Gov’t Paper: Air samples so hot from Fukushima, special handling required — U.S. had more stations at Level 5 than rest of world combined — Oklahoma lab reached overload (MAP)

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Gov’t Paper: Air samples so hot from Fukushima, special handling required — U.S. had more stations at Level 5 than rest of world combined — Oklahoma lab reached overload (MAP)

Prepared for the U.S. Department of Energy, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Nov. 2011:

Fukushima experience and lessons learned – The CTBTO [Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization], the IMS [International Monitoring Stations] and the International Data Centre (IDC) performed exceptionally well in the aftermath of the Fukushima event, providing valuable data through which NDCs [National Data Centers] were able to give essential advice to their National Authorities which, in turn, assisted with emergency planning.

Obviously, lessons were learned from this event which was unprecedented in CTBT-related experience. Operational lessons learned at the CTBTO IDC are summarized […]

More than 400 Level 5 [multiple fission products detected] samples. overload of work for MIS laboratories [Mishima, Japan] and WMO [Wichita Mountains, OK], not all requested
Special handling of few hot samples (1 kBq per m3 in air result to 20 MBq at particulate)
Need for staff to cover more challenging samples and cover weekends etc

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Gov’t Paper: Air samples so hot from Fukushima, special handling required — U.S. had more stations at Level 5 than rest of world combined — Oklahoma lab reached overload (MAP)