title: Influence of the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant accident on environmental radioactivity in Aomori Prefecture.
abstract: Radioactive nuclides with a short half-life, such as (131)I and (134)Cs, were detected in environmental samples collected in Aomori Prefecture after the Tokyo Electric Power Company Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant accident in March 2011. In addition, the observed (137)Cs concentration was increased over the background level. The gaseous (131)I concentration in air observed in April was higher than that observed in March immediately after the accident. Using a backward trajectory analysis, the authors found that the air mass had passed the vicinity of the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant when the gaseous (131)I concentration in air was increasing. Maximum (131)I and radioactive Cs concentrations in daily fallout samples collected in Aomori city were observed on 28 April, when (131)I was also detected in air. (134)Cs and (137)Cs concentration ratios in pine needles and pasture grass were nearly equal to 1, which indicates that the source of these radionuclides was the nuclear power plant accident.
authors.affiliation: Aomori Prefectural Nuclear Power Safety Center, 400-1 Kurauchi Sasazaki, Rokkasho-mura, Aomori, Japan sho_kudo1@pref.aomori.lg.jp.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kudo
authors.affiliation: Aomori Prefectural Nuclear Power Safety Center, 400-1 Kurauchi Sasazaki, Rokkasho-mura, Aomori, Japan.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Igarashi
authors.affiliation: Aomori Prefectural Nuclear Power Safety Center, 400-1 Kurauchi Sasazaki, Rokkasho-mura, Aomori, Japan.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kimura
mesh_terms: D000396:Air Pollutants, Radioactive / Q000032:analysis*; D002588:Cesium Radioisotopes / Q000032:analysis*; D003198:Computer Simulation; D062406:Fukushima Nuclear Accident; D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes / Q000032:analysis*; D007564:Japan; D015233:Models, Statistical; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D011834:Radiation Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D011847:Radioactive Fallout / Q000032:analysis*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D000396:Air Pollutants, Radioactive; D002588:Cesium Radioisotopes; D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes; D011847:Radioactive Fallout