and monitoring at MRI, Tsukuba and its importance

Igarashi, Yasuhito; Sartorius, Hartmut; Miyao, Takashi; Weiß, Wolfgang; Fushimi, Katsuhiko; Aoyama, Michio; Hirose, Katsumi; Inoue, Hisayuki

doi:10.1016/s0265-931x(99)00076-4

Cited by 37 publications

(27 citation statements)

References 8 publications

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“…At present the atmospheric activity concentration of 133 Xe in ground level air is continuously monitored at seven sites in Germany as part of the ''Integrated Monitoring and Information System'' (IMIS) (WEISS and LEEB, 1993), the German surveillance program for radioactivity in the environment. In addition, samples are taken at other stations around the globe, e.g., at the Meteorological Research Institute (MRI) in Tsukuba, Japan (IGARASHI et al, 2000b;SCHLOSSER et al, 2003).…”

Section: Germanymentioning

confidence: 99%

Environmental Radioxenon Levels in Europe: a Comprehensive Overview

Saey

Schlosser

Achim

et al. 2010

Pure Appl. Geophys.

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Activity concentration data from ambient radioxenon measurements in ground level air, which were carried out in Europe in the framework of the International Noble Gas Experiment (INGE) in support of the development and build-up of a radioxenon monitoring network for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty verification regime are presented and discussed. Six measurement stations provided data from 5 years of measurements performed between 2003 and 2008: Longyearbyen (Spitsbergen, Norway), Stockholm (Sweden), Dubna (Russian Federation), Schauinsland Mountain (Germany), BruySres-le-ChA cent tel and Marseille (both France). The noble gas systems used within the INGE are designed to continuously measure low concentrations of the four radioxenon isotopes which are most relevant for detection of nuclear explosions: (131m)Xe, (133m)Xe, (133)Xe and (135)Xe with a time resolution less than or equal to 24 h and a minimum detectable concentration of (133)Xe less than 1 mBq/m(3). This European cluster of six stations is particularly interesting because it is highly influenced by a high density of nuclear power reactors and some radiopharmaceutical production facilities. The activity concentrations at the European INGE stations are studied to characterise the influence of civilian releases, to be able to distinguish them from possible nuclear explosions. It was found that the mean activity concentration of the most frequently detected isotope, (133)Xe, was 5-20 mBq/m(3) within Central Europe where most nuclear installations are situated (BruySres-le-ChA cent tel and Schauinsland), 1.4-2.4 mBq/m(3) just outside that region (Stockholm, Dubna and Marseille) and 0.2 mBq/m(3) in the remote polar station of Spitsbergen. No seasonal trends could be observed from the data. Two interesting events have been examined and their source regions have been identified using atmospheric backtracking methods that deploy Lagrangian particle dispersion modelling and inversion techniques. The results are consistent with known releases of a radiopharmaceutical facility

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Section: Germanymentioning

confidence: 99%

Environmental Radioxenon Levels in Europe: a Comprehensive Overview

Saey

Schlosser

Achim

et al. 2010

Pure Appl. Geophys.

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“…The measurement of 85 Kr air concentrations were started at Tsukuba by the Meteorological Research Institute (MRI) of Japan in 1995 [12]. Then, the continuous measurement system of 85 Kr concentration was developed by MRI and Japan Chemical Analysis Center (JCAC) in 2006 [13].…”

Section: Measurement Datamentioning

confidence: 99%

Validation of a Lagrangian atmospheric dispersion model against middle-range scale measurements of⁸⁵Kr concentration in Japan

Terada

Nagai

Yamazawa

2013

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology

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The Lagrangian atmospheric dispersion model of the computer-based nuclear emergency response system WSPEEDI-II was validated with the measured 85 Kr concentrations in tens-of-to hundreds-of-km (middle-range) scale area by conducting dispersion simulations using the release rate from the nuclear fuel reprocessing plant in Rokkasho, Japan. The calculated weekly concentrations of 85 Kr in two simulation cases during April and September in 2008 agreed with the measurements within a factor of two at the sampling sites 170 to 2000 km away from the plant. However, the sensitivity analysis of horizontal grid resolution of the meteorological model ranging from 2 to 54 km showed that the calculated results had the dependency on the grid resolution, i.e., the calculated concentrations became low compared with the results with the grid resolution of 54 km as the grid resolution became high. An empirical modification of the horizontal diffusion parameter used for long-range dispersions by WSPEEDI-II was attempted based on the sensitivity analysis to reduce the redundant diffusion effect in dispersion simulations with relatively high grid resolution. The modified horizontal diffusion parameter contributed to reduce the dependency of calculated concentrations on the horizontal grid resolution.

