Measurement of airborne 131I, 134Cs, and 137Cs nuclides due to the Fukushima reactors accident in air particulate in Milan (Italy)

TL;DR

This study measured airborne radioactive isotopes 131I, 134Cs, and 137Cs in Milan following the Fukushima accident, providing data on their concentrations and temporal distribution in air particulate matter.

Contribution

It presents the first detailed measurement of Fukushima-derived airborne radionuclides in Milan, including concentration levels and correlation with reactor releases.

Findings

Detected radionuclide concentrations ranged from a few to 400 μBq/m3.

Radioactive isotopes showed specific temporal distribution patterns.

Correlations with reactor release data were established.

Abstract

After the earthquake and the tsunami occurred in Japan on 11th March 2011, four of the Fukushima reactors had released in air a large amount of radioactive isotopes that had been diffused all over the world. The presence of airborne 131I, 134Cs, and 137Cs in air particulate due to this accident has been detected and measured in the Low Radioactivity Laboratory operating in the Department of Environmental Sciences of the University of Milano-Bicocca. The sensitivity of the detecting apparatus is of 0.2 \mu Bq/m3 of air. Concentration and time distribution of these radionuclides were determined and some correlations with the original reactor releases were found. Radioactive contaminations ranging from a few to 400 \mu Bq/m3 for the 131I and of a few tens of \mu Bq/m3 for the 137Cs and 134Cs have been detected