PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Fukushima-related measurements by the CTBTO

2011-04-08
(Press-News.org) Since the double disaster of the 9.0 magnitude earthquake and tsunami that affected hundreds of thousands of people and seriously damaged the Fukushima Daichi power plant in Japan on 11 March 2011, minute traces of radioactive emissions from Fukushima have spread across the entire northern hemisphere. A monitoring network designed to detect signs of nuclear explosions picked up these traces from the stricken power plant.

To date, more than 30 radionuclide stations that are part of the International Monitoring System (IMS) have provided information on the spread of radioactive particles and noble gases from the Fukushima accident. The IMS is a global network that will comprise 337 facilities when complete. Sixty-three of the 80 planned IMS radionuclide stations are already operational and able to detect airborne radioactivity.

Initial findings The first analysis results of the monitoring data became available a few days after the accident. A clear picture quickly emerged. Initial detections of radioactive materials were made on 12 March at the Takasaki monitoring station in Japan just 300 km away from the troubled power plant. The dispersion of the radioactive isotopes could then be followed to eastern Russia on 14 March and to the west coast of the United States two days later.

Spreading across the entire northern hemisphere Nine days after the accident, the radioactive cloud had crossed Northern America. Three days later when a station in Iceland picked up radioactive materials, it was clear that the cloud had reached Europe. By day 15, traces from the accident in Fukushima were detectable all across the northern hemisphere. The radioactive materials remain confined to the northern hemisphere as the equator acts as a dividing line between the northern and southern air masses.

Findings confirm Fukushima release The CTBTO's monitoring system can detect a range of radioactive isotopes, among them Iodine-131 and Caesium-137. Looking at the ratios between the various radioactive isotopes – in particular Caesium-137 – enables the source of the emission to be identified. In the case of the current readings, findings clearly indicate radionuclide releases from a damaged nuclear power plant, which is consistent with the recent accident at Fukushima in Japan.

Unparalleled sensitivity The CTBTO's radionuclide stations are designed to register minuscule amounts of radioactive particles and noble gases – down to a number of a few atoms. The system's sensitivity is second-to-none - it can detect a concentration of 0.1 g of radioactive Xenon evenly distributed within the entire atmosphere of the Earth. A rooftop detector at the CTBTO's headquarters in Vienna still catches traces of emissions from the 1986 Chernobyl disaster.

Benefits for disaster mitigation efforts The IMS is being built to ensure compliance with the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT), which bans all nuclear explosions. CTBTO monitoring data and technologies, however, offer a host of additional benefits, particularly in relation to disaster mitigation. One of these benefits is already in place – the contribution of data to tsunami warning efforts. In 2006, Member States mandated the CTBTO to provide seismic and hydroacoustic monitoring data to a number of tsunami warning centres in the Indo-Pacific region. Data were also made available to Japan when it was hit by the massive earthquake on 11 March. Tens of thousands of people were tragically killed by the tsunami; still many were saved due to the rapid alerts. According to Japanese authorities, CTBTO data helped them to issue tsunami warnings within a few minutes, thus allowing many people to escape to higher ground. CTBTO data also helped other countries in the region, such as Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and the United States, to issue timely tsunami warnings, even though the wave turned out to have lost its devastating power by the time it had reached these countries' shores.

Enhanced cooperation with other international organizations Following an initiative by United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, relevant international organizations have agreed to enhance cooperation to help mitigate the consequences of the nuclear disaster in Japan. These organizations include the CTBTO, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the UN Development Programme (UNDP), the World Health Organization (WHO) and the UN Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA), see press release of 25 March 2011.

The CTBTO contributes to this effort by providing information on the detection of radioactive isotopes from its worldwide monitoring network. The CTBTO can also assist in predicting the global dispersion of radioactive material by using its atmospheric transport modelling (ATM) tool which has been developed in cooperation with the WMO. This method allows for the calculation of the dispersion of a given radionuclide emission, using meteorological data. This calculation can be performed as back tracking in order to identify the area where a radionuclide may have been released, calculated from the station where it was observed. In the case of Fukushima, where the point of release was known, the CTBTO applied forward ATM to predict where radionuclides would travel in the future.

Although the emissions were initially based on estimates only, they proved to be to 95% correct as the radionuclides reached the stations mostly within hours of the time predicted. With information made available later by the IAEA on the release level of radioactive substances at the Fukushima power plant – the so-called source term – the CTBTO has been able to quantify and refine its global dispersion predictions.

