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Gonze MA, Calmon P, Hurtevent P, Coppin F. Meta-analysis of radiocesium contamination data in Japanese cedar and cypress forests over the period 2011-2017. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 750:142311. [PMID: 33182179 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.142311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2020] [Revised: 09/07/2020] [Accepted: 09/07/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Since Fukushima accident, dozens of field studies have been conducted in order to quantify and understand the behaviour of atmospheric radiocesium (137Cs) fallouts in contaminated forests of Fukushima and neighbouring prefectures. In this paper, we carry out a detailed review of data acquired over 2011-2017 in Japanese cedar and cypress plantations, focusing on aerial tree organs, soil layers and tree-to-soil depuration fluxes. To enable comparison and reinforce the consistency between sites, radiological measurements were normalized by the deposit and interpolated onto the same spatio-temporal frame. Despite some (poorly explained) residual variability, we derived a "mean" pattern by log-averaging data among sites. These "mean" results were analysed with the help of a simple mass-balance approach and discussed in the light of post-Fukushima literature. We demonstrated that the activity levels and dynamics in all compartments were consistent and generally well reproduced by the mass balance approach, for values of the interception fraction between 0.7 and 0.85. The analysis indicated that about 5% of the initial deposit remained in the aerial vegetation after 6 years, more than two thirds of intercepted 137Cs being transferred to the soil due to throughfall. The simulations indicated that foliar uptake might have contributed between 40% and 100% to the activity transferred to stem wood. The activity concentration in canopy organs rapidly decreased in the first few months then more slowly, according to an effective half-life of about 1.6 years. The activity level in the organic layer peaked in summer 2011 then decreased according to an effective half-life of 2.2 years. After a rapid increase in 2011, the contamination of mineral horizons continued to increase more slowly, 85% of 137Cs incoming through the organic layer being retained in the 0-5 cm layer according to a mean residence time longer than in the upper layer (7 against 1.5 years).
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Affiliation(s)
- M-A Gonze
- Institute of Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety, CE Cadarache-Bat 153, BP3, 13115 St-Paul-lez-Durance cedex, France.
| | - P Calmon
- Institute of Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety, CE Cadarache-Bat 153, BP3, 13115 St-Paul-lez-Durance cedex, France
| | - P Hurtevent
- Institute of Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety, CE Cadarache-Bat 153, BP3, 13115 St-Paul-lez-Durance cedex, France
| | - F Coppin
- Institute of Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety, CE Cadarache-Bat 153, BP3, 13115 St-Paul-lez-Durance cedex, France
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A review on distribution coefficient (Kd) of some selected radionuclides in soil/sediment over the last three decades. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s10967-019-06930-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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Klein-BenDavid O, Harlavan Y, Levkov I, Teutsch N, Brown KG, Gruber C, Ganor J. Interaction between spent fuel components and carbonate rocks. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2019; 689:469-480. [PMID: 31279194 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.06.396] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2019] [Revised: 06/12/2019] [Accepted: 06/23/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Deep geological repository is considered the internationally accepted method for spent fuel (SF) disposal. In countries where salt, clay, tuff and granite are unavailable at geologically suitable area, other rock types may come into consideration. In Israel, carbonate rocks make up a significant portion of the surface and subsurface lithologies, thus, low permeability carbonates were evaluated as possible host rocks for a repository, and for an interim storage facility. Sorption and retardation capacity of SF components to low permeability carbonate rocks were evaluated using their chemical simulants. Strontium and Cs represent components that may leach during interim storage, while U and Ce (as a simulant for redox-active actinides) represent components that may leach under repository conditions. Rocks from the Upper Cretaceous Mount Scopus Group were sampled from boreholes at the Yamin Plateau, Israel. Single point batch experiments were conducted with synthetic rainwater spiked with tracers and interacted with five rock types of various particle sizes at 25 °C. Results were evaluated using the LeachXS™-ORCHESTRA geochemical speciation and data management program. Cerium removal was found to be related to the HCO3- concentration in solution, where Ce precipitated as Ce2(CO3)3·XH2O and as an amorphous carbonate phase. Removal of Cs and Sr was controlled by clays. No Sr co-precipitation as carbonate species was observed. Uranium was removed mainly by sorption onto solid organic matter, whereas clays had no significant role in U sorption. Iron-(hydr) oxides may have also played a role in U removal. Calculated partition coefficients for U, Cs, and Sr were in the order of 101-102 mL/g. Grain size had no significant effect on the retention capacity of the studied rocks due to similar effective surface area. The current study indicates that a repository or an interim storage facility within carbonate rocks, would provide only partial isolation of radionuclides from the environment, hence, additional engineered barriers may be required.
