United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation

ATTACHMENT C-11

SUMMARY OF MEMBER STATE REPORTS
UNSCEAR 2013 Report, Annex A, Levels and effects of radiation exposure dueto the nuclear accident after the 2011 great east-Japan earthquake and tsunami,
Appendix C (Assessment of doses to the public)Contents
Twenty-five Member States provided, on request, relevant data directly to the Committee. This
included information on radionuclides detected in air samples and in imported and locally
produced foods, internal dosimetry measurements on their citizens who were in Japan at thetime of the accident, and analyses of environmental samples. This attachment provides an
overview of the information reported by these Member States.
Notes
The designations employed and the presentation of material in this publication do not imply theexpression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Secretariat of the United Nations
concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area, or of its authorities, orconcerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.
©

United Nations, December 2014. All rights reserved, worldwide.

This publication has not been formally edited.

2

Table 1. Summary of data submitted by Member States
Country

Air samples

Foodstuff

Argentina

Over 700 imported
foodstuffs tested for 131I,
134
Cs and 137Cs. No
positive detections for131
I. 92 samples tested
positive for 137Cs and 65
for 134Cs. Highest
activity concentration
was measured in Sep2011 in green tea (335
Bq/kg and 238 Bq/kg for137
Cs and 134Cs,
respectively).

119 air samples collected frommid-March to mid-April 2011. All
results reported 131I (particulate)specific activity. All 7 sites
showed elevated levels from lateMarch 2011 to early April 2011.

FDNPS: Fukushima-Daiichi Nuclear Power Station

Deposition density
on the ground

Marine environment or biota

ATTACHMENT C-11: SUMMARY OF MEMBER STATE REPORTS

aGamma dose rate

Whole-body counting for
gamma emitters andfixed position thyroid
monitoring for 131I for 20
returning Argentine
citizens who had lived inJapan mid to late March2011 at distances of 150
to 500 km fromFDNPS a. All
measurement results
were negative.

Australia

Belarus

Human body

Whole-bodymeasurements for
gamma emitters on afamily of four living
60 km NW of FDNPS
during and after theaccident returned
negative test results.
134
Cs and 137Cs detectedin urine sample of all
family members at
maximum activity
concentration of 0.381
and 0.475 Bq/L,
respectively.
Gamma dose rate readings
by GM tube in all
sampling sites showed notrend towards elevatedlevels over the same
sampling periods.

Country
Belgium

Air samples

Human bodyGamma dose rate

108 air samples from 20 March2011 to 26 April 2011 (8locations). Although 137Cs and134
Cs were sometimes detected,
most of the detections were for
131 131
I. I levels were mostly
elevated around the end of March2011 to the beginning of April
2011.

Marine environment or biota

18 milk samples
measured for 131I, 134Cs
and 137Cs. 10 of thesesamples included resultsfor 90Sr. Collection dates
from start of April toearly May 2011. 90Sr
detected in six April
2011 samples. No
radiocaesium orradioiodine reported.

ATTACHMENT C-11: SUMMARY OF MEMBER STATE REPORTS

Over 650 air filter samples fromapproximately 30 sampling sites
from early March to early June
2011. To different degrees, allradionuclides (129Te, 129mTe, 132Te,
131 132 133 137
I, I, I, Cs, 134Cs, 136Cs)
were elevated from late March tolate April. Results from the
CTBTO noble gas stations for133
Xe (gaseous) and 131mXe(gaseous) showed radioxenon
activity highest between early
March and late April 2011.

Deposition density
on the ground30 grounddeposition samples
from various
locations (28February 2011 to 26
April 2011).
Samples were of
total deposit, rainwater and depositon grass. Positive
detection of 131I
occurred from lateMarch 2011. Some137
Cs was also
detected on grass.

Radionuclides: 131I, 134Cs
and 137Cs. Types ofsamples: candies,chewing gum, biscuits,teas, spices, noodles,
dried fish. Number ofanalyses: 900; screening
level: 15 Bq/kg; results:
all below the screening
level. Measured fromMarch to December
2011.

BrazilCanadaFoodstuff

Two people wereanalysed for 131I, 134Cs,
and 137Cs. Results were
below detection limit.

