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Decadal trends in 137Cs concentrations in the bark and wood of trees contaminated by the Fukushima nuclear accident. Sci Rep 2022; 12:11243. [PMID: 35788621 PMCID: PMC9253084 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-14576-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2022] [Accepted: 06/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding the actual situation of radiocesium (137Cs) contamination of trees caused by the Fukushima nuclear accident is essential for predicting the future contamination of wood. Particularly important is determining whether the 137Cs dynamics within forests and trees have reached apparent steady state. We conducted a monitoring survey of four major tree species (Japanese cedar, Japanese cypress, konara oak, and Japanese red pine) at multiple sites. Using a dynamic linear model, we analyzed the temporal trends in 137Cs activity concentrations in the bark (whole), outer bark, inner bark, wood (whole), sapwood, and heartwood during the 2011–2020 period. The activity concentrations were decay-corrected to September 1, 2020, to exclude the decrease due to the radioactive decay. The 137Cs concentrations in the whole and outer bark samples showed an exponential decrease in most plots but a flat trend in one plot, where 137Cs root uptake is considered to be high. The 137Cs concentration ratio (CR) of inner bark/sapwood showed a flat trend but the CR of heartwood/sapwood increased in many plots, indicating that the 137Cs dynamics reached apparent steady state within one year in the biologically active parts (inner bark and sapwood) and after several to more than 10 years in the inactive part (heartwood). The 137Cs concentration in the whole wood showed an increasing trend in six plots. In four of these plots, the increasing trend shifted to a flat or decreasing trend. Overall, the results show that the 137Cs dynamics within forests and trees have reached apparent steady state in many plots, although the amount of 137Cs root uptake in some plots is possibly still increasing 10 years after the accident. Clarifying the mechanisms and key factors determining the amount of 137Cs root uptake will be crucial for predicting wood contamination.
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Thiry Y, Tanaka T, Dvornik AA, Dvornik AM. TRIPS 2.0: Toward more comprehensive modeling of radiocaesium cycling in forest. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RADIOACTIVITY 2020; 214-215:106171. [PMID: 32063289 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2020.106171] [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: 12/05/2019] [Revised: 01/14/2020] [Accepted: 01/14/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Because internal transfers can play a key role in radiocaesium persistence in trees, a reliable representation of radiocaesium recycling between tree organs in forest models is important for long-term simulations after radioactive fallout in Chernobyl and Fukushima. We developed an upgraded 2.0 version of the initial TRIPS ("Transfer of Radionuclides In Perennial vegetation System") model involving explicit differentiation between tree organs (i.e., foliage, branches, stemwood and bark). The quality of TRIPS 2.0 was evaluated by testing model outputs against independent datasets for pine stands in Belarus and Ukraine. Scenarios involving "hot particle" deposits in forest remained challenging, but in all other scenarios generally positive verification results for soil and tree compartments indicated that the TRIPS 2.0 model adequately combines the major relevant processes. Interestingly, the response of stemwood contamination to changes in radiocaesium availability in soil, as determined by soil conditions, was shown to be more sensitive than for other tree compartments. We recommend the conceptual tree discretization of TRIPS 2.0 for generic forest modeling for two reasons: 1) regardless of different soil conditions, there was concurrent good agreement between simulations and data for individual tree compartments (foliage, branches, stemwood and bark), and 2) the measurements necessary to estimate internal tree transfers are easily accessible to usual field monitoring in forest biogeochemistry (for details, see Goor, F. & Thiry, Y., 2004. Science of the total environment, 325(1-3), 163-180).
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Affiliation(s)
- Y Thiry
- French National Radioactive Waste Management Agency (Andra) - Research and Development Division, 92298, Chatenay-Malabry, France.
| | - T Tanaka
- EDF R&D, LNHE, 6 Quai Watier, 78400, Chatou, France.
| | - A A Dvornik
- Institute of Radiobiology of National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, 4, Fedjuninskogo Str., 246007, Gomel, Belarus.
| | - A M Dvornik
- Gomel State University, Sovetskaya St.104, 246019, Gomel, Belarus.