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Affiliation(s)
- O Klein-BenDavid
- Applied Chemistry Department, Nuclear Research Center - Negev, P.O. Box 9001, Be'er Sheva 8419001, Israel; Geological & Environmental Sciences Department, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Be'er Sheva 653 84105, Israel.
| | - Y Harlavan
- Geological Survey of Israel, 32 Yeshayahu Leibowitz St., Jerusalem 9371234, Israel
| | - I Levkov
- Geological & Environmental Sciences Department, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Be'er Sheva 653 84105, Israel
| | - N Teutsch
- Geological Survey of Israel, 32 Yeshayahu Leibowitz St., Jerusalem 9371234, Israel
| | - K G Brown
- The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
| | - C Gruber
- The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
| | - J Ganor
- Geological & Environmental Sciences Department, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Be'er Sheva 653 84105, Israel
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Koarashi J, Nishimura S, Atarashi-Andoh M, Muto K, Matsunaga T. A new perspective on the 137Cs retention mechanism in surface soils during the early stage after the Fukushima nuclear accident. Sci Rep 2019; 9:7034. [PMID: 31065040 PMCID: PMC6504853 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-43499-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2019] [Accepted: 04/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
The Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant accident caused serious radiocesium (137Cs) contamination of the soil in multiple terrestrial ecosystems. Soil is a complex system where minerals, organic matter, and microorganisms interact with each other; therefore, an improved understanding of the interactions of 137Cs with these soil constituents is key to accurately assessing the environmental consequences of the accident. Soil samples were collected from field, orchard, and forest sites in July 2011, separated into three soil fractions with different mineral–organic interaction characteristics using a density fractionation method, and then analyzed for 137Cs content, mineral composition, and organic matter content. The results show that 20–71% of the 137Cs was retained in association with relatively mineral-free, particulate organic matter (POM)-dominant fractions in the orchard and forest surface soil layers. Given the physicochemical and mineralogical properties and the 137Cs extractability of the soils, 137Cs incorporation into the complex structure of POM is likely the main mechanism for 137Cs retention in the surface soil layers. Therefore, our results suggest that a significant fraction of 137Cs is not immediately immobilized by clay minerals and remains potentially mobile and bioavailable in surface layers of organic-rich soils.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Koarashi
- Nuclear Science and Engineering Center, Japan Atomic Energy Agency, Ibaraki, 319-1195, Japan.