38 samples containing total
precipitation over a onemonth period fromapproximately 15-20
sampling sites collected
between early February
and late May 2011.
Measurements for 131I,
134
Cs and 137Cs. 131I
detected in 4 samples in
the March 2011 collection
period.

12 fish samples measured for
caesium and iodine. No
detections above trace noted.

3

4Country

Foodstuff

Human bodyGamma dose rate

Deposition density
on the ground

Marine environment or biota

China

Approximately 60 air samples
from about 35 sites.
Measurements included results for
132
Te, 131I, 131mXe 133Xe, 133mXe,
134
Cs, 137Cs; and in aerosol andgaseous form for 131I. Majority ofsample periods were early Marchto end of April 2011.

Approximately 120
domestic foodstuffs fromnumerous locations
tested for 131I, 134Cs and137
Cs. 60 drinking water
samples mostly from
Beijing and Shenyang
for gross alpha and grossbeta activities. Food
sampling periods
covered late March to
mid-May 2011. Most of
the positive detections infoodstuffs were for 131I.

Three human bodymeasurements
conducted. One haircounting, one trunk
counting and one wholebody monitor.
Monitoring subjects werein Fukushima and Tokyo.

200 gamma dose ratemeasurements at over 45
sites including nuclear
power plants. All
measurements conductedwithin a period in March–
April 2011.

Approximately 50
ground deposition
measurements
across about 20
locations. Most
positive detections
were for 131I withthe highest readings
recorded in lateMarch to early April
2011. Positive
detections for 137Cs
followed a similar
trend. Soil samples
from 62 cities were
tested for 131I, 134Cs
and 137Cs. 134Cs was
not detected. 137Cs
was detected in a
number of cities and131
I was only
detected in one city

Approximately 20 domestic
fish samples measured for
131 134
I, Cs and 137Cs fromvarious locations resulted inonly 2 positive detections for137
Cs.

Finland

268 air samples measured forparticulates (129mTe, 132Te, 131I,
134
Cs, 136Cs, and 137Cs,) and 98 airsamples (measured for gaseous
131I) from 9 different samplingsites. Data presented for samples
taken from late March to end ofJune 2011. Activity
concentrations of all radionuclides
peaked from late March to early
April 2011.

ATTACHMENT C-11: SUMMARY OF MEMBER STATE REPORTS

Air samples

Country
FranceIndia

The various measurement results
relating to air, rainwater and landbased products revealed that notraces of radionuclides due to the
FDNPS accident were detectedprior to 24 March 2011.
Monitoring detected trace levelsof the main radionuclides released
into the atmosphere during theaccident, 131I, 134Cs, 137Cs, andsmall quantities of 132Te, andenabled changes to be tracked
until May 2011.
At no time did theseconcentrations pose any
environmental or health risk.
Various observations revealed that
all French regions were affected tothe same extent, albeit with somegeographic and chronologicalfluctuations due to the movementsof the air masses.
126 air samples from 4 locations.
Radionuclides sampled werecombinations of 95Nb, 123mTe,
129m
Te, 132Te, 131I, 132I, 133Xe,
134
Cs, 136Cs, 137Cs, 140Ba and140
La. Highest levels of allradionuclides between late Marchand early April 2011.
462 air samples (12 locations)
measured for 137Cs (particulate)and 236 measured for 131I
(gaseous). Samples over period
from mid-March to late July 2011.
There were no detections over thedetection limit of 0.002 Bq/m3.

Foodstuff

Human bodyGamma dose rate

Whole body and thyroid
measurements taken for
250 people returningfrom within 80 km of
FDNPS site.
Radionuclides detected
were 132Te, 125I, 129I, 131I,
132 134
I, Cs and 137Cs. 90
urine samples were also
taken, the activity of allof which were below thedetection limits.

Deposition density
on the ground

Marine environment or biota

ATTACHMENT C-11: SUMMARY OF MEMBER STATE REPORTS

Germany

Air samples

145 human bodymeasurements showing
detectable levels of132
Te, 131I, 132I, 134Cs and137
Cs. 79 accompanying
effective dose
assessments from wholebody counting andthyroid measurements.
GM tube gamma dose
measurements from early
March to end of July 2011
from 5 measurement sites.
Readings varied from site
to site but no elevations
over time evident.

