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Koarashi J, Atarashi-Andoh M, Nishimura S. Effect of soil organic matter on the fate of 137Cs vertical distribution in forest soils. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2023; 262:115177. [PMID: 37354569 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2023.115177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2023] [Revised: 06/01/2023] [Accepted: 06/20/2023] [Indexed: 06/26/2023]
Abstract
Understanding the fate of the vertical distribution of radiocesium (137Cs) in Japanese forest soils is key to assessing the radioecological consequences of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP) accident. The 137Cs behavior in mineral soil is known to be primarily governed by interaction with clay minerals; however, some observations suggest the role of soil organic matter (SOM) in enhancing the mobility of 137Cs. Here we hypothesized that soil organic carbon (SOC) concentration profile determines the ultimate vertical pattern of 137Cs distribution in Japanese forest soils. In testing this hypothesis, we obtained soil samples that were collected before the FDNPP accident at four forest sites with varying SOC concentration profiles and quantified the detailed vertical profile of 137Cs inventory in the soils roughly half a century after global fallout in the early 1960 s. Results showed that the higher the SOC concentration in the soil profile, the deeper the 137Cs downward penetration. On the basis of the data for surface soils (0-10 cm), the 137Cs retention ratio for each of the 2-cm thick layers was evaluated as the ratio of 137Cs inventory in the target soil layer to the total 137Cs inventory in and below the soil layer. A negative correlation was found between the ratio and SOC concentration of the layer across all soils and depths. This indicates that the ultimate fate of 137Cs vertical distribution can be predicted as a function of SOC concentration for Japanese forest soils, and provides further evidence for SOM effects on the mobility and bioavailability of 137Cs in soils.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Koarashi
- Nuclear Science and Engineering Center, Japan Atomic Energy Agency, Ibaraki 319-1195, Japan.
| | - Mariko Atarashi-Andoh
- 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; Nuclear Fuel Cycle Engineering Laboratories, Japan Atomic Energy Agency, Ibaraki 319-1194, Japan
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Saito R, Inose S, Koike Y. FIXED-POINT OBSERVATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF RADIOACTIVE CS IN SOIL COLLECTED AT KAWASAKI, JAPAN. RADIATION PROTECTION DOSIMETRY 2022; 198:1030-1035. [PMID: 36083757 DOI: 10.1093/rpd/ncac043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2021] [Revised: 03/04/2022] [Accepted: 03/07/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Radioactive Cs derived from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident was detected in soils sampled at Kawasaki, Japan. Radioactive Cs adsorbed on soil is hard to be removed. Fixed-point observation of radioactive Cs concentration was performed on two observation sites of Meiji University. The soil samples were also analyzed for the distribution of radioactive Cs concentration and chemical form. 10 years after the accident, the activity concentration of radioactive Cs in soil samples at the Ikuta Campus of Meiji University ranged from 127 to 448 Bq kg-1. The sequential extraction method results indicated that most radioactive Cs in the surface soil exists in a poorly soluble form.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rintaro Saito
- Graduate School of Science and Technology, Meiji University, 1-1-1 Higashimita, Tama-ku, Kawasaki, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Satoshi Inose
- Graduate School of Science and Technology, Meiji University, 1-1-1 Higashimita, Tama-ku, Kawasaki, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Yuya Koike
- School of Science and Technology, Meiji University, 1-1-1 Higashimita, Tama -ku, Kawasaki, Kanagawa, Japan
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Tsukada H, Yamada D, Yamaguchi N. Accumulation of 137Cs in aggregated organomineral assemblage in pasture soils 8 years after the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 806:150688. [PMID: 34600999 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.150688] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2021] [Revised: 09/21/2021] [Accepted: 09/26/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Despite the presence of minerals that allow Cs fixation in soils, 137Cs remains available to crops for several years after its deposition, particularly in pasture soils. Larger amounts of organic matter derived from herbage residues are accumulated in pasture soils than in tilled farmland soils. As the above-ground part of herbage crops initially received airborne 137Cs during the accident at Fukushima Daiich nuclear power plant (FDNPP), the organic matter originated from the contaminated herbage should play an important role in the fate of 137Cs in soils. To evaluate the role of organic matter on 137Cs distribution between potentially mobile and immobile fractions, we compared the distribution of 137Cs and stable 133Cs, which are differently associated with organic matter, by sequential extraction and density fractionation. Soil samples were collected 8 years after the accident from Andosols in pasture fields located about 160 km southwest of FDNPP. More than 90% of 