| | - Syusaku Nishimura
- Nuclear Science and Engineering Center, Japan Atomic Energy Agency, Ibaraki, 319-1195, Japan.,Tono Geoscience Center, Japan Atomic Energy Agency, Gifu, 509-5102, Japan
| | - Mariko Atarashi-Andoh
- Nuclear Science and Engineering Center, Japan Atomic Energy Agency, Ibaraki, 319-1195, Japan
| | - Kotomi Muto
- Nuclear Science and Engineering Center, Japan Atomic Energy Agency, Ibaraki, 319-1195, Japan
| | - Takeshi Matsunaga
- Nuclear Science and Engineering Center, Japan Atomic Energy Agency, Ibaraki, 319-1195, Japan
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Uchida S, Tagami K. Comparison of radiocesium concentration changes in leguminous and non-leguminous herbaceous plants observed after the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant accident. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RADIOACTIVITY 2018; 186:3-8. [PMID: 28851550 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2017.08.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2017] [Revised: 08/16/2017] [Accepted: 08/22/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Transfer of radiocesium from soil to crops is an important pathway for human intake. In the period from one to two years after the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP) accident, food monitoring results showed that radiocesium concentrations in soybean (a legume) were higher than those in other annual agricultural crops; in these crops, root uptake is the major pathway of radiocesium from soil to plant. However, it was not clear whether or not leguminous and non-leguminous herbaceous plants have different Cs uptake abilities from the same soil because crop sample collection fields were different. In this study, therefore, we compared the concentrations of 137Cs in seven herbaceous plant species including two leguminous plants (Trifolium pratense L. and Vicia sativa L.) collected in 2012-2016 from the same sampling field in Chiba, Japan that had been affected by the FDNPP accident fallout. Among these species, Petasites japonicus (Siebold & Zucc.) Maxim. showed the highest 137Cs concentration in 2012-2016. The correlation factor between all concentration data for 137Cs and those for 40K in these seven plants was R = 0.54 (p < 0.001) by t-test, thus potassium uptake ability by species would affect radiocesium uptake; however, for each species, no correlation between 137Cs and 40K was found. Interestingly, 40K concentrations in T. pratense, V. sativa and Poaceae family plants did not differ significantly, but 137Cs data in the Poaceae family plants were significantly lower than those in T. pratense (p < 0.001) and V. sativa (p = 0.017). The results indicated that leguminous species would have higher 137Cs uptake ability than Poaceae family plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shigeo Uchida
- National Institute of Radiological Sciences, National Institutes for Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology, Anagawa 4-9-1, Inage-ku, Chiba, 263-8555, Japan
| | - Keiko Tagami
- National Institute of Radiological Sciences, National Institutes for Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology, Anagawa 4-9-1, Inage-ku, Chiba, 263-8555, Japan.
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Smith JT, Tagami K, Uchida S. Time trends in radiocaesium in the Japanese diet following nuclear weapons testing and Chernobyl: Implications for long term contamination post-Fukushima. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2017; 601-602:1466-1475. [PMID: 28605864 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.05.240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2017] [Revised: 05/18/2017] [Accepted: 05/26/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Estimation of time changes in radiocaesium in foodstuffs is key to predicting the long term impact of the Fukushima accident on the Japanese diet. We have modelled >4000 measurements, spanning 50 years, of 137Cs in foodstuffs and whole diet in Japan after nuclear weapons testing (NWT) and the Chernobyl accident. Broadly consistent long term trends in 137Cs activity concentrations are seen between different agricultural foodstuffs; whole diet follows this general trend with remarkably little variation between averages for different regions of Japan. Model blind tests against post-NWT data for the Fukushima Prefecture showed good predictions for radiocaesium in whole diet, spinach and Japanese radish (for which good long term test data were available). For the post-Fukushima period to 2015, radiocaesium in the average diet followed a declining time trend consistent with that seen after NWT and Chernobyl. Data for different regions post-Fukushima show a high degree of mixing of dietary foodstuffs between regions: significant over-estimates of average dietary 137Cs were made when it was assumed that only regionally-produced food was consumed. Predictions of mean committed effective internal doses from dietary 137Cs (2011 to 2061) in non-evacuated parts of the Fukushima Prefecture show that average internal dose is relatively low. This study focused on average regional ingestion dose rates and does not attempt to make site specific predictions. However, temporal trends identified could form a basis for site specific predictions of long term activity concentrations in agricultural products and diet both outside and (to assess potential re-use) inside currently evacuated areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jim T Smith
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Portsmouth, Burnaby Building, Burnaby Road, Portsmouth PO1 3QL, UK.
| | - Keiko Tagami
- National Institutes for Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology, 4-9-1 Anagawa, Inage-ku, Chiba-shi, Chiba 2638555, Japan.
| | - Shigeo Uchida
- National Institutes for Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology, 4-9-1 Anagawa, Inage-ku, Chiba-shi, Chiba 2638555, Japan.