56Country
Indonesia

Foodstuff

Human bodyGamma dose rate

14 air samples measured for 137Csfrom 10 locations between early
April and late November 2011.
No detections above the detection
limit of 0.01 Bq/m3.

416 foodstuff samples
measured for
combinations of some or
all of 131I, 134Cs, and137
Cs. Only 1 positive
detection for 137Cs in
Worcestershire Sauce in
October 2011 wasrecorded. Sampling
period for foodstuffs
covers late March toearly November 2011.

3 whole-body counting
results of subjects from
Fukushima conducted on
28 March 2011. Out of 3,
2 had positive detectionsof 131I.

23 gamma dose
measurements made with
NaI from approximately 20
locations. All levels
appeared to be withinbackground range. 34 soil
samples measured for137
Cs with HPGe. Samples
collected between earlyMay 2011 and early May
2012. No sampling
locations specified byname (coordinates
provided). All results
below detection limit of
0.01 Bq/kg.

Maximum activity
concentrations of both134
Cs and 137Cs found infood were 2–14 Bq/kg
wet weight.

No detectable levels
found in human bodymonitoring.

Malaysia

MexicoPakistan

10 air samples (4 locations) for
131 134
I, Cs and 137Cs (allparticulate) from late March toearly May 2011. Too few
measurements to extrapolate any
trends in the data.
115 air samples from 7 locations
between mid-March and late April
2011 (131I and 137Cs). No
detections above detection limitsof 0.09 and 0.3 Bq/m3,
respectively. 13 additional air
sample measurements (3locations) between March andearly April 2011 for 131I (gaseous)which resulted in a few low
detections.

Deposition density
on the ground

Marine environment or biota
5 sea water and sediment
samples were tested for 137Cs
in Nov 2011. All water
samples had results below thedetection limit of 1 Bq/m3.
All sediment samples
measured were below
detection level of 0.01 Bq/kg.
20 marine biota samples
tested for 137Cs in Nov 2011.
All results below detection
limit of 0.008 Bq/kg dryweight.

No detectable levels incoastal waters

2 GM tube gamma dose
measurements (2 locations)in mid-March 2011.
Results seemed to bewithin background levels.

ATTACHMENT C-11: SUMMARY OF MEMBER STATE REPORTS

Air samples

Country

Foodstuff

Human bodyGamma dose rate

Philippines

74 air samples (between early
March and late May 2011)
measuring for 131I (particulate),134
Cs and 137Cs. Some samples
included results for 95Nb, 132Te
and 136Cs. All radionuclides weredetected between late March andlate April 2011.

About 250 imported foodsamples tested for 131I,
134
Cs, and 137Cs. Low
detections (mBq/kg) for131
I in fish, foodadditives and sauces.
Some positive detectionsfor 134Cs and 137Cs(mBq/kg to Bq/kg) inseafood, food additives,
feedstuffs, flavours, fruitand beverages. Highest
levels recorded in
October/November 2011.

34 human bodymeasurements ofPhilippine citizens living
in Japan. Measurements
were all thyroid countingfor 131I conducted fromlate March to early April
2011. Resulted in no
detections.

PolandApproximately 180 air samples
from about 25 locations measured
for 131I, 134Cs, and 137Cs. Somesamples were measured for 95Nb,
102
Ru, 105Ru, 106Ru, 129mTe, 132Te,
132 136
I, Cs and 140La. Sampling
period was from mid-March to
mid-June 2011. Activities formost radionuclides were elevatedbetween late March and early
April 2011.

Approximately 600 gamma
dose measurements from
Quezon City and 25 otherlocations measured by NaI
between early March andmid-November 2011. No
obviously elevated levels
recorded. 77 soil samples(approximately 15
locations) measured for137
Cs between early April
and mid-December 2011using HPGe. Low levels(mBq/kg to Bq/kg)
detected with highest
activities being recorded
April to May 2011.
Over 30,000 GM probe
gamma dose measurementsfrom 13 locations taken on
every hour of every day
from 11 March to 15 June
2011. No elevated levels
apparent during this time
period.

Human bodymeasurements on 6
people (4 Polish, 2Japanese) living invarious places near
Fukushima.
Measurements conducted
include whole-bodycounting, thyroid andurine measurements.
Some positive detectionsfor 137Cs and 134Cs.

