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Akata N, Anderson D, Kakiuchi H, Yamada R, Hasegawa H, Ueda S. Tissue-free water tritium and non-exchangeable organically bound tritium concentrations in fish near coastline during and after operation of Japan's first nuclear fuel reprocessing facility. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 947:174404. [PMID: 38960156 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.174404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2024] [Revised: 06/19/2024] [Accepted: 06/29/2024] [Indexed: 07/05/2024]
Abstract
The risks from radioactive wastewater release from nuclear facilities into the ocean are a global concern. Radioactive contaminants, such as tritium (3H), in both forms of tissue free water tritium (TFWT) and non-exchangeable organically bound tritium (NE-OBT), can be incorporated into marine biota and cause radiation doses to biota and future consumers. However, no studies have been conducted to measure both forms of 3H in marine fish as well as evaluate the residence time in the vicinity of a nuclear fuel reprocessing facility. Here, fish from a brackish lake and from the Pacific Ocean coastline of Japan, which are near such a facility, were collected between 2006 and 2021. The reprocessing facility was operational between 2006 and 2009, during which time about 300 times more tritiated water was discharged per year into the ocean compared to the period when the facility was not operational. During operation the annual release was 30 times higher than the treated water released annually from Fukushima Daiichi. As expected, TFWT and