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Category: Fukushima

Radiex 2012 Conference: Focus on Decontamination in Japan

Published November 8, 2012 by Dan
Russian scientists were there with instrumentation they developed post-Chernobyl

 

 

 

 

 

The Radiex Conference in Tokyo, in September, was successful at bringing people together around technologies for cleaning up and monitoring radioactive contamination in Japan.   The conference was well attended.

In fashion conscious Tokyo it was interesting to see these suits for clean up workers to protect themselves. But radiation protection is an important issue now.

I attended the show, made a couple of presentations, and worked with Safecast to promote the value of the radiation maps they have been creating since the Fukushima Daiichi event.  Safecast has posted more about the conference on their website.  My company, IMI-International Mecom continues to support the good work they are doing.

   
Safecast Volunteer Kalin Kozhuharov talks with attendees at Radiex 2012

 

Some of Safecast Team at Radiex 2012 Conference.

The first conference of its type, Radiex 2012 will certainly not be the last.   It will take many years to deal with the problems created by the earthquake, tsunami, meldowns.

In some cases forests are being cut down. This is one approach to remediation. The Cesium 134 and Cesium 137 are taken up from the soil into the trees. Then the trees are burned and the waste compacted for storage as radioactive waste.

 

Radioactive materials need to be properly contained and transported. These concrete containers serve that function. There were also a lot of heavy duty plastic bags on display.
This device can be pulled behind a tractor for measuring contamination on farmland

In addition to devices for measuring soil contamination, there are also a lot of devices for measuring radioactivity in food.  The new Japanese standard requires less than 100 Bq/kg of contamination in food.

This food testing equipment was developed by a Russian company. The Russians bring years of experience to the table, having dealt with Chernobyl and other nuclear hotspots for many years.

 

 

In addition to community work crews, cleantech industry executives, government officials, we also saw a very concerned segment of the population: Mothers with babies concerned about their future.

 

This looks like a Jetson Era vaccum cleaner, but it's really a beta contamination detector designed for scanning homes and schools for contamination

 

This helicopter outfitted with sensors can scan remote areas and places too hot for humans
Helicopters with special sensors are used to monitor remote areas.

 

 

 

 

 

This machine is designed to decontaminate surfaces.
This machine is designed to decontaminate surfaces.

 

 

 

 

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