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Tagami K, Uchida S, Ishii N. Effects of indoor and outdoor cultivation conditions on 137 Cs concentrations in cultivated mushrooms produced after the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident. JOURNAL OF THE SCIENCE OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURE 2017; 97:600-605. [PMID: 27100277 DOI: 10.1002/jsfa.7771] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2015] [Revised: 03/16/2016] [Accepted: 04/12/2016] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Radiocesium (134 Cs and 137 Cs) in mushrooms has been a matter of public concern after the accident at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. To minimize the internal dose by ingestion of cultivated mushrooms, the Japanese government set a guideline level with respect to the radiocesium concentration in bed-logs and mushroom beds; however, the effects of indoor and outdoor cultivation methods on radiocesium concentrations in cultivated mushrooms were not clear. RESULTS The effects of indoor and outdoor cultivation on the radiocesium concentrations in mushroom were examined using published food monitoring data. 137 Cs concentration data in Lentinula edodes from the Aizu area in Fukushima Prefecture and seven prefectures outside Fukushima were used for the analysis. No statistically significant 137 Cs concentration differences were found between these two cultivation methods. Using detected 137 Cs data in shiitake, the geometric means from each prefecture were less than one-quarter of the standard limit (100 Bq kg-1 ) for total radiocesium under both cultivation conditions. CONCLUSION It was suspected that re-suspended radiocesium might have been taken up by mushrooms or that radiocesium might have been absorbed into the mushrooms from the soil in the outdoor cultures. However, neither effect was significant for cultivated mushrooms in the areas examined. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keiko Tagami
- National Institute of Radiological Sciences, Anagawa 4-9-1, Inage-ku, Chiba, 263-8555, Japan
| | - Shigeo Uchida
- National Institute of Radiological Sciences, Anagawa 4-9-1, Inage-ku, Chiba, 263-8555, Japan
| | - Nobuyoshi Ishii
- National Institute of Radiological Sciences, Anagawa 4-9-1, Inage-ku, Chiba, 263-8555, Japan
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Kamei-Ishikawa N, Yoshida D, Ito A, Umita T. Cesium and strontium loads into a combined sewer system from rainwater runoff. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2016; 183:1041-1049. [PMID: 27692513 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2016.09.067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2016] [Revised: 09/17/2016] [Accepted: 09/19/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
In this study, combined sewage samples were taken with time in several rain events and sanitary sewage samples were taken with time in dry weather to calculate Cs and Sr loads to sewers from rainwater runoff. Cs and Sr in rainwater were present as particulate forms at first flush and the particulate Cs and Sr were mainly bound with inorganic suspended solids such as clay minerals in combined sewage samples. In addition, multiple linear regression analysis showed Cs and Sr loads from rainwater runoff could be estimated by the total amount of rainfall and antecedent dry weather days. The variation of the Sr load from rainwater to sewers was more sensitive to total amount of rainfall and antecedent dry weather days than that of the Cs load.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nao Kamei-Ishikawa
- Dept. of Science and Engineering, Iwate University, Ueda 4-3-5, Morioka, Iwate, 020-8551, Japan.
| | - Daiki Yoshida
- Dept. of Science and Engineering, Iwate University, Ueda 4-3-5, Morioka, Iwate, 020-8551, Japan
| | - Ayumi Ito
- Department of Frontier Materials and Function Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Iwate University, Ueda 4-3-5, Morioka, Iwate, 020-8551, Japan
| | - Teruyuki Umita
- Dept. of Science and Engineering, Iwate University, Ueda 4-3-5, Morioka, Iwate, 020-8551, Japan
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Martin PG, Payton OD, Yamashiki Y, Richards DA, Scott TB. High-resolution radiation mapping to investigate FDNPP derived contaminant migration. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RADIOACTIVITY 2016; 164:26-35. [PMID: 27395378 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2016.06.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2016] [Revised: 05/26/2016] [Accepted: 06/28/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
As of March 2016, five years will have passed since the earthquake and ensuing tsunami that crippled the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant on Japan's eastern coast, resulting in the explosive release of significant quantities of radioactive material. Over this period, significant time and resource has been expended on both the study of the contamination as well as its remediation from the affected environments. Presented in this work is a high-spatial resolution foot-based radiation mapping study using gamma-spectrometry at a site in the contaminated Iitate Village; conducted at different times, seventeen months apart. The specific site selected for this work was one in which consistent uniform agriculture was observed across its entire extent. From these surveys, obtained from along the main northwest trending line of the fallout plume, it was possible to determine the rate of reduction in the levels of contamination around the site attributable to the natural decay of the radiocesium, remediation efforts or material transport. Results from the work suggest that neither the natural decay of radiocesium nor its downward migration through the soil horizons were responsible for the decline in measured activity levels across the site, with the mobilisation of contaminant species likely adhered to soil particulate and the subsequent fluvial transport responsible for the measurable reduction in activity. This transport of contaminant via fluvial methods has already well studied implications for the input of contaminant material entering the neighbouring Pacific Ocean, as well as the deposition of material along rivers within previously decontaminated areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- P G Martin
- Interface Analysis Centre, HH Wills Physics Laboratory, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TL, UK.
