國際原子能組織到達福島視察除輻射工作

Recently the NHK News reported the following:
放射性物質を取り除く「除染」について助言するため、９日から福島県を訪れているＩＡＥＡ＝国際原子力機関の調査団は１０日、村全域が計画的避難区域に指定されている飯舘村で、国が行う農地の除染実験などを視察しました。
原子力などの専門家１２人からなるＩＡＥＡの調査団は、放射性物質の効果的な除染方法などについて助言するため来日し、９日から福島県を訪れています。１０日は、自治体が独自に除染作業を行った小学校などを視察したあと、村全域が計画的避難区域に指定され、国が実験を行っている飯舘村を視察しました。このうち水田の実験現場では、国側は表面の土を４センチ取り除いた結果、土壌に含まれる放射性物質の濃度が１キロ当たりおよそ１万ベクレルから４分の１ほどに減ったことや、栽培したコメからは、玄米の状態で土壌の１０００分の１程度にとどまったと説明しました。これに対し、調査団のメンバーは「問題のない低いレベルだ」と答えていました。また、調査団は、放射性物質が含まれる植物を「熱分解」という比較的低い４００度で処理する現場を視察しました。調査団は１１日まで福島県に滞在し、１１日は、福島県の佐藤知事と会談する予定です。

現地を視察したあと、調査団のレンティッホ団長は、「除染は最適な方法で行わなければならず、そのためにはできるかぎり多くのデータが必要だ。視察して非常に興味深い情報を得ることができたので、今後、さまざまな関係者と専門的な議論を深め、調査団の目的を達成したい」と話していました。
(試譯文)
In order to give advice on the "decontamination" work of removing radioactive material, the investigating commission of the IAEA= International Atomic Energy Agency which visited Fukushima Prefecture starting from the 9th, on the 10th at Iitate-mura where the village had the whole region specified as the planned refuge zone, the Agency inspected the decontamination experiment of farmland etc. conducted by the country.
The investigating commission of IAEA which consisted of 12 specialists, such as atomic power, arrived at Japan in order to advise on the effective method to decontaminate the radioactive material etc. visited Fukushima Prefecture from the 9th.
On the 10th after inspecting self-governing bodies, an elementary school etc. which did decontamination work independently, they inspected Iitate-mura, the village with whole region specified as the planned refuge zone and where the country was doing the experiment.
Among these, at the experimental spot of the paddy field, as a result of removing 4 cm of the surface soil by the country, the concentration of radioactive material decreased from about 10,000 Bq per km to about 1/4; and regarding the rice cultivation, it showed that the soil condition of brown rice stabilized at about 1 in 1000 in the concentration.
On the other hand, the investigating commission's member had replied that "It is a satisfactory low level." Moreover, the investigating commission inspected the spot which processed the plant that contained radioactive material using "thermal decomposition" at a comparatively low 400 degrees.The investigating commission would stay in Fukushima Prefecture till the 11th, and would confer with Governor Sato of Fukushima Prefecture on the 11th.
After inspecting the area, the investigating commission chief Rentitsuho said " there is no other ways but to carry out the decontamination by the most suitable method, and for that purpose, many data are required. Because after the inspection, it is able to acquire very interesting information, from now on, I would like to deepen professional discussion with different people concerned, and hope to achieve the goal of the investigating commission".

It seems that the International Atomic Energy Agency is working hard in helping Japan's farmers to recover from the disaster.