Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
1738656 | Journal of Environmental Radioactivity | 2011 | 7 Pages |
We report on the first measurements of short-lived gaseous fission products detected outside of Japan following the Fukushima nuclear releases, which occurred after a 9.0 magnitude earthquake and tsunami on March 11, 2011. The measurements were conducted at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), (46°16′47″N, 119°16′53″W) located more than 7000 km from the emission point in Fukushima Japan (37°25′17″N, 141°1′57″E). First detections of 133Xe were made starting early March 16, only four days following the earthquake. Maximum concentrations of 133Xe were in excess of 40 Bq/m3, which is more than ×40,000 the average concentration of this isotope is this part of the United States.
► First measurements of radioactivity detected outside of Japan following the nuclear reactor accident. ► High level description of the accident and the use of noble gas as an isotope that can be detected long range. ► Determination of the inventory of xenon-133 released from the accident.