137Cs was not extracted even after oxidative digestion of organic matter, suggesting that most 137Cs was strongly associated with soil minerals. Density fractionation results showed that the 137Cs/133Cs ratio was highest in the density fraction of 1.6-1.8 g cm-3, in which organic matter -including fragmented and decomposed plant detritus -was associated with minerals. Mineral-free organic matter, mostly composed of fresh plant detritus (<1.6 g cm-3), had a higher 137Cs/133Cs ratio than that of crops harvested in the same year of soil sampling. Thus, the transfer of 137Cs from soil to plants decreased with cultivation cycles. Our results demonstrate that plant-available 137Cs in pasture soil decreased with aging time, not only through increased 137Cs fixation in mineral-dominated fractions but also through its physical sequestration in aggregates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hirofumi Tsukada
- Institute of Environmental Radioactivity, Fukushima University, 1 Kanayagawa, Fukushima, Fukushima 960-1296, Japan.
| | - Daigo Yamada
- Institute of Livestock and Grassland Science, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization, 768 Senbonmatsu, Nasushiobara, Tochigi 329-2793, Japan.
| | - Noriko Yamaguchi
- Institute for Agro-environmental Sciences, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization, 3-1-3, Kan-non-dai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8604, Japan.
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4
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137Cs concentration in soil of the Municipality of Guadalupe, Zacatecas, Mexico, before and after the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant accident. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s10967-021-07595-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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5
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Ito E, Miura S, Aoyama M, Shichi K. Global 137Cs fallout inventories of forest soil across Japan and their consequences half a century later. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RADIOACTIVITY 2020; 225:106421. [PMID: 33032006 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2020.106421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2020] [Revised: 09/07/2020] [Accepted: 09/07/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Japanese forests were exposed to multiple sources of radioactive contamination. To acquire scientific guidance on forest management planning, it is crucial to understand the long-term radiocesium (137Cs) distribution (and redistribution) over time. To obtain robust evidence of the residual global fallout of 137Cs (137Cs-GFO) after a few decades, we determined 137Cs-GFO inventory in forest soil at 1171 soil pits of 316 plots evenly spaced across Japan from 2006 to 2011, shortly before the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant accident. The activity concentration measurements were performed using a NaI well-type scintillation counter. The average (±SD) 137Cs-GFO in forest soil (0-30 cm from the surface) of the National Forest Soil Carbon Inventory (NFSCI) sampling plots uniformly extracted from the entire country was estimated to be 2.27 ± 1.73 kBq m-2 (n = 316) as of Oct. 1, 2008. A high nationwide spatial variation was found in 137Cs-GFO, where relatively high 137Cs-GFO was found along the Sea of Japan compared with the total annual precipitation. We also obtained a reconstructed decay-corrected cumulative 137Cs-GFO dataset from the fallout observatories as the initial 137Cs-GFO. The cumulative 137Cs-GFO of fallout observatories averaged 2.47 ± 0.95 kBq m-2 (n = 39) as of Oct. 1, 2008 and displayed spatial variation similar to that in forest soil. To identify whether 137Cs-GFO remains in forest soil across Japan, we examined a general linear mixed-effect model comparing 137Cs-GFO between forest soil and the observatory under normalized annual precipitation and region. The model did not indicate a significant difference, but relatively lesser 137Cs-GFO was found in forest soil, where the least-squares mean of 137Cs-GFO in forest soils was 79.1% of that of the observatory. The variation in 137Cs-GFO in forest soils within NFSCI sampling plots was 1.4 times greater than that among plots. The high spatial variation in 137Cs-GFO within a 0.1-ha plot strongly suggested the redistribution of 137Cs-GFO within the forest catchment. The vertical distribution pattern of 137Cs-GFO across three depth layers indicated that the 137Cs-GFO redistributions were likely attributed to the movements of sediments and mass. Moreover, when extracting soil pits assumed to have the least soil disturbance from the vertical distribution pattern, no significant difference in 137Cs-GFO was observed between forest soil and observatory data. These findings provide important insights into the stability of 137Cs-GFO in the forest ecosystem. Considering the potential hotspot where 137Cs-GFO can accumulate deeper in the soil (>30 cm in depth), most 137Cs-GFO has remained in the forest for decades. Our study offers microscale heterogeneous 137Cs-GFO distribution in forests for ensuring long-term forest management planning necessary for both the long-term migration and local accumulation of 137Cs in forests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eriko Ito
- Hokkaido Research Center, Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute, Hitsujigaoka 7, Toyohira-ku, Sapporo, 062-8516, Japan.