Deposition density
on the ground

Marine environment or biota
15 marine surface water
samples measured for 137Csfrom April-October 2011. All
detections for 137Cs were low(Bq/m3). 15 sediment samples
collected June-October 2011were also measured for 137Cs.
All detections were low(mBq/kg). 78 marine biota
samples collected AprilOctober 2011, and measured
for 137Cs. All positive
detections were below 2
Bq/kg dry weight and mostly
in fish samples.

Water and sediment samples
from the Baltic Sea collected
in June 2011. Sampling oftype has been conducted forthe last 30 years. The June
2011 samples showed nodifference in theanthropogenic radionuclide
concentrations.

ATTACHMENT C-11: SUMMARY OF MEMBER STATE REPORTS

Air samples

78Country
Republic of
Korea

Air samples

Foodstuff

Gamma dose rate

Deposition density
on the ground

Marine environment or biota

12 soil samples
collected on 4 April
2011 measured for
131 134
I, Cs, 137Cs,
and 239Pu+240Pu. No
detections for 131I or
134
Cs. 137Cs
detections in Bq/kg
range for somesamples. Plutonium
detected in somesamples.

~250 seawater samples
around Republic of Korea
collected March to December
2011. Measurements were for
131 134
I, Cs, 137Cs and 239/240Pu.
Activities of 3H and 90Sr werealso reported for one of thedata sets. 131I and 134Cs
always below level ofdetection. 137Cs andplutonium always consistent
with no obvious elevations(mBq/m3 and µBq/m3 range,
respectively).
~120 marine organisms
measured for 131I, 134Cs and137
Cs from April to
September 2011 (and 90Sr and
Pu for April/May). 131I foundin 3 seaweed samples (<1Bq/kg fresh weight) in May
and July 2011. Positive
detections of 137Cs and 90Sr
were <1 Bq/kg. 1 result for
Pu was >1 Bq/kg. 15
sediment samples werecollected between April andMay 2011 and measured for137
Cs, 90Sr and 239Pu+240Pu.
No results were higher than
5 Bq/kg for 137Cs, 0.32 Bq/kg
for 90Sr, and 1.12 Bq/kg
plutonium.

ATTACHMENT C-11: SUMMARY OF MEMBER STATE REPORTS

23 tap water samples
from different locations
measured for 131I and137
Cs from early April tolate July 2011. All
results were less than thedetection limits.

Human bodyCountry

Air samples

Foodstuff

RussiaHuman bodyGamma dose rate

Deposition density
on the ground

Marine environment or biota

Singapore

395 air samples (1 location)
between mid-April 2011 and late
January 2012 measured for 131I
(particulate), 134Cs and 137Cs. No
detections above detection limit of
0.1 Bq/m3 for all radionuclides.

Slovakia

26 air samples (Bratislava)
measured for 131I (total) and 137Csfrom mid-December 2010 to midJanuary 2012. Duration ofsampling varied from 1 day to
1 month. Elevated levels of both
radionuclides from late March tolate April 2011.

Approximately 25
imported foodstuff
samples tested positivefor 131I , 134Cs and/or
137
Cs. Food samples
measured between lateMarch 2011 and earlyMay 2012.
Radiocaesium levels
were higher in tea,
vegetables and fish.
Radioiodine levels werehigher in vegetables andfish.
5 sheep milk samples
tested for 131I, 134Cs and137
Cs in April 2011.
4 samples had slightly
elevated 131I levels. No
radiocaesium was
detected.

410 gamma dose
measurements conducted
at Changi Naval Baseusing NaI detectors withinsame time period. All
results appear to beconsistent with no obvious
elevated levels.

About 200 seawater samples
from Sentosa Beach, Changi
Beach and East Coast Beach,
as well as 6 rainwater
samples were collected
between early April 2011 andmid-January 2012. There
were no detections above thedetection limits of 1 Bq/L for131
I , 134Cs or 137Cs.