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Yoshihara T, Yoschenko V, Watanabe K, Keitoku K. A through year behavior of 137Cs in a Japanese flowering cherry tree in relation to that of potassium. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RADIOACTIVITY 2019; 202:32-40. [PMID: 30776701 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2019.01.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2018] [Revised: 01/09/2019] [Accepted: 01/24/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
To understand the transfer of radiocesium (137Cs) in inside of deciduous trees, changes in 137Cs activity concentrations, primarily derived from the Fukushima accident in March 2011, were observed in the upper parts of a Japanese flowering cherry tree (Prunus x yedoensis cv. Somei-Yoshino) between 2015 and 2018. The sampling of the foliar parts occurred over the entire leaf life span from winter bud to litterfall and those of the branches were distinguished based on emergence years (2017, 2016, 2015, 2014-2011, and 2010/before). First, every tissue demonstrated a clear seasonal variation in 137Cs activity concentration. Second, a synchrony of seasonal variations in 137Cs activity concentration with those in the biological analogue of K concentration was observed in foliar parts during their growth season, but not in branches nor during the other seasons. With respect to the timing of changes in each tissue with tree phenology, it is possible that K and 137Cs alternate between leaves and branches via the same translocation mechanisms. The resorption efficiencies (i.e., 1 - [the concentrations in the last litterfall]/[the maximum concentrations in green leaves]) of K and 137Cs were 76% and 46% in average, respectively. In addition, both leaf buds and branches played an important role as reservoirs during dormancy. The buds storage ratio before and after bud burst (i.e., [the inventories in buds at the end of defoliation]/[those before and after bud burst]) for K were 0.57 and 0.10 in median, respectively, and those for and 137Cs were 1.14 and 0.14 in median, respectively. Consequently, the transfer of 137Cs in inside of trees was still visible seven years after deposition, even though the annual reduction in 137Cs activity concentration was apparent in each tissue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Toshihiro Yoshihara
- Environmental Science Research Laboratory, Central Research Institute of Electric Power Industry (CRIEPI), 1646 Abiko, Chiba, 270-1194, Japan.
| | - Vasyl Yoschenko
- Institute of Environmental Radioactivity of Fukushima University (IER), 1 Kanayagawa, Fukushima, Fukushima, 960-1296, Japan
| | - Kenji Watanabe
- Institute of Environmental Radioactivity of Fukushima University (IER), 1 Kanayagawa, Fukushima, Fukushima, 960-1296, Japan
| | - Koji Keitoku
- Institute of Environmental Radioactivity of Fukushima University (IER), 1 Kanayagawa, Fukushima, Fukushima, 960-1296, Japan; Minamisoma City Hall, Odaka Ward Community Promotion Division, 2-28 Moto-machi Odaka, Minami Soma, Fukushima, 979-2195, Japan
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Ješkovský M, Lištjak M, Sýkora I, Slávik O, Povinec PP. Anthropogenic 137Cs on atmospheric aerosols in Bratislava and around nuclear power plants in Slovakia. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RADIOACTIVITY 2018; 184-185:77-82. [PMID: 29407640 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2018.01.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2017] [Revised: 01/08/2018] [Accepted: 01/08/2018] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Nuclear power plants (NPPs) have been one of the sources of anthropogenic radionuclides in the environment. This work combines the results from monitoring stations around NPPs in Slovakia (Mochovce and Jaslovské Bohunice) and academic measurements at the Comenius University campus in Bratislava. Most of the atmospheric 137Cs in this region come from the resuspension of the Chernobyl-derived 137Cs, as well as caesium produced during nuclear weapons testing. By comparison of the obtained results at NPPs with Bratislava data, radiation impacts of the NPPs on the local environments have been estimated to be negligible.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Ješkovský
- Department of Nuclear Physics and Biophysics, Faculty of Mathematics, Physics and Informatics, Comenius University, 842 48 Bratislava, Slovakia.
