Foreword
On March 11, 2011, a massive earthquake and the resultant tsunami struck the
Tohoku area of Japan, causing serious damage to the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear
Power Plant (NPP) and the release of a significant quantity of radionuclides into the
surrounding environment. This accident underlined the necessity of establishing
more comprehensive scientific research for promoting safety in nuclear technology.
In this situation, the Kyoto University Research Reactor Institute (KURRI)
established a new research program called the “KUR Research Program for Scientific Basis of Nuclear Safety” in 2012.
Nuclear safety study includes not only the prevention of nuclear accidents but
also the safety measures after the accident from a wider point of view ensuring
the safety of residents. A long time is needed for the improvement of the situation,
but the social needs for the reinforcement of nuclear safety increases rapidly.
The advancement of disaster prevention technology for natural disasters such as
earthquakes and tsunamis, the reinforcement of measures to counter the effects of
accidents, and the reinforcement of the safety management of spent fuels and
radioactive wastes are demanded, not to mention the reinforcement of nuclear
reactor safety. Also required are the underlying mechanism investigation and
accurate assessment for the effect of radiation on the human body and life.
As with all such premises, detailed inspection and analysis of the accident are
indispensable.
In the Research Program for the Scientific Basis of Nuclear Safety, an annual
series of international symposia was planned along with specific research activities.
The first in the series of symposia, entitled “The International Symposium on
Environmental Monitoring and Dose Estimation of Residents after Accident of
TEPCO’s Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Stations”, was held on December
14, 2012, concerning the radiological effects of the accident on the public, and
covering a wide range of monitoring and dose assessment activities after the
accident. Although the proceedings of the symposium had been published, a more
comprehensive and conclusive book was published with open access at the requests
of many people including residents near the accident site.
v
On March 11, 2011, a massive earthquake and the resultant tsunami struck the
Tohoku area of Japan, causing serious damage to the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear
Power Plant (NPP) and the release of a significant quantity of radionuclides into the
surrounding environment. This accident underlined the necessity of establishing
more comprehensive scientific research for promoting safety in nuclear technology.
In this situation, the Kyoto University Research Reactor Institute (KURRI)
established a new research program called the “KUR Research Program for Scientific Basis of Nuclear Safety” in 2012.
Nuclear safety study includes not only the prevention of nuclear accidents but
also the safety measures after the accident from a wider point of view ensuring
the safety of residents. A long time is needed for the improvement of the situation,
but the social needs for the reinforcement of nuclear safety increases rapidly.
The advancement of disaster prevention technology for natural disasters such as
earthquakes and tsunamis, the reinforcement of measures to counter the effects of
accidents, and the reinforcement of the safety management of spent fuels and
radioactive wastes are demanded, not to mention the reinforcement of nuclear
reactor safety. Also required are the underlying mechanism investigation and
accurate assessment for the effect of radiation on the human body and life.
As with all such premises, detailed inspection and analysis of the accident are
indispensable.
In the Research Program for the Scientific Basis of Nuclear Safety, an annual
series of international symposia was planned along with specific research activities.
The first in the series of symposia, entitled “The International Symposium on
Environmental Monitoring and Dose Estimation of Residents after Accident of
TEPCO’s Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Stations”, was held on December
14, 2012, concerning the radiological effects of the accident on the public, and
covering a wide range of monitoring and dose assessment activities after the
accident. Although the proceedings of the symposium had been published, a more
comprehensive and conclusive book was published with open access at the requests
of many people including residents near the accident site.
v