ATTACHMENT C-11: SUMMARY OF MEMBER STATE REPORTS

Human bodymeasurements of 268
Russian citizens living
within the territory of theRussian Embassy inTokyo. All conductedfrom 9-17 April 2011. 3
adults with 131I activity
between 100 and 130 Bq
in the thyroid. The
maximum absorbed doseto the thyroid wasdetermined as 2 mGyfrom thesemeasurements.

910CountrySpain

Air samples

Human body
150 human bodymeasurements conductedon people at Torrejon
Airport, Madrid, Spain.
Measurements included
checks of surface
activities with gammaemitters and thyroid
checks for 131I withportable detectors.
7 other people in Tokyoand south Japan had
whole-body counting andthyroid checks
conducted. No positive
measurements.

Gamma dose rate

Deposition density
on the ground

Marine environment or biota

ATTACHMENT C-11: SUMMARY OF MEMBER STATE REPORTS

941 air samples, mostly for 131I
(gaseous) from approximately 50
locations. Some of the samples
were also measured for 110mAg,
129m
Te, 132Te, 131I (particulate), 132I
(particulate), 134Cs, 136Cs and137
Cs. Time period for sampling
was mid-March to mid-June 2011.
Iodine was detected through mostof the sampling period.

Foodstuff

Country

Foodstuff

Human body

Sweden205 air samples measured for
129m
Te, 132Te, 131I (particulate),134
Cs, 136Cs, and 137Cs from 6
monitoring locations between
early March and mid-June 2011.
All radionuclide activities
elevated between late March andearly April 2011.

42 imported foodstuffs
measured for 131I, 134Cs
and 137Cs between late
July 2011 and early
March 2012. No
detections of 131I
reported. Only one tea
sample tested positive
for both 134Cs and 137Cs(greater than 100 Bq/kg).
One sample tested
positive for 137Cs only atless than 1 Bq/kg.

9 human bodymeasurements for 131I
and 137Cs (6 urine,
2 whole-body counting,1 thyroid) conducted on
people who had been
living in the Tokyo area
and were returning to
Sweden. There were 3
131
I and 5 137Cs
detections in urine and 1
137
Cs detection in awhole-body counting
measurement.

UnitedKingdom

125 air samples from 14 locationsfor 132Te, 131I (particulate), 134Cs
and 137Cs from mid-March toearly May 2011. All radionuclides
detected in all samples in
specified time period, except 132Te
in only a few samples.

Gamma dose rate

Deposition density
on the ground38 grounddeposition
measurements for
131 134
I, Cs and 137Csfrom 4 locations
conducted between
late March and lateJune 2011. Most
had detectablelevels of allradionuclides withthe highest results
being for 131I in the
Bq/m2 range. 16 insitu deposition
densitymeasurements for
131 134
I, Cs and 137Cs
conducted at
different locations
in early April 2011.
All resulted in 131I
detected in the
Bq/m2 range. Some
had detectablelevels of 134Cs and137
Cs in the Bq/m2
range.
2 ground deposition
samples from
Oxfordshire on 30
and 31 March 2011
where 131I, 134Cs
and 137Cs were all
detected.

Marine environment or biota

ATTACHMENT C-11: SUMMARY OF MEMBER STATE REPORTS

Air samples

20 samples of seaweed
collected from Whitehavenand Seascale between lateMarch and late April 2011.
131
I and 137Cs activities in themBq/kg to Bq/kg range. 6
fish samples (cod and bass)
collected from 29 March to
26 April 2011 and tested for131
I. No sample above
detection limit.
11

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Air samples

Foodstuff

United Statesof America

229 air filter and cartridge
samples taken from mid-March to
mid-April 2011 in 12 States.
Samples tested for 11
radionuclides. Trace amounts of
128m
Te, 132Te, 131I, 132I, 133I, 134Cs,136
Cs and 137Cs detected in somesamples.

67 milk samples
collected from 36 cities
tested for a range ofradionuclides from lateMarch to May 2011.
153 drinking water
samples from 42 Statestaken from late March tolate April 2011.

Human bodyGamma dose rate

Deposition density
on the ground
157 precipitation
samples from 26
States taken
between mid-Marchand late April.
Tested for 11
radionuclides.
Detections of 131I
peaked from lateMarch to mid-April
2011.

Marine environment or biota

ATTACHMENT C-11: SUMMARY OF MEMBER STATE REPORTS

Country