| | - M Lištjak
- VUJE, Inc, 918 64 Trnava, Slovakia; Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology, Slovak University of Technology, 812 19 Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - I Sýkora
- Department of Nuclear Physics and Biophysics, Faculty of Mathematics, Physics and Informatics, Comenius University, 842 48 Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - O Slávik
- VUJE, Inc, 918 64 Trnava, Slovakia
| | - P P Povinec
- Department of Nuclear Physics and Biophysics, Faculty of Mathematics, Physics and Informatics, Comenius University, 842 48 Bratislava, Slovakia
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Škrkal J, Pilátová H, Rulík P, Suchara I, Sucharová J, Holá M. Behaviour of 137Cs in forest humus detected across the territory of the Czech Republic. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2017; 593-594:155-164. [PMID: 28343036 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.03.100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2017] [Revised: 03/08/2017] [Accepted: 03/10/2017] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
The activity concentration of 137Cs in samples of coniferous forest humus collected across the territory of the Czech Republic in 1995 and 2005 was analysed, and it was found significantly correlated with the surface deposition caused by the Chernobyl accident. The effective (12.8 y) and environmental (22.3 y) half-lives of radiocaesium in humus were calculated and compared with those in spruce bark. The impact of important forest stand factors, that is, precipitation, content of organic matter, age of trees and pH, on the behaviour of 137Cs in humus was studied. It was observed that humus samples with a higher proportion of organic matter, higher pH(H2O) and pH(CaCl2) contained higher amounts of 137Cs. Conversely, with the age of trees, the activity concentration of 137Cs in humus is decreasing. Higher precipitation and humus acidity decrease the reduction rate of the 137Cs in humus. These stand factors increase bioavailability of 137Cs in humus. The transfer and retention of available 137Cs in biomass of organisms living in humus for a long time can satisfactorily explain the longer residence time of 137Cs in humus affected by the studied factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Škrkal
- SÚRO (National Radiation Protection Institute), Bartoškova 28, CZ-140 00 Praha 4, Czech Republic.
| | - Helena Pilátová
- SÚRO (National Radiation Protection Institute), Bartoškova 28, CZ-140 00 Praha 4, Czech Republic.
| | - Petr Rulík
- SÚRO (National Radiation Protection Institute), Bartoškova 28, CZ-140 00 Praha 4, Czech Republic.
| | - Ivan Suchara
- VÚKOZ (Silva Tarouca Research Institute for Landscape and Ornamental Gardening), Květnové náměstí 391, CZ-252 43 Průhonice, Czech Republic.
| | - Julie Sucharová
- VÚKOZ (Silva Tarouca Research Institute for Landscape and Ornamental Gardening), Květnové náměstí 391, CZ-252 43 Průhonice, Czech Republic.
| | - Marie Holá
- VÚKOZ (Silva Tarouca Research Institute for Landscape and Ornamental Gardening), Květnové náměstí 391, CZ-252 43 Průhonice, Czech Republic.
