Source term estimation of atmospheric release due to the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant accident by atmospheric and oceanic dispersion simulations

Abstract

The source term of the atmospheric release of 131I and 137Cs due to the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant accident estimated by previous studieswas validated and refined by coupling atmospheric and oceanic dispersion simulations with observed 134Cs in seawater collected from the Pacific Ocean. By assuming the same release rate for 134Cs and 137Cs, the sea surface concentration of 134Cs was calculated using the previously estimated source term and was compared with measurement data. The release rate of 137Cs was refined to reduce underestimation of measurements, which resulted in a larger value than that previously estimated. In addition, the release rate of 131I was refined to follow the radioactivity ratio of 137Cs. As a result, the total amounts of 131I and 137Cs discharged into the atmosphere from 5 JST on March 12 to 0 JST on March 20 were estimated to be approximately 2.0 × 1017 and 1.3 × 1016 Bq, respectively. © 2013 Atomic Energy Society of Japan. All rights reserved.