3D Map Of Contamination at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Disaster Site
In 2011, the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami precipitated the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster, the worst nuclear accident since Chernobyl. For Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA), the ongoing efforts to decontaminate the nuclear reactors will last for decades.
It is critical to understand radiation distribution in the decommissioning work to effectively reduce radiation exposure and decontaminate the area. Conventional methods such as radiation meters or gamma cameras provide only point or surface measurements. Identifying the distribution in three dimensions would be a far more effective means to visualize contaminated areas and air dose rates.
JAEA successfully developed a way to scan and visualize this data in 3D by combining a Compton camera, radiation meter, and Kaarta Stencil 2 mobile mapping system. The Agency was able to capture the information quickly and without having to approach the contaminated area. Armed with a powerful thematic map, JAEA can now simulate the shielding and decontamination effects for reducing the dose rate.
