The Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant was severely damaged by the Great East Japan Earthquake on 11 March 2011. Consequently, a large amount of radioactive material was accidentally released. Recently, the focus has been on quantification of environmental radioactive material. However, conventional techniques require complicated and expensive measurement equipment. In this research, the authors developed a simple method to detect environmental radioactive material with an imaging plate (IP). Two specific measurement subjects were targeted: measurements for the depth distribution of radioactive material in soil and surface contamination of a building roof. For the measurement of depth distribution of radioactive material in soil, the authors ascertained that the concentration of environmental radioactivity was highest at 5 cm below the surface, and it decreased with depth. For the measurement of surface contamination of the building roof, the authors created a contamination map of the building roof. The detector developed could contact the ground directly, and unlike other survey meters, it was not influenced by peripheral radioactivity. In this study, the authors verified the feasibility of measurement of environmental radioactivity with an IP. Although the measured values of the IP were relative, further work is planned to perform evaluations of absolute quantities of radioactive material.
authors: Graduate School of Comprehensive Human Sciences, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8575, Japan. tiso@md.tsukuba.ac.jp
authors: Tomonori
authors: T
authors: Isobe
authors: Yutaro
authors: Y
authors: Mori
authors: Kenta
authors: K
authors: Takada
authors: Eisuke
authors: E
authors: Sato
authors: Hideyuki
authors: H
authors: Sakurai
authors: Takeji
authors: T
authors: Sakae
mesh_terms: D055866:Earthquakes; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008163:Luminescent Measurements; D055848:Nuclear Power Plants; D011834:Radiation Monitoring; D018788:Radioactive Hazard Release; D011848:Radioactive Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D011856:Radiographic Image Enhancement / Q000295:instrumentation*
chemical_list: D011848:Radioactive Pollutants