CONSEQUENCES OF THE JAPANESE EARTHQUAKE 2011 AND THE FUKUSHIMA POWER PLANT ACCIDENT ON THE JAPANESE WATER ENVIRONMENT INCLUDING DRINKING WATER

摘要

The earthquake and the resultant tsunami that occurred on 11 March 2011 struck the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, which is owned by the Tokyo Electric Power Company, in Tohoku District of Japan. Electric power was lost due to the tsunami, and the supply of cooling water to the reactors was disabled. Meltdown occurred atTeactors No. 1, 2, and 3 and large amounts of radioactive material were released into the environment. In this paper, the damage caused by the tsunami is described. Next, variations in the concentration of ~(131)I, ~(134)Cs, and ~(137)Cs in tap water in Tohoku District are examined. Finally, the concentrations of In, Tl, Bi and Pb before and after the tsunami are compared.