Radioactivity outside of Japan below harmful levels The present event has understandably given rise to concerns about manmade radiation. In particular, atmospheric nuclear testing in the 1950s and 1960s caused widespread fallout, resulting in radiation-related diseases and deaths and rendering vast areas inhabitable to this day. These nuclear tests had the most direct effects on the immediate region. The danger from fallout decreases with distance, as radioactive particles are dispersed into the atmosphere or washed out through precipitation. A number of radioactive isotopes also have a limited half-life of a few days or weeks, which reduces the overall radioactivity with time. Other radioactive substances though, such as Plutonium, linger for thousands of years. The locations where over 1,500 underground nuclear tests were carried out worldwide are highly contaminated and have had to be completely fenced off to limit the danger to humans.

The cumulative effects of the hundreds of atmospheric nuclear tests released such vast amounts of radioactivity that the overall level of radioactivity in the Earth's atmosphere increased to levels that even dwarfed the Chernobyl disaster (see right). Radioactive isotopes could be traced in baby teeth of children born even at great distances from the test sites in these decades.

By comparison, the levels detected at stations outside Japan up until April 7 have been far below levels that could cause harm to humans and the environment. The levels are comparable to natural background radiation such as cosmic radiation and radiation from the environment on Earth and lower than from manmade sources such as medical applications or nuclear power plants (under normal operations) or isotope production facilities. This demonstrates how extremely sensitive the CTBTO's monitoring stations are.

Monitoring continues The radionuclide monitoring stations of the CTBTO's global detection system monitor the abundance of radioactive substances in the air continuously. The CTBTO shares its monitoring data and analysis results with its 182 Member States; 120 States and 1,200 scientific and academic institutions currently make use of this opportunity to receive CTBTO data and data bulletins. This means that they also continue to receive first-hand information on possible radioactive releases and dispersal from the stricken Fukushima power plant.

### Background The CTBTO is building a global verification system to detect nuclear explosions to verify the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty. When complete, its 337-facility network of seismic, hydroacoustic and infrasound stations will watch underground, the oceans and the atmosphere, and its radionuclide stations will sniff the air for tell-tale signs of a nuclear explosion.

Nearly 270 monitoring stations, of which 63 are radionuclide sensors, are already operational and send data to the International Data Centre in Vienna, Austria, for processing and analysis. While the system is designed to detect nuclear blasts, it also picks up a vast amount of data that could be used for civil and scientific purposes.


ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

NASA telescopes join forces to observe unprecedented explosion

NASA telescopes join forces to observe unprecedented explosion
2011-04-08
WASHINGTON -- NASA's Swift, Hubble Space Telescope and Chandra X-ray Observatory have teamed up to study one of the most puzzling cosmic blasts yet observed. More than a week later, high-energy radiation continues to brighten and fade from its location. Astronomers say they have never seen anything this bright, long-lasting and variable before. Usually, gamma-ray bursts mark the destruction of a massive star, but flaring emission from these events never lasts more than a few hours. Although research is ongoing, astronomers say that the unusual blast likely arose when ...

Lifesaving antibiotics face doubtful future

2011-04-08
[April 7, 2011, WASHINGTON] – To head off a health care disaster, the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) has developed a plan to combat deadly antibiotic-resistant "super bugs" and is rolling out the multi-pronged plan today, on World Health Day 2011. Infections are becoming increasingly resistant to existing antibiotics, while the number of new antibiotics being developed has plummeted. IDSA warns that unless sweeping actions are taken now, the future could resemble the days before these miracle drugs were developed. People will die of common infections and ...

Scientists exploit ash tree pest's chemical communication

2011-04-08
This release is available in Spanish. A newly identified chemical sex attractant, or pheromone, of the emerald ash borer could mean improved traps for monitoring and controlling the tree-killing beetle. That's the goal of U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) entomologist Allard Cossé and his colleagues. Cossé has been searching for such attractants since 2007 as part of a multidisciplinary team of scientists from USDA's Agricultural Research Service (ARS), Forest Service (FS) and Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). Early success came with the identification ...

Starch-controlling gene fuels more protein in soybean plants

Starch-controlling gene fuels more protein in soybean plants
2011-04-08
AMES, Iowa – A newly discovered gene introduced into soybean plants has increased the amount of protein in the plant's seed and could hold promise for helping meet nutritional needs of a hungry world. Eve Wurtele, professor of genetics, development and cell biology; and Ling Li, an adjunct assistant professor and an associate scientist working in her laboratory, have placed a gene found only in Arabidopsis plants into soybean plants and increased the amount of protein in the soybean seeds by 30 to 60 percent. The results were a pleasant surprise to the researchers as ...

CasinoAUS Network produces EUR22,409.30 Prog Slots Winner

2011-04-08
Australian-themed online casino operators, the CasinoAUS.com Network, have awarded their registered patron KB with the sum of EUR22,409.30 on the player's having won on the Progressive Jackpot slots game LotsaLoot, a highly popular gaming title on the Network. The CasinoAUS.com Network boasts a gaming portfolio of 24 separate titles, 18 of which fall under the online casino slots gaming subcategory. The popularity of Progressive Jackpot games in the online arena - specifically of the online slots variety - is undisputed in the online gaming industry. The reason for this ...

