Study of the multi-isotope method to trace study of the natural tritium

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17KK0015
• Research Category: Fund for the Promotion of Joint International Research (Fostering Joint International Research)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Risk sciences of radiation and chemicals
• Research Institution: Hirosaki University (2019-2022); National Institute for Fusion Science (2017-2018)
• Principal Investigator: Akata Naofumi 弘前大学, 被ばく医療総合研究所, 教授 (10715478)
• Project Period (FY): 2018 – 2022
• Keywords: トリチウム

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In the upper atmosphere, natural tritium is regularly produced at a rate of about five times the annual amount of anthropogenic tritium. Therefore, it can be said that "naturally occurring tritium" is regularly present in our living environment. However, the amount of advection of naturally occurring tritium into the troposphere during meteorological events, its physicochemical form and phase change, etc. have not been clarified. Since the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident, public interest in anthropogenic tritium has been high. This study aims to establish a multi-isotope method to track naturally occurring tritium by combining several natural and artificial radionuclides.

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Free Research Field

環境放射生態学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

福島第一原子力発電所では、廃炉に向けた作業がロードマップに沿って進められている。事故により溶けだした燃料は、注水により水没させることで遮蔽と冷却が進められているが、このプロセスで汚染水が生成され続けている。将来的には、トリチウム以外の放射性物質を取り除いたのちに海へ放出されるため、国民のトリチウムへの関心は高い。これらの社会的動機をカバーするうえでも、本研究において、濃度レベルや分布、追跡指標としての有効性を検証することは重要となる。