| | - O D Payton
- Interface Analysis Centre, HH Wills Physics Laboratory, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TL, UK
| | - Y Yamashiki
- Graduate School of Advanced Integrated Studies in Human Survivability, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
| | - D A Richards
- School of Geographical Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1SS, UK
| | - T B Scott
- Interface Analysis Centre, HH Wills Physics Laboratory, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TL, UK
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Sugiura Y, Shibata M, Ogata Y, Ozawa H, Kanasashi T, Takenaka C. Evaluation of radiocesium concentrations in new leaves of wild plants two years after the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant accident. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RADIOACTIVITY 2016; 160:8-24. [PMID: 27116401 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2016.04.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2016] [Revised: 04/12/2016] [Accepted: 04/15/2016] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Radiocesium ((137)Cs) transfer to plants immediately after the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant accident was investigated by collecting newly emerged leaf and soil samples between May 2011 and November 2012 from 20 sites in the Fukushima prefecture. Radiocesium concentrations in leaf and soil samples were measured to calculate concentration ratios (CR). Woody plants exhibited high CR values because (137)Cs deposited on stems and/or leaves were transferred to newly emerging tissues. The CR values in 2012 declined as compared to that in 2011. Exchangeable (137)Cs rates in soil (extraction rate) samples were measured at five sites. These rates decreased at four sites in 2012 and depended on environmental conditions and soil type. Both CR values and extraction rates decreased in 2012. However, CR values reflected the changes in extraction rates and characteristics of each species. Amaranthaceae, Chenopodiaceae, and Polygonaceae, which had been identified as Cs accumulators, presented no clear (137)Cs accumulation ability. In 2012, the perennial plant Houttuynia cordata and deciduous trees Chengiopanax sciadophylloides and Acer crataegifolium displayed high CR values, indicating that these species are (137)Cs accumulators and may be considered as potential species for phytoremediation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuki Sugiura
- Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Aichi 464-8601, Japan.
| | - Michihiro Shibata
- Radioisotope Research Center, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Aichi 464-8602, Japan.
| | - Yoshimune Ogata
- Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Aichi 466-8550, Japan.
| | - Hajime Ozawa
- Fukushima Prefectural Forestry Research Centre, Koriyama, Fukushima 963-0112, Japan.
| | - Tsutomu Kanasashi
- Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Aichi 464-8601, Japan.
| | - Chisato Takenaka
- Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Aichi 464-8601, Japan.