Video games effective treatment for stroke patients: study

2011-04-08
TORONTO, Ont., April 7, 2011 – Virtual reality and other video games can significantly improve motor function in stroke patients, according to research from St. Michael's Hospital. Patients who played video games, such as Wii and Playstation, were up to five times more likely to show improvements in arm motor function compared to those who had standard therapy. "Virtual reality gaming is a promising and potentially useful alternative to enhance motor improvement after stroke," said Dr. Gustavo Saposnik, the lead author of the study and the director of the Stroke Outcomes ...

Monitoring system warns of slippery slopes

Monitoring system warns of slippery slopes
2011-04-08
Doren in the Austrian Bregenzerwald, February 2007: a slope 650 meters long breaks, resulting in a massive slide into the valley below. The nearest residential buildings are very close to the 70-meter-high rim. This barely avoided catastrophe is not the only incident. Geologists have been monitoring increasingly unstable masses of earth over the past few years in the Alps and other Alpine regions, which have slipped down slopes and on slid unchecked down valleys to more stable substrates. The scientists are primarily looking at heavy rainfall and snowmelt caused by climatie ...

Utah's Immigration Law: A Saner State Solution to a National Issue?

2011-04-08
Border states from California to Texas have been the site of some of the most heated rhetoric over U.S. immigration policy in recent years. After Arizona's passage of its notorious state law dominated American headlines for weeks in 2010, politicians in many states around the country followed suit by introducing similar legislation. Recent legislation approved by the Utah legislature and awaiting its governor's signature is receiving praise as a rare example of "sane" immigration policy. Key features of the Utah immigration reform bill include enhanced law enforcement, ...

U. Iowa study suggests antidepressants aid physical recovery in stroke

2011-04-08
A University of Iowa study finds that patients treated with a short course of antidepressants after a stroke have significantly greater improvement in physical recovery than patients treated with a placebo. Moreover, the study is the first to demonstrate that this physical recovery continues to improve for at least nine months after the antidepressant medication is stopped. "The idea that antidepressants might benefit early recovery from stroke has been around for a couple of years," said Robert Robinson, M.D., UI professor and head of psychiatry and senior study author. ...

Technique for letting brain talk to computers now tunes in speech

2011-04-08
Patients with a temporary surgical implant have used regions of the brain that control speech to "talk" to a computer for the first time, manipulating a cursor on a computer screen simply by saying or thinking of a particular sound. "There are many directions we could take this, including development of technology to restore communication for patients who have lost speech due to brain injury or damage to their vocal cords or airway," says author Eric C. Leuthardt, MD, of Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. Scientists have typically programmed the ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Scientists unlock secrets behind flowering of the king of fruits

Texas A&M researchers illuminate the mysteries of icy ocean worlds

Prosthetic material could help reduce infections from intravenous catheters

Can the heart heal itself? New study says it can

Microscopic discovery in cancer cells could have a big impact

Rice researchers take ‘significant leap forward’ with quantum simulation of molecular electron transfer

Breakthrough new material brings affordable, sustainable future within grasp

How everyday activities inside your home can generate energy

Inequality weakens local governance and public satisfaction, study finds

Uncovering key molecular factors behind malaria’s deadliest strain

UC Davis researchers help decode the cause of aggressive breast cancer in women of color

Researchers discovered replication hubs for human norovirus

SNU researchers develop the world’s most sensitive flexible strain sensor

Tiny, wireless antennas use light to monitor cellular communication

Neutrality has played a pivotal, but under-examined, role in international relations, new research shows

Study reveals right whales live 130 years — or more

Researchers reveal how human eyelashes promote water drainage

Pollinators most vulnerable to rising global temperatures are flies, study shows

DFG to fund eight new research units

Modern AI systems have achieved Turing's vision, but not exactly how he hoped

Quantum walk computing unlocks new potential in quantum science and technology

Construction materials and household items are a part of a long-term carbon sink called the “technosphere”

First demonstration of quantum teleportation over busy Internet cables

Disparities and gaps in breast cancer screening for women ages 40 to 49

US tobacco 21 policies and potential mortality reductions by state

AI-driven approach reveals hidden hazards of chemical mixtures in rivers

Older age linked to increased complications after breast reconstruction

ESA and NASA satellites deliver first joint picture of Greenland Ice Sheet melting

Early detection model for pancreatic necrosis improves patient outcomes

Poor vascular health accelerates brain ageing

[Press-News.org] Fukushima-related measurements by the CTBTO