| | - Satoru Miura
- Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute, Matsunosato 1, Tsukuba 305-8687, Japan.
| | - Michio Aoyama
- Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, Center for Research in Isotopes and Environmental Dynamics, Univ. of Tsukuba, Tennodai 1-1-1, Tsukuba, 305-8577, Japan.
| | - Koji Shichi
- Shikoku Research Center, Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute, 2-915 Asakuranishi, Kochi, 780-8077, Japan.
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Sakashita W, Miura S, Akama A, Ohashi S, Ikeda S, Saitoh T, Komatsu M, Shinomiya Y, Kaneko S. Assessment of vertical radiocesium transfer in soil via roots. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RADIOACTIVITY 2020; 222:106369. [PMID: 32801027 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2020.106369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2019] [Revised: 07/22/2020] [Accepted: 07/22/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Several years after the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident, the surface mineral soil layer is believed to be the main reservoir of radiocesium (137Cs) in forest ecosystems in Japan. Dissolved 137Cs combines with clay minerals in the soil, and hence, it is not expected to easily infiltrate over time. However, previous studies have indicated that 137Cs derived from the older global fallout migrated deeper than that of the Chernobyl accident, and this cannot be explained by only the dissolved 137Cs vertical migration in the soil. Considering the carbon and nutrient dynamics in the forest floor, the 137Cs transfer process in soil via roots may alter its vertical distribution on a decadal scale. Therefore, in this study, we investigated the 137Cs activity concentrations in both roots and soil matrix, by considering four (0-20 cm) or six (0-30 cm) mineral soil layers taken at every 5 cm at seven study sites dominated by one of the six plant species (three coniferous forests, one deciduous forest, two deciduous forests covered by Sasa, and one bamboo forest) in eastern Japan in 2013. Comparing the results of 137Cs activity concentrations between roots and soil matrix taken at the same soil layer, roots at the surface (0-5 cm) layer often showed lower values than the soil matrix. However, roots deeper than 5 cm had higher activity concentrations than the soil matrix, conversely. The 137Cs inventories ratio of roots to soil matrix are about 1% at the 0-5 and 5-10 cm soil layer, and about 2% at the soil layers deeper than 10 cm. These results suggest that decomposition of root litter little affect the short-term vertical migration of 137Cs in the forest soil. However, it indicates that continuous production and mortality of roots with relatively high 137Cs activity concentrations have an important role for changing the vertical distribution of 137Cs on time scale of decades, particularly at deeper soil layers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wataru Sakashita
- Center for Forest Restoration and Radioecology, Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute (FFPRI), 1 Matsunosato, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8687, Japan; Department of Forest Soils, FFPRI, 1 Matsunosato, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8687, Japan.
