Construction of dose estimation model for low dose radiation exposurefor residents living around the Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test Site

2012 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 22404004
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 海外学術
• Research Field: Risk sciences of radiation/Chemicals
• Research Institution: Kanazawa University
• Principal Investigator: YAMAMOTO Masayoshi 金沢大学, 環日本海域環境研究センター, 教授 (10121295)
• Project Period (FY): 2010 – 2012
• Keywords: 旧ソ連 / セミパラチンスク核実験場 / 被曝線量評価 / 土壌 / 残留放射能

Research Abstract

Since 1994, we have concentrated our energies on assessing the radiation dose for human effect and environmental contamination by the nuclear testings at the Semipalatinsk (SNTS) in Kazakhstan. For this purpose, residual long-lived radionuclides such as 137Cs and Pu isotopes have been measured for environmental samples from various areas. At first, works were focused on Dolon village contaminated heavily and external radiation dose for resident was already estimated by detailed soil samplings where were carried out along a line perpendicular to the supposed center of plume of the first atomic bomb (Aug. 1949). In this works, such works were directed to Sarzhal, Karaul and Kainar villages located in the southern direction from the SNTS. Although the obtained data in Sarzhal and Karaul varied largely, overall, peak-like distributions similar to Gaussian function were observed for both 137Cs and 239,240Pu even after about 60 years from atomic bomb. Within the Sarzhal village, being about 5 km away from the center-axis, upper range is 5000-7000 Bq/m^2. Pu is around 2000 Bq/m^2. By using these data, external radiation doses in both villages were successfully estimated. On the other hand, in Kainar, Gaussian-likedistribution was not observed,137Cs inventory was not so high, now its inventory was around 4000 Bq/m^2. The levels are nearly same as Karaul, but somewhat higher sites like hot-spot were in places existing. Now, further works in Kainar are continuing.

Research Products

• [Journal Article] Reconstruction of local fallout composition and gamma-ray exposure in a village contaminated by the first USSR nuclear test in the Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test Site in Kazakhstan (2010)
  • Author(s): Imanaka,T.,Yamamoto,M.,Kawai,K., Sakaguchi,A., Hoshi, M., Chaizhunusova, N , Apsalikov, K. N
  • Journal Title: J. Environ. Biophys Volume: 49 Pages: 673-684
  • DOI: DOI:10.1007/s00411-010-0301-5
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] Uranium isotopes in well water samples as drinking sources in some settlements around the Semipalatinsk nuclear test site, Kazakhstan (2010)
  • Author(s): Yamamoto, M., Tomita, J., Sakaguchi, A., Ohtsuka, Y., Hoshi, M., Apsalikov, K. N
  • Journal Title: J.Radioanal. Nucl. Chem Volume: 284 Pages: 309-314
  • DOI: DOI:10.1007/s10967-010-0463-2
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] Feasibility of using U-236 to reconstruct close-in fallout deposition from the Hiroshima atomic bomb (2010)
  • Author(s): Sakaguchi, A., Kawai, K., Steier, P., Imanaka, T., Hoshi, M., Endo, S., Zhumadilov, K., Yamamoto, M
  • Journal Title: Science of Total Environment Volume: 408 Pages: 5392-5398
  • DOI: DOI:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2010.07.073
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Presentation] Feasibility of using U-236 to reconstruct close-in fallout deposition from the Hiroshima atomic bomb (2011)
  • Author(s): Sakaguchi, A., Kawai, K., Steier, P., Chiga, H., Hoshi, M., Shizuma, K., Yamamoto, M
  • Organizer: AMS-12
  • Place of Presentation: Wellington, NZ
  • Year and Date: 20110320-25
• [Presentation] 旧ソ連核実験場セミパラチンスク周辺の感興放射能汚染と周辺住民の被爆線量について (2011)
  • Author(s): 山本政儀
  • Organizer: 弘前大学被曝医療総合研究所
  • Place of Presentation: 青森
  • Year and Date: 2011-11-11
• [Presentation] Results on U-236 and other artificial radionuclide levels in soil from Hiroshima-Application for Hiroshima Black-rain issue. Workshop on Dosimetry (2011)
  • Author(s): Sakaguchi, A., Chiga, H., Shizuma, K., Steier, P., Hoshi, M., Endo, S., Zumadilov, M., Yamamoto, M
  • Organizer: Studies of Hiroshima Black Rain and Related studies
  • Place of Presentation: Hiroshima, Japan
  • Year and Date: 2011-01-03
• [Presentation] Uranium distribution in water (wells, taps, river and lakes) in Kazakhstan: laying stress on the area surround the Semipalatinsk nuclear test site, Kazakhstan-Chinese border, and uranium mine near Astana (2010)
  • Author(s): Yamamoto, M., Kawai, K., Hoshi, M., Kazymbet, P., Apsalikov, K.N.
  • Organizer: The 4th international theoretical and practical conference on Medical-biological and radio-ecological problems on uranium- and oil-producing regions
  • Place of Presentation: Astana, Kazakhstan
  • Year and Date: 20100927-29
• [Presentation] Retrospective studies on radioactive contamination in Sarzhal and Karaul settlements in the southern areas of the Semipalatinsk nuclear test site
  • Author(s): Kawai, K., Mino, K., Imanaka, T., Hoshi, M., Apsalikov, K. N., Yamamoto, M
• [Presentation] Reconstruction of radiation exposure in Dolon village due to local-fallout fro the Semipalatinsk nuclear test in 1949
  • Author(s): Imanaka, T., Yamamoto, M., Kawai, K., Sakaguchi, A., Hoshi, M., Apsalikov, K. N