NARO has been engaged in research aimed at agricultural reconstruction in the areas affected by the accident of TEPCO Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station after the attack of Great East Earthquake.And in fiscal year 2012 we established the Agricultural Radiation Research Center in the Fukushima research station of the NARO Tohoku Agricultural Research Center (NARO/TARC), as part of our ongoing establishment of a research system within the affected areas.
On May 15th, 2013, we held the opening ceremony for the Radioactive Substance Analysis Facility in the Agricultural Radiation Research Center.After the ceremony, we invited the guests, attendees and the press to inspect the equipment of the Radioactive Substance Analysis Facility.
This is the outside of the Radioactive Substance Analysis Facility. It is built on reinforced-concrete structure, with two floors and a basement (755.80m2building area and 1400.09m2 total area).
Opening ceremony
Dr. Takeshi Horie, President of NARO, gave a speech.Dr. Horie introduced NARO's research projects aimed at addressing establishment of measures against radiation problems in the agriculture, and expressed NARO's commitment to promote collaboration with the Agricultural Radiation Research Center and the Radioactive Substance Analysis Facility, and to ramp up the research necessary for the agricultural reconstruction of the affected areas.
Tadayoshi Nagashima, the Japanese Parliamentary Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) gave a guest speech. Mr. Nagashima expressed his expectation that the Agricultural Radiation Research Center will play a key role in radiation research in the agriculture, forestry and fisheries area, and promotion of agricultural reconstruction in the affected area with the enhanced support of the Radioactive Substance Analysis Facility.
Keiichiroh Kai, the Fukushima Prefecture Technical Supervisor of the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, also gave a guest speech.Mr. Kai expressed the importance of advancing the research on reconstruction, and noted that the people of Fukushima have high expectations for the Radioactive Substance Analysis Facility, and that the prefecture will dispatch three personnel to the facility.
Inspection of the equipment in the Radioactive Substance Analysis Facility
Equipped with greenhouse facilities to grow crops for model testing under a controlled environment.
The metrology laboratory is a clean room for radiation measurements regarding various target subjects, in a clean environment. The facility is equipped with four germanium semiconductor detectors, essential for the accurate measurement of radiation dose.
In addition to the germanium semiconductor detectors, the facility is equipped with various instruments for studying soil quality and plant components.The photo above shows a researcher introducing the X-ray diffractometer, used for the study of soil characteristicn of fixation of radioactive cesium.The event received extensive press coverage.