| | - Satoru Miura
- Center for Forest Restoration and Radioecology, Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute (FFPRI), 1 Matsunosato, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8687, Japan
| | - Akio Akama
- Center for Forest Restoration and Radioecology, Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute (FFPRI), 1 Matsunosato, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8687, Japan
| | - Shinta Ohashi
- Center for Forest Restoration and Radioecology, Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute (FFPRI), 1 Matsunosato, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8687, Japan; Department of Wood Properties and Processing, FFPRI, 1 Matsunosato, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8687, Japan
| | - Shigeto Ikeda
- Center for Forest Restoration and Radioecology, Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute (FFPRI), 1 Matsunosato, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8687, Japan; Department of Forest Soils, FFPRI, 1 Matsunosato, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8687, Japan
| | - Tomoyuki Saitoh
- Tohoku Research Center, FFPRI, 92-25 Nabeyashiki, Shimokuriyagawa, Morioka, Iwate, 020-0123, Japan
| | - Masabumi Komatsu
- Center for Forest Restoration and Radioecology, Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute (FFPRI), 1 Matsunosato, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8687, Japan; Department of Mushroom Science and Forest Microbiology, FFPRI, 1 Matsunosato, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8687, Japan
| | - Yoshiki Shinomiya
- Center for Forest Restoration and Radioecology, Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute (FFPRI), 1 Matsunosato, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8687, Japan; Department of Forest Soils, FFPRI, 1 Matsunosato, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8687, Japan
| | - Shinji Kaneko
- Kansai Research Center, FFPRI, 68 Nagaikyutaroh, Momoyama, Fushimi, Kyoto, 612-0855, Japan
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Koarashi J, Atarashi-Andoh M, Nishimura S, Muto K. Effectiveness of decontamination by litter removal in Japanese forest ecosystems affected by the Fukushima nuclear accident. Sci Rep 2020; 10:6614. [PMID: 32313049 PMCID: PMC7171154 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-63520-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2020] [Accepted: 03/31/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant accident caused serious radiocesium (137Cs) contamination of forest ecosystems over a wide area. The removal of the forest floor litter layer has been considered a potential method for forest decontamination; however, its effectiveness remains largely unknown. We conducted a pilot-scale decontamination study in a deciduous broadleaved forest in Fukushima. The entire forest was decontaminated by removing the litter layer in July 2014, approximately 3.3 years after the accident, with the exception of two untreated plots. For three years after decontamination, we quantified 137Cs contamination levels in the litter and topsoil layers and in the tree leaves, in the untreated and decontaminated areas. The decreased inventories of litter materials and the litter-associated 137Cs in the decontaminated areas were observed only in the first year after decontamination. Generally, no decontamination effects were observed on the 137Cs transfer in tree leaves. The primary reason for this was the rapid shift in the main reservoir of 137Cs from litter layers to the underlying mineral soil, which differs from the observations in post-Chernobyl studies of European forest ecosystems. The results suggest that litter-removal decontamination can only be successful if it is implemented more quickly (within 1-2 years after the accident) for Japanese forest ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Koarashi
- Nuclear Science and Engineering Center, Japan Atomic Energy Agency, Ibaraki, 319-1195, Japan.
| | - Mariko Atarashi-Andoh
- 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
| | - Kotomi Muto
- Nuclear Science and Engineering Center, Japan Atomic Energy Agency, Ibaraki, 319-1195, Japan
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8
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Stabilization/Solidification of Strontium Using Magnesium Silicate Hydrate Cement. Processes (Basel) 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/pr8020163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Magnesium silicate hydrate (M–S–H) cement, formed by reacting MgO, SiO2, and H2O, was used to encapsulate strontium (Sr) radionuclide. Samples were prepared using light-burned magnesium oxide and silica fume, with sodium hexametaphosphate added to the mix water as a dispersant. The performance of the materials formed was evaluated by leach testing and the microstructure of the samples was also characterized. The stabilizing/solidifying effect on Sr radionuclide in the MgO–SiO2–H2O system with low alkalinity is demonstrated in the study. The leaching rate in a standard 42-day test was 2.53 × 10−4 cm/d, and the cumulative 42-day leaching fraction was 0.06 cm. This meets the relevant national standard performance for leaching requirements. Sr2+ was effectively incorporated into the M–S–H hydration products and new phase formation resulted in low Sr leaching being observed.
