Fission products from the damaged Fukushima reactor observed in Hungary.
Fission products, especially (131)I, (134)Cs and (137)Cs, from the damaged Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant (NPP) were detected in many places worldwide shortly after the accident caused by natural disaster. To observe the spatial and temporal variation of these isotopes in Hungary, aerosol samples were collected at five locations from late March to early May 2011: Institute of Nuclear Research, Hungarian Academy of Sciences (ATOMKI, Debrecen, East Hungary), Paks NPP (Paks, South-Central Hungary) as well as at the vicinity of Aggtelek (Northeast Hungary), Tapolca (West Hungary) and Bátaapáti (Southwest Hungary) settlements. In addition to the aerosol samples, dry/wet fallout samples were collected at ATOMKI, and airborne elemental iodine and organic iodide samples were collected at Paks NPP. The peak in the activity concentration of airborne (131)I was observed around 30 March (1-3 mBq m(-3) both in aerosol samples and gaseous iodine traps) with a slow decline afterwards. Aerosol samples of several hundred cubic metres of air showed (134)Cs and (137)Cs in detectable amounts along with (131)I. The decay-corrected inventory of (131)I fallout at ATOMKI was 2.1±0.1 Bq m(-2) at maximum in the observation period. Dose-rate contribution calculations show that the radiological impact of this event at Hungarian locations was of no considerable concern.
a Hertelendi Laboratory of Environmental Sciences , Institute of Nuclear Research, Hungarian Academy of Sciences , Debrecen , Hungary ;
Árpád
Á
Bihari
Zoltán
Z
Dezső
Tibor
T
Bujtás
László
L
Manga
András
A
Lencsés
Péter
P
Dombóvári
István
I
Csige
Tibor
T
Ranga
Magdolna
M
Mogyorósi
Mihály
M
Veres
D000336:Aerosols / Q000032:analysis; D000396:Air Pollutants, Radioactive / Q000032:analysis*; D002588:Cesium Radioisotopes / Q000032:analysis; D062406:Fukushima Nuclear Accident; D006814:Hungary; D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes / Q000032:analysis; D011847:Radioactive Fallout / Q000032:analysis*
D000336:Aerosols; D000396:Air Pollutants, Radioactive; D002588:Cesium Radioisotopes; D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes; D011847:Radioactive Fallout