Case report: Abnormal radiation dose rate measurement near Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant

Abstract

This paper presents the results of radiation dose rate measurements taken by the author in various locations in South Korea and Japan, including near the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant site. Air dose rates were measured in Seoul, during a flight over the East Sea, in Fukushima Prefecture, and in Tokyo using a calibrated survey instrument. The measurements were compared with reference values from official sources or previous studies. The author discovered that the majority of the measurements fell within the normal range of environmental radiation, except for an unusually high dose rate at Tomioka Station, which is approximately 10 km away from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant. The author recommends that Japanese institutions conduct more precise measurements in the vicinity of the nuclear accident sites.