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Kurikami H, Sakuma K, Malins A, Sasaki Y, Niizato T. Numerical study of transport pathways of 137Cs from forests to freshwater fish living in mountain streams in Fukushima, Japan. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RADIOACTIVITY 2019; 208-209:106005. [PMID: 31279227 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2019.106005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2018] [Revised: 06/21/2019] [Accepted: 06/28/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
The accident at the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant in 2011 released a large quantity of radiocesium into the surrounding environment. Radiocesium concentrations in some freshwater fish caught in rivers in Fukushima Prefecture in October 2018 were still higher than the Japanese limit of 100 Bq kg-1 for general foodstuffs. To assess the uptake of 137Cs by freshwater fish living in mountain streams in Fukushima Prefecture, we developed a compartment model for the migration of 137Cs on the catchment scale from forests to river water. We modelled a generic forest catchment with Fukushima-like parameters to ascertain the importance of three export pathways of 137Cs from forests to river water for the uptake of 137Cs by freshwater fish. The pathways were direct litter fall into rivers, lateral inflow from the forest litter layer, and lateral transfer from the underlying forest soil. Simulation cases modelling only a single export pathway did not reproduce the actual trend of 137Cs concentrations in river water and freshwater fish in Fukushima Prefecture. Simulations allowing a combined effect of the three pathways reproduced the trends well. In the latter simulations, the decreasing trend of 137Cs in river water and freshwater fish was due to a combination of the decreasing trend in the forest leaves/needles and litter compartments, and the increasing trend in soil. The modelled 137Cs concentrations within the forest compartments were predicted to reach an equilibrium state at around ten years after the fallout due to the equilibration of 137Cs cycling in forests. The model suggests that long term 137Cs concentrations in freshwater fish in mountain streams will be controlled by the transfer of 137Cs to river water from forest organic soils.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroshi Kurikami
- Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA), Sector of Fukushima Research and Development, 10-2 Fukasaku, Miharu-machi, Tamura-gun, Fukushima, 963-7700, Japan.
| | - Kazuyuki Sakuma
- Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA), Sector of Fukushima Research and Development, 10-2 Fukasaku, Miharu-machi, Tamura-gun, Fukushima, 963-7700, Japan.
| | - Alex Malins
- Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA), Center for Computational Science & e-Systems, University of Tokyo Kashiwanoha Campus Satellite, 178-4-4 Wakashiba, Kashiwa, Chiba, 277-0871, Japan.
| | - Yoshito Sasaki
- Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA), Sector of Fukushima Research and Development, 10-2 Fukasaku, Miharu-machi, Tamura-gun, Fukushima, 963-7700, Japan.
| | - Tadafumi Niizato
- Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA), Sector of Fukushima Research and Development, 10-2 Fukasaku, Miharu-machi, Tamura-gun, Fukushima, 963-7700, Japan.