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Uematsu S, Vandenhove H, Sweeck L, Van Hees M, Wannijn J, Smolders E. Variability of the soil-to-plant radiocaesium transfer factor for Japanese soils predicted with soil and plant properties. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RADIOACTIVITY 2016; 153:51-60. [PMID: 26717351 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2015.12.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2015] [Revised: 12/08/2015] [Accepted: 12/09/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Food chain contamination with radiocaesium (RCs) in the aftermath of the Fukushima accident calls for an analysis of the specific factors that control the RCs transfer. Here, soil-to-plant transfer factors (TF) of RCs for grass were predicted from the potassium concentration in soil solution (mK) and the Radiocaesium Interception Potential (RIP) of the soil using existing mechanistic models. The mK and RIP were (a) either measured for 37 topsoils collected from the Fukushima accident affected area or (b) predicted from the soil clay content and the soil exchangeable potassium content using the models that had been calibrated for European soils. An average ammonium concentration was used throughout in the prediction. The measured RIP ranged 14-fold and measured mK varied 37-fold among the soils. The measured RIP was lower than the RIP predicted from the soil clay content likely due to the lower content of weathered micas in the clay fraction of Japanese soils. Also the measured mK was lower than that predicted. As a result, the predicted TFs relying on the measured RIP and mK were, on average, about 22-fold larger than the TFs predicted using the European calibrated models. The geometric mean of the measured TFs for grass in the affected area (N = 82) was in the middle of both. The TFs were poorly related to soil classification classes, likely because soil fertility (mK) was obscuring the effects of the soil classification related to the soil mineralogy (RIP). This study suggests that, on average, Japanese soils are more vulnerable than European soils at equal soil clay and exchangeable K content. The affected regions will be targeted for refined model validation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shinichiro Uematsu
- Biosphere Impact Studies, SCK•CEN, Belgian Nuclear Research Centre, Boeretang 200, BE-2400, Mol, Belgium; Division of Soil and Water Management, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Kasteelpark Arenberg 20, BE-3001, Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Hildegarde Vandenhove
- Biosphere Impact Studies, SCK•CEN, Belgian Nuclear Research Centre, Boeretang 200, BE-2400, Mol, Belgium.
| | - Lieve Sweeck
- Biosphere Impact Studies, SCK•CEN, Belgian Nuclear Research Centre, Boeretang 200, BE-2400, Mol, Belgium.
| | - May Van Hees
- Biosphere Impact Studies, SCK•CEN, Belgian Nuclear Research Centre, Boeretang 200, BE-2400, Mol, Belgium.
| | - Jean Wannijn
- Biosphere Impact Studies, SCK•CEN, Belgian Nuclear Research Centre, Boeretang 200, BE-2400, Mol, Belgium.
| | - Erik Smolders
- Division of Soil and Water Management, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Kasteelpark Arenberg 20, BE-3001, Leuven, Belgium.
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Lepage H, Evrard O, Onda Y, Lefèvre I, Laceby JP, Ayrault S. Depth distribution of cesium-137 in paddy fields across the Fukushima pollution plume in 2013. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RADIOACTIVITY 2015; 147:157-164. [PMID: 26026933 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2015.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2015] [Revised: 04/24/2015] [Accepted: 05/06/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Large quantities of radiocesium were deposited across a 3000 km(2) area northwest of the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant after the March 2011 accident. Although many studies have investigated the fate of (137)Cs in soil in the months following the accident, the depth distribution of this radioactive contaminant in rice paddy fields requires further examination after the typhoons that occurred in this region. Such investigations will help minimize potential human exposure in rice paddy fields. Radionuclide activity concentrations, organic content and particle size were analysed in 10 soil cores sampled from paddy fields in November 2013, 20 km north of the Fukushima power plant. Our results demonstrate limited depth migration of (137)Cs with the majority concentrated in the uppermost layers of soils (<5 cm). More than 30 months after the accident, between 46.8 and 98.7% of the total (137)Cs inventories was found within the top 5 cm of the soil surface, despite cumulative rainfall totalling 3300 mm. Furthermore, there were no significant correlations between (137)Cs depth distribution and the other parameters. We attributed the maximum depth penetration of (137)Cs to grass cutting (73.6-98.5% of (137)Cs in the upper 5 cm) and farming operations (tillage - 46.8-51.6% of (137)Cs in the upper 5 cm). As this area is exposed to erosive events, ongoing decontamination works may increase soil erodibility. We therefore recommend the rapid removal of the uppermost - contaminated - layer of the soil after removing the vegetation to avoid erosion of contaminated material during the subsequent rainfall events. Further analysis is required to thoroughly understand the impacts of erosion on the redistribution of radiocesium throughout the Fukushima Prefecture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hugo Lepage
- Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l'Environnement (LSCE/IPSL), Unité Mixte de Recherche 8212 (CEA, CNRS, UVSQ), F-91198 Gif-sur-Yvette Cedex, France.
