Abstract
Radioactive nuclides in the incinerator ashes of municipal solid wastes were determined by γ-ray spectrometry before and after the accident at the Fukushima nuclear power plant (March 11, 2011). Incinerator ash samples were collected in northern Kyushu, Japan, which is located approximately 1200 km west-southwest (WSW) of the Fukushima nuclear power plant, from April 2006 to March 2007 and from March 2011 to October 2011. 40K, 137Cs, 208Tl, 212Pb, 214Pb, 212Bi, 214Bi, and 228Ac were identified in the ashes before the accident (~February 2011) and 134Cs was identified along with these eight nuclides in the ashes after the accident (March 2011~). A sequential extraction procedure based on a modified Tessier method with added water extraction was used for 1st fly ash sampled in August 2011 because the highest activity concentrations of 134Cs and 137Cs were observed for this sample. The speciation of radioactive nuclides in the fly ash was achieved by γ-ray spectrometry and powder X-ray diffractometry for the extraction residues. Little variation was observed in the distribution of the chemical forms of 134Cs and 137Cs in 1st fly ash of municipal solid waste; one half of 134Cs existed as water soluble salts and the other half as carbonate compounds, whereas 75% of 137Cs existed as water soluble salts with the remainder as carbonates(10%) and sulfides (15%). These results show that 88% of the total radioactive Cs existed in water soluble and ion extractive forms and might be at risk for elution and diffusion with rain and wind.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
A. Ohbuchi, M. Kitano, and T. Nakamura, X-Ray Spectrom., 2008, 37, 237.
A. Ohbuchi, J. Sakamoto, M. Kitano, and T. Nakamura, X-Ray Spectrom., 2008, 37, 544.
H. Huang and A. Buekens, Chemosphere, 1995, 31, 4099.
Japan, Ministry of the Environment Government, 1970, Waste Management and Public Cleansing Law.
Notification No.13 of Environment Agency of Japan, 1973, February 17.
Method 3050B, “Acid digestion of sediments, sludges, and soils”, 1996, U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA).
J. J. Rowe and E. Steinnes, Talanta, 1977, 24, 433.
S. Suzuki and S. Hirai, Bunseki Kagaku, 1982, 31, 443.
Z. Mester, M. Angelone, C. Brunori, C. Crenisini, H. Muntau, and R. Morabito, Anal. Chim. Acta, 1999, 395, 157.
S. J. Huang, C. Y. Chang, D. T. Mui, F. C. Chang, M. Y. Lee, and C. F. Wang, J. Hazard. Mater., 2007, 149, 180.
A. K. Das, R. Chakraborty, M. de la Guardia, M. C. Cervera, and D. Goswami, Talanta, 2001, 54, 975.
E. M. Bem, H. Bem, and P. Wieczorkowski, Sci. Total Environ., 1998, 220, 215.
K. Kovler, Constr. Build. Mater., 2009, 23, 246.
D. M. Bonotto and L. Caprioglio, Appl. Radiat. Isot., 2002, 57, 931.
O. B. Flores, A. M. Estrada, R. R. Suárez, J. T. Zerquera, and A. H. Pérez, J. Environ. Radioact., 2008, 99, 1834.
A. Baba and A. Kaya, J. Environ. Manag., 2004, 73, 199.
H. Papaefthymiou and O. Gouseti, Radiat. Meas., 2008, 43, 1453.
I. Lovrencic, D. Barisic, V. Orescanin, and S. Lulic, Nucl. Instrum. Meth. B, 2007, 263, 186.
V. Scheibel and C. R. Appoloni, J. Food Compos. Anal., 2007, 20, 650.
L. Högbom and H. Ö. Nohrstedt, Sci. Total Environ., 2001, 280, 133.
A. Kobashi, Appl. Radiat. Isot., 2001, 55, 327.
F. T. da Conceição, D. M. Bonotto, J. R. Jiménez-Rueda, and J. A. F. Roveda, Appl. Radiat. Isot., 2009, 67, 1114.
A. Tessier, P. G. C. Campbell, and M. Bisson, Anal. Chem., 1979, 51, 844.
K. Nagai, E. Hashimoto, and J. Sato, Radioisotopes, 2006, 55, 567.
A. Funatsuki, M. Takaoka, D. Kokubu, K. Oshita, and N. Takeda, Bunseki Kagaku, 2010, 59, 801.
M. Takaoka, K. Kuramoto, N. Takeda, and K. Fujiwara, Doboku Gakkai Ronbunshuu, 2001, 685, 79.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Iwahana, Y., Ohbuchi, A., Koike, Y. et al. Radioactive Nuclides in the Incinerator Ashes of Municipal Solid Wastes before and after the Accident at the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant. ANAL. SCI. 29, 61–66 (2013). https://doi.org/10.2116/analsci.29.61
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.2116/analsci.29.61