Low-Cost Sensor Deployment on a Public Minibus in Fukushima Prefecture
Rakotovao Lovanantenaina Omega (a*) , Yo Ishigaki (b) ,Sidik Permana (a),Yoshinori Matsumoto (c),Kayoko Yamamoto (d),Katsumi Shozugawa (e) and Mayumi Hori (f)

(a) Graduate Program in Nuclear Science and Engineering, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Bandung Institute of Technology, Bandung City 40132, Indonesia

(b) Research Center for Realizing Sustainable Societies, The University of Electro-Communications, Tokyo 182-8585, Japan

(c) Department of Applied Physics and Physico-Informatics, Faculty of Science and Technology, Keio University, Yokohama 223-8522, Japan

(d) Graduate School of Information Science and Technology Department of Informatics, The University of Electro-Communications, Tokyo 182-8585, Japan

(e) Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 153-8902, Japan

(f) College of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 153-8902, Japan

Abstract

This study examines the implementation of an affordable radiation monitoring system on a public minibus in Fukushima Prefecture. The purpose is to monitor and analyze the levels of radiation in the surrounding area. The study utilizes the Pocket Geiger (POKEGA) sensor, which is combined with a microcontroller and telecommunication system. This integration allows for the gathering and viewing of data in real-time. A monitoring system was implemented on a minibus route between Okuma and Tomioka, which were significantly impacted by the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident. The study utilized the Quantum Geographic Information System (QGIS) to calculate the average radiation dose rates over a 1 x 1 km grid. It found a notable decrease in radiation levels from 2022 to 2023. The ecological half-life, determined using land use classification by the Advanced Land Observation Satellite, demonstrated fast radiation decay across different types of land, highlighting the influence of environmental and decontamination parameters. This method not only improves the involvement of the community in monitoring radiation, but also offers information about the success of decontamination efforts and the changing levels of radiation in Fukushima Prefecture.


*Abstract adapted from the research article : Low-Cost Sensor Deployment on a Public Minibus in Fukushima Prefecture- by Rakotovao Lovanantenaina Omega ,Yo Ishigaki, Sidik Permana, Yoshinori Matsumoto, Kayoko Yamamoto, Katsumi Shozugawa, and Mayumi Hori, published in MDPI Sensors

Keywords: public bus, POKEGA, IoT, ambient dose, half-life

Topic: Radiation Physics