Case report: Abnormal radiation dose rate measurement near Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant

TL;DR

This paper reports on radiation dose rate measurements in South Korea and Japan, highlighting an unusually high reading near Tomioka Station close to Fukushima Daiichi, and emphasizes the need for more precise local measurements.

Contribution

It provides new data on environmental radiation levels near Fukushima and compares these with official reference values, identifying specific areas with elevated dose rates.

Findings

Most measurements were within normal environmental radiation ranges.

An unusually high dose rate was found at Tomioka Station.

Recommends more precise measurements near Fukushima site.

Abstract

This paper presents the results of radiation dose rate measurements taken by the author in various locations in South Korea and Japan, including near the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant site. Air dose rates were measured in Seoul, during a flight over the East Sea, in Fukushima Prefecture, and in Tokyo using a calibrated survey instrument. The measurements were compared with reference values from official sources or previous studies. The author discovered that the majority of the measurements fell within the normal range of environmental radiation, except for an unusually high dose rate at Tomioka Station, which is approximately 10 km away from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant. The author recommends that Japanese institutions conduct more precise measurements in the vicinity of the nuclear accident sites.