| | - Olivier Evrard
- Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l'Environnement (LSCE/IPSL), Unité Mixte de Recherche 8212 (CEA, CNRS, UVSQ), F-91198 Gif-sur-Yvette Cedex, France.
| | - Yuichi Onda
- Center for Research in Isotopes and Environmental Dynamics (CRIED), Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8572, Japan.
| | - Irène Lefèvre
- Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l'Environnement (LSCE/IPSL), Unité Mixte de Recherche 8212 (CEA, CNRS, UVSQ), F-91198 Gif-sur-Yvette Cedex, France.
| | - J Patrick Laceby
- Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l'Environnement (LSCE/IPSL), Unité Mixte de Recherche 8212 (CEA, CNRS, UVSQ), F-91198 Gif-sur-Yvette Cedex, France.
| | - Sophie Ayrault
- Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l'Environnement (LSCE/IPSL), Unité Mixte de Recherche 8212 (CEA, CNRS, UVSQ), F-91198 Gif-sur-Yvette Cedex, France.
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Yamamoto K, Tagami K, Uchida S, Ishii N. Model estimation of 137Cs concentration change with time in seawater and sediment around the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant site considering fast and slow reactions in the seawater-sediment systems. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 2015. [DOI: 10.1007/s10967-014-3897-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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14
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Terashima I, Shiyomi M, Fukuda H. (134)Cs and ¹³⁷Cs levels in a grassland, 32 km northwest of the Fukushima 1 Nuclear Power Plant, measured for two seasons after the fallout. JOURNAL OF PLANT RESEARCH 2013; 127:43-50. [PMID: 24338060 DOI: 10.1007/s10265-013-0608-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2013] [Accepted: 09/30/2013] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
We measured the levels of radioactive caesium (RACs; ¹³⁴Cs and ¹³⁷Cs) in plants and soil in a grassland, 32 km northwest of the Fukushima 1 Nuclear Power Plant, from June 2011 to October 2012. In 2011, the highest RACs levels (¹³⁴Cs + ¹³⁷Cs) in plants and in the 0-5 cm soil layer were approximately 80 kBq per kg dry weight (DW). Forage grasses and clovers in this grassland showed similar RACs levels. On a DW basis, the levels of RACs in these plants tended to increase with increasing biomass over both years, but the absolute levels decreased in 2012. The RACs levels in the soil decreased sharply with soil depth; the RACs level in the 5-10 cm soil layer was only 3 % of that in the 0-5 cm layer. The transfer factor (ratio of radioactivity in plant parts on DW basis to that in the 0-10 cm soil layer) was 0.5 and 1.0 for the aboveground and belowground plant parts, respectively, in 2011, and these values decreased by approximately 50 % in 2012. We discuss the possible mechanisms underlying these trends, and strategies to decrease the level of RACs in plants to the permissible level for forage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ichiro Terashima
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan,
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15
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Ishii N, Tagami K, Takata H, Fujita K, Kawaguchi I, Watanabe Y, Uchida S. Deposition in Chiba prefecture, Japan, of Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant fallout. HEALTH PHYSICS 2013; 104:189-194. [PMID: 23274822 DOI: 10.1097/hp.0b013e3182764b1b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Radioactivity from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (F-1NPP) accident in deposition samples has been monitored at the National Institute of Radiological Sciences (NIRS) in Chiba Prefecture, Japan, located about 220 km south-southwest of the F-1NPP. Sampling was carried out from 15 March 2011, two to three times a day for 10 d and then once a day until 22 April 2011. Gamma-ray spectrometry of fallout deposition samples revealed the presence of (131)I, (132)I, (132)Te, (134)Cs, and (137)Cs. The largest deposition was observed during 7:00-16:00 on 21 March. The estimated total deposition densities at NIRS were 1.40 × 10(5) Bq m(-2) for (131)I, 4.12 × 10(4) Bq m(-2) for (132)Te, 1.45 × 10(4) Bq m(-2) for (134)Cs, and 1.48 × 10(4) Bq m(-2) for (137)Cs (corrected to 11 March 2011). The obtained densities of (134)Cs and (137)Cs were also supported by the accumulated amount of (134)Cs and (137)Cs in soil near the deposition sampling site. For the vertical profile of those radionuclides in soil at NIRS, about 94% of the total deposition was distributed in the top 10 mm depth on 26 April 2011.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nobuyoshi Ishii
- Research Center for Radiation Protection, National Institute of Radiological Sciences, Anagawa 4-9-1, Inage, Chiba 263-8555, Japan.
