Cleaning Materials and Methods for Effective Removal of Indoor Radioactive Contamination

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 To support the safe return of residents after the TEPCO Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident, cleaning methods and materials for the removal of radiocesium (¹³⁷Cs) from household surfaces were compared. A spot contaminated with ¹³⁷Cs on a vinyl floor sheet or a glass plate was wiped in different moisture conditions with different cleaning materials, including a paper sheet, cellulose sponge, polyester sheet, and a polyesterpolyamide sheet. Radioactive solid particles on a vinyl sheet were wiped with miniature mops made of cellulose sponge, polyester microfiber, or cotton yarn. There was little difference in the removal of radioactivity among cleaning materials when the contaminated spot was wiped in wet conditions. The removal of contaminated particles depended on the structure of the mop. The use of an abrasive and a detergent worked well for the vinyl sheet and the glass plate, respectively. These observations suggested that, in appropriate conditions, effective decontamination was achievable by regular indoor cleaning with commercially available cleaning devices.