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Suchara I, Sucharová J, Holá M. A quarter century of biomonitoring atmospheric pollution in the Czech Republic. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2017; 24:11949-11963. [PMID: 26387693 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-015-5368-8] [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: 06/30/2015] [Accepted: 09/03/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
The Czech Republic (CZ) had extremely high emissions and atmospheric deposition of pollutants in the second half of the 1980s. Since the beginning of the 1990s, moss, spruce bark and forest floor humus have been used as bioindicators of air quality. In the first half of the 1990s, seven larger areas were found to be affected by high atmospheric deposition loads. Six of these "hot spots" were caused by industrial pollution sources, mainly situated in coal basins in the NW and NE part of the country, and one large area in the SE was affected by increased deposition loads of eroded soil particles. After restructuring of industry in CZ, these hot spots were substantially reduced or even disappeared between 1995 and 2000. Since 2000, only two larger areas with slightly increased levels of industrial pollutant deposition and a larger area affected by soil dust have repeatedly been identified by biomonitoring. The distribution of lead isotope ratios in moss showed the main deposition zones around important emission sources. Very high SO2 emissions led to extreme acidity of spruce bark extracts (pH of about 2.3) at the end of the 1980s. The rate of increasing bark pH was strikingly similar to the rate of recovery of acid wet deposition measured at forest stations in CZ. By about 2005, when the median pH value in bark increased to about 3.2, the re-colonisation of trees by several epiphyte lichen species was observed throughout CZ. An increase in the accumulation of Chernobyl-derived 137Cs in bark was detected at about ten sites affected by precipitation during the time when radioactive plumes crossed CZ (1986). Accumulated deposition loads in forest floor humus corresponded to the position of the moss and bark hot spots.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivan Suchara
- Silva Tarouca Research Institute for Landscape and Ornamental Gardening, Pruhonice, Czech Republic.
| | - Julie Sucharová
- Silva Tarouca Research Institute for Landscape and Ornamental Gardening, Pruhonice, Czech Republic
| | - Marie Holá
- Silva Tarouca Research Institute for Landscape and Ornamental Gardening, Pruhonice, Czech Republic
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Artificial environmental radionuclides in Europe and methods of lowering their foodstuff contamination – a review. ACTA VET BRNO 2016. [DOI: 10.2754/avb201685010105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
This review discusses the consequences of the food chain contamination with radionuclides, especially focusing on the radiocaesium impact after the Chernobyl nuclear accident. In particular, the137Cs isotope still represents a risk. Until present it is still detectable in the meat of game animals, especially in wild boar, but also in elk and reindeer. Although the occurrence of highly contaminated foods in most of Europe is currently limited, along the German-Czech border (the Šumava Region) the activity concentration of the137Cs isotope in the meat of wild boar exceeds the acceptable limit several times. Additionally, the article describes simple processing technologies (cooking, pickling etc.) that lead to reduction of radionuclides in contaminated food.
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Cosma C, Iurian AR, Incze R, Kovacs T, Žunić ZS. The use of tree bark as long term biomonitor of (137)Cs deposition. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RADIOACTIVITY 2016; 153:126-133. [PMID: 26771244 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2015.12.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2015] [Revised: 11/30/2015] [Accepted: 12/20/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Airborne (137)Cs originated from the nuclear tests in the atmosphere and from the Chernobyl nuclear disaster was retained by the trees biomass and nowadays it can still be found in various concentrations in tree barks from Romania and other European countries. This study brings the first results of (137)Cs presence in tree bark from Romania on different considerations: (i) data dispersion in spruce and oak bark from NW, SW and central Romania, and the spatial variability of (137)Cs within oak and spruce bark from a natural protected forest area from Balvanyos area (Covasna County), known to be highly affected by the Chernobyl nuclear release; (ii) comparison of (137)Cs content in different tree bark species (oak, spruce, poplar and cherry); (iii) differences in (137)Cs concentrations with the bark depth layers and around the tree trunk; and (iv) comparison of mean (137)Cs values in spruce/oak bark from Romania with data from other European countries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Constantin Cosma
- Environmental Radioactivity and Nuclear Dating Center, Babeş-Bolyai University, Treboniu Laurian 42, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Andra-Rada Iurian
- Environmental Radioactivity and Nuclear Dating Center, Babeş-Bolyai University, Treboniu Laurian 42, Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
| | - Reka Incze
- Environmental Radioactivity and Nuclear Dating Center, Babeş-Bolyai University, Treboniu Laurian 42, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Tibor Kovacs
- Institute of Radiochemistry and Radioecology, University of Pannonia, H-8201 Veszprem, Hungary
| | - Zora S Žunić
- Vinca Institute of Nuclear Sciences, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
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