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10
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Muto K, Atarashi-Andoh M, Matsunaga T, Koarashi J. Characterizing vertical migration of 137Cs in organic layer and mineral soil in Japanese forests: Four-year observation and model analysis. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RADIOACTIVITY 2019; 208-209:106040. [PMID: 31518883 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2019.106040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2019] [Revised: 06/20/2019] [Accepted: 08/27/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Because of the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant accident, forest ecosystems in wide areas were contaminated with 137Cs. It is important to characterize the behavior of 137Cs after its deposition onto forest surface environments for evaluating and preventing long-term radiation risks. In the present study, 137Cs vertical distributions in the soil profile were observed repeatedly at five forest sites with different vegetation types for 4.4 years after the accident in 2011, and 137Cs migration in the organic layer and mineral soil was analyzed based on a comparison of models and observations. Cesium-137 migration from the organic layer to the underlying mineral soil was represented by a two-component exponential model. Cesium-137 migration from the organic layer was faster than that observed in European forests, suggesting that the mobility and bioavailability of 137Cs could be suppressed rapidly in Japanese forests. At all sites, 137Cs transfer in mineral soil could be reproduced by a simple diffusion equation model with continuous 137Cs supply from the organic layer. The diffusion coefficients of 137Cs in the mineral soil were estimated to be 0.042-0.55 cm2 y-1, which were roughly comparable with those of European forest soils affected by the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant accident. Model predictions using the determined model parameters indicated that 10 years after the accident, more than 70% of the deposited 137Cs will migrate to the mineral soil but only less than 10% of the total 137Cs inventory will penetrate deeper than 10 cm in the mineral soil across all sites. The results of the present study suggest that the 137Cs deposited onto Japanese forest ecosystems will be retained in the surface layers of mineral soil for a long time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kotomi Muto
- Nuclear Science and Engineering Center, Japan Atomic Energy Agency, Ibaraki, 319-1195, Japan
| | - Mariko Atarashi-Andoh
- 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
| | - Jun Koarashi
- Nuclear Science and Engineering Center, Japan Atomic Energy Agency, Ibaraki, 319-1195, Japan.
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11
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Külahcı F, Bilici A. Advances on identification and animated simulations of radioactivity risk levels after Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant accident (with a data bank): A Critical Review. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s10967-019-06559-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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12
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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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13
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Paterne M, Evrard O, Hatté C, Laceby PJ, Nouet J, Onda Y. Radiocarbon and radiocesium in litter fall at Kawamata, ~ 45 km NW from the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant (Japan). J Radioanal Nucl Chem 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s10967-018-6360-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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14
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Koarashi J, Nishimura S, Atarashi-Andoh M, Matsunaga T, Sato T, Nagao S. Radiocesium distribution in aggregate-size fractions of cropland and forest soils affected by the Fukushima nuclear accident. CHEMOSPHERE 2018; 205:147-155. [PMID: 29689528 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2018.04.092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2017] [Revised: 03/30/2018] [Accepted: 04/16/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
The Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant accident caused serious radiocesium (137Cs) contamination in soils in a range of terrestrial ecosystems. It is well documented that the interaction of 137Cs with soil constituents, particularly clay minerals, in surface soil layers exerts strong control on the behavior of this radionuclide in the environment; however, there is little understanding of how soil aggregation-the binding of soil particles together into aggregates-can affect the mobility and bioavailability of 137Cs in soils. To explore this, soil samples were collected at seven sites under different land-use conditions in Fukushima and were separated into four aggregate-size fractions: clay-sized (<2 μm); silt-sized (2-20 μm); sand-sized (20-212 μm); and macroaggregates (212-2000 μm). The fractions were then analyzed for 137Cs content and extractability and mineral composition. In forest soils, aggregate formation was significant, and 69%-83% of 137Cs was associated with macroaggregates and sand-sized aggregates. In contrast, there was less aggregation in agricultural field soils, and approximately 80% of 137Cs was in the clay- and silt-sized fractions. Across all sites, the 137Cs extractability was higher in the sand-sized aggregate fractions than in the clay-sized fractions. Mineralogical analysis showed that, in most soils, clay minerals (vermiculite and kaolinite) were present even in the larger-sized aggregate fractions. These results demonstrate that larger-sized aggregates are a significant reservoir of potentially mobile and bioavailable 137Cs in organic-rich (forest and orchard) soils. Our study suggests that soil aggregation reduces the mobility of particle-associated 137Cs through erosion and resuspension and also enhances the bioavailability of 137Cs in 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
| | - Mariko Atarashi-Andoh
- 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
| | - Tsutomu Sato
- Faculty of Engineering, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-8628, Japan
| | - Seiya Nagao
- Low Level Radioactivity Laboratory, Institute of Nature and Environmental Technology, Kanazawa University, Ishikawa 923-1224, Japan
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Sources of 137Cs fluvial export from a forest catchment evaluated by stable carbon and nitrogen isotopic characterization of organic matter. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s10967-017-5350-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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