#Radiation in Japan: 80 to 120 Microsieverts/Hr Bush in Koriyama City, Fukushima

It's been over 7 months since the Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant accident started, and it does look like natural concentration of radioactive materials may be happening in eastern Japan.

57.5 microsieverts/hour radiation from the soil in the city-owned land in Kashiwa City, Chiba sounded extraordinarily high when first reported, but maybe not so.

Fukushima Chuo Television (FCT) reported that the radiation level near the ground in a bush right by the railroad station was found to be 80 to 120 microsieverts/hour in Koriyama City, Fukushima Prefecture.

It is also possible that the radiation on that particular spot has always been high, and is being discovered only now, as more citizens are armed with personal survey meters measuring everywhere.

Koriyama City is 60 kilometers west of Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant. Kashiwa City is 200 kilometers south, in the Tokyo Metropolitan suburb.

From FCT news (10/27/2011):

きょう午後、ＪＲ郡山駅前の植え込みの土から、１時間あたり８０マイクロシーベルトを超える放射線量が計測されました。

This afternoon, radiation exceeding 80 microsieverts/hour was detected from the soil near the roadside bush near the JR Koriyama station.

　高校生などが通学で利用する場所で、早急な現地からの除去が求められます。

High school students use the road for commuting. Immediate decontamination is desirable.

　きょう午後、ＪＲ郡山駅西口にある植え込みの土から、高い放射線量が確認されたとＦＣＴに情報が寄せられました。

This afternoon, a viewer informed FCT that a high level of radiation was confirmed on the soil near the bush located near the west entrance of JR Koriyama station.

　ＦＣＴが現地で計測したところ、地上から５センチほどのところでは、最大で１時間あたり８０マイクロシーベルトを計測しました。

FCT went and measured the radiation, and it was maximum 80 microsieverts/hour at 5 centimeters off the ground.

　また、ＪＲの職員が個人で持っていた線量計で調べたところ、１２０マイクロシーベルトの高い放射線量であることがわかりました。

Also, when we measured the same spot with a personal survey meter of a JR personnel, it registered 120 microsieverts/hour.

　高い値の放射線量が確認された場所は、土の色が変わっていて、線量が高いのもこの場所だけとみられています。

The soil at this location looks to have a different color [from the soil in the area nearby], and it is considered that the high radiation is only at this location.

　現場は駐輪場近くにあり、通学の高校生などが数多く通ることから、早めの処理が待たれます。
　郡山市は現地に職員を送り、詳しく調査しています。

The location is near the bicycle parking lot, and many high school students use the road. The quick response from the authorities is desired. Koriyama City is sending the city personnel to investigate further.

If someone stays on that spot with 80 microsieverts/hr 24 hours a day for one year, the external radiation would be 700 millisieverts.

By mentioning the soil is in a different color, FCT may be indicating that someone brought the highly contaminated soil and dumped it there. It could be. But that was the suspicion for the Kashiwa City's spot, too, which proved to have been wrong.

Tweet