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16
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Pan SM, Xu YH, Wang A, Povinec PP. The 137Cs distribution in sediment profiles from the Yangtze River estuary: a comparison of modeling and experimental results. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 2012. [DOI: 10.1007/s10967-011-1605-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
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17
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Tagami K, Uchida S, Uchihori Y, Ishii N, Kitamura H, Shirakawa Y. Specific activity and activity ratios of radionuclides in soil collected about 20 km from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant: Radionuclide release to the south and southwest. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2011; 409:4885-4888. [PMID: 21906779 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2011.07.067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2011] [Revised: 07/28/2011] [Accepted: 07/29/2011] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Soil samples at different depths (0-2, 5-7 and 10-12cm) were collected from J Village, about 20km south of Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (FNPP) to determine their radionuclide specific activities and activity ratios. The concentrations and activity ratios of (131)I, (134, 136, 137)Cs and (129m)Te were obtained, but only trace amounts of (95)Nb, (110m)Ag and (140)La were detected which were too low to provide accurate concentrations. Radionuclides such as (95)Zr, (103, 106)Ru and (140)Ba that were found in Chernobyl fallout, were not found in these soil samples. This suggests that noble gasses and volatile radionuclides predominated in the releases from FNPP to the terrestrial environment. The average activity ratios of (131)I/(137)Cs, (134)Cs/(137)Cs, (136)Cs/(137)Cs and (129m)Te/(137)Cs were 55, 0.90, 0.22 and 4.0 (corrected to March 11, 2011) in the 0-2cm soil samples of April 20 and 28, 2011.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keiko Tagami
- National Institute of Radiological Sciences, Anagawa 4-9-1, Inage-ku, Chiba 263-8555, Japan.
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Tagami K, Uchida S. Can we remove iodine-131 from tap water in Japan by boiling? - Experimental testing in response to the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident. CHEMOSPHERE 2011; 84:1282-1284. [PMID: 21700315 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2011.05.050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2011] [Revised: 05/24/2011] [Accepted: 05/25/2011] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Iodine-131 concentrations in tap water higher than 100 BqL(-1) were reported by several local governments in Japan following the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident. Some individuals in the emergency-response community recommended the boiling of tap water to remove iodine-131. However, the tap water boiling tests in this study showed no iodine-131 loss from the tap water with either short-term boiling (1-10 min) or prolonged boiling (up to 30 min) resulting in up to 3-fold volume reductions. In this situation, boiling was shown to be not effective in removing iodine-131 from tap water; indeed even higher concentrations may result from the liquid-volume reduction accompanying this process.
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Affiliation(s)
- K Tagami
- Office of Biospheric Assessment for Waste Disposal, National Institute of Radiological Sciences, Anagawa 4-9-1, Inage-ku, Chiba 263-8555, Japan.
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19
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Desorption of cesium from granite under various aqueous conditions. Appl Radiat Isot 2010; 68:2140-6. [DOI: 10.1016/j.apradiso.2010.07.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2009] [Revised: 02/15/2010] [Accepted: 07/12/2010] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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ISHII N, KOISO H, TAKEDA H, UCHIDA S. Partitioning of14C into Solid, Liquid, and Gas Phases in Various Paddy Soils in Japan. J NUCL SCI TECHNOL 2010. [DOI: 10.1080/18811248.2010.9711950] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
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21
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Sorption and retardation of strontium in fine-particle media from a VLLW disposal site. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 2009. [DOI: 10.1007/s10967-008-7394-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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