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“…In addition, the only sink for radioxenon in the atmosphere is its radioactive decay, hence, the atmospheric residence time is equal to the mean radioactive lifetime, thus allowing for long-range transport in the atmosphere. Also, the typical atmospheric background level is low, e.g., in the order of 1 mBq/m 3 in Central Europe, Japan and US (DE GEER, 1996b, WEISS et al, 1997BOWYER et al, 1997BOWYER et al, , 2002IGARASHI et al, 2000), due to lack of significant natural sources and due to the relatively short half-lives of the radioxenon isotopes. In contrast to radioxenon, the high atmospheric background of 85 Kr, currently approximately 1.5 Bq/m 3 in the Northern Hemisphere (HIROTA et al, 2004) with a high temporal and geographical variability (WEISS et al, 1992;WINGER et al, 2005), makes the atmospheric concentration of this isotope relatively insensitive to emissions of nuclear tests.…”

Section: Radioxenon Measurements For Monitoring Of Nuclear Testsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Already during the Second World War, the United States conducted over-flights in Germany in 1944 to search for nuclear reactors (ZIEGLER and JACOBSON, 1995). Since then, measurements of radioxenon have been widely used to monitor the release of fission products either from nuclear explosions or from civil nuclear activities (e.g., SCHÖ LCH et al, 1966;IGARASHI et al, 2000). A recent example for the importance of radioxenon may be the test conducted by the Democratic Peoples Republic of North Korea on 9 October, 2006.…”

Section: Radioxenon Measurements For Monitoring Of Nuclear Testsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ten Years of Development of Equipment for Measurement of Atmospheric Radioactive Xenon for the Verification of the CTBT

Auer

Kumberg

Sartorius

et al. 2010

Pure Appl. Geophys.

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Atmospheric measurement of radioactive xenon isotopes (radioxenon) plays a key role in remote monitoring of nuclear explosions, since it has a high capability to capture radioactive debris for a wide range of explosion scenarios. It is therefore a powerful tool in providing evidence for nuclear testing, and is one of the key components of the verification regime of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT). The reliability of this method is largely based on a well-developed measurement technology. In the 1990s, with the prospect of the build-up of a monitoring network for the CTBT, new development of radioxenon equipment started. This article summarizes the physical and technical principles upon which the radioxenon technology is based and the advances the technology has undergone during the last 10 years. In contrast to previously used equipment, which was manually operated, the new generation of radioxenon monitoring equipment is designed for automated and continuous operation in remote field locations. Also the analytical capabilities of the equipment were strongly enhanced. Minimum detectable concentrations of the recently developed systems are well below 1 mBq/ m 3 for the key nuclide 133 Xe for sampling periods between 8 and 24 h. All the systems described here are also able to separately measure with low detection limits the radioxenon isotopes 131m Xe, 133m Xe and 135 Xe, which are also relevant for the detection of nuclear tests. The equipment has been extensively tested during recent years by operation in a laboratory environment and in field locations, by performing comparison measurements with laboratory type equipment and by parallel operation. These tests demonstrate that the equipment has reached a sufficiently high technical standard for deployment in the global CTBT verification regime.

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and monitoring at MRI, Tsukuba and its importance

Cited by 37 publications

References 8 publications

Environmental Radioxenon Levels in Europe: a Comprehensive Overview

Environmental Radioxenon Levels in Europe: a Comprehensive Overview

Validation of a Lagrangian atmospheric dispersion model against middle-range scale measurements of⁸⁵Kr concentration in Japan

Ten Years of Development of Equipment for Measurement of Atmospheric Radioactive Xenon for the Verification of the CTBT

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and monitoring at MRI, Tsukuba and its importance

Cited by 37 publications

References 8 publications

Environmental Radioxenon Levels in Europe: a Comprehensive Overview

Environmental Radioxenon Levels in Europe: a Comprehensive Overview

Validation of a Lagrangian atmospheric dispersion model against middle-range scale measurements of85Kr concentration in Japan

Ten Years of Development of Equipment for Measurement of Atmospheric Radioactive Xenon for the Verification of the CTBT

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Validation of a Lagrangian atmospheric dispersion model against middle-range scale measurements of⁸⁵Kr concentration in Japan