Estimation of Ambient Dose Equivalent Rate Distribution Map Using Walking Survey Technique in Hirosaki City, Aomori, Japan

Worawat Poltabtim; Saowarak Musikawan; Arkarapol Thumwong; Yasutaka Omori; Chutima Kranrod; Masahiro Hosoda; Kiadtisak Saenboonruang; Shinji Tokonami

doi:10.3390/ijerph20032657

Estimation of Ambient Dose Equivalent Rate Distribution Map Using Walking Survey Technique in Hirosaki City, Aomori, Japan

Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2023 Feb 1;20(3):2657. doi: 10.3390/ijerph20032657.

Authors

Worawat Poltabtim^{1

2

3}, Saowarak Musikawan^{1

2}, Arkarapol Thumwong^{3

4}, Yasutaka Omori^{2

5}, Chutima Kranrod², Masahiro Hosoda^{1

2}, Kiadtisak Saenboonruang^{3

6}, Shinji Tokonami^{2

5}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Radiation Science, Graduate School of Health Sciences, Hirosaki University, 66-1 Honcho, Hirosaki 036-8564, Aomori, Japan.
² Institute of Radiation Emergency Medicine, Hirosaki University, 66-1 Honcho, Hirosaki 036-8564, Aomori, Japan.
³ Special Research Unit of Radiation Technology for Advanced Materials (RTAM), Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, Bangkok 10900, Thailand.
⁴ Department of Materials Science, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, Bangkok 10900, Thailand.
⁵ The Research Center for Safety, Metrology, and Nuclear Quality Technology (PRTKMMN), Research Organization for Nuclear Energy, National Research and Innovation Agency of Indonesia (BRIN), JI. Lebak Bulus Raya No. 49, Jakarta Selatan 12440, DKI Jakarta, Indonesia.
⁶ Department of Applied Radiation and Isotopes, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, Bangkok 10900, Thailand.

Abstract

At present, much emphasis is placed on the health risks associated with radioactivity present in the environment, especially since the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. In this study, a walking survey was conducted in Hirosaki City using a NaI(Tl) scintillation spectrometer to estimate and map the distribution of the ambient dose equivalent rate to monitor the radiological safety of the general public in Hirosaki City, where many nuclear facilities are located nearby. The average (±standard deviation) ambient dose equivalent rate was 0.056 ± 0.020 µSv h^-1. By comparison with the measurement data, it was found that the values of 85% of the data obtained using the walking survey technique deviated within ±20% relative to those obtained by spot measurements. Furthermore, the distribution of dose rates obtained in the nighttime survey was not significantly different from those obtained in the daytime.

Keywords: ambient dose equivalent rate; distribution map; gamma radiation; walking survey technique.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Air Pollutants, Radioactive* / analysis
Cesium Radioisotopes / analysis
Fukushima Nuclear Accident*
Japan
Nuclear Power Plants
Radiation Dosage
Radiation Monitoring*
Radioactive Fallout* / analysis

Substances

Air Pollutants, Radioactive
Radioactive Fallout
Cesium Radioisotopes

Grants and funding

This research was financially supported by Japan Society for the Promotion of Science KAKENHI, grant number 20H00556; the Office of the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation; the Thailand Science Research and Innovation through the Kasetsart University Reinventing University Program 2021; and the Kasetsart University Research and Development Institute (KURDI), Bangkok, Thailand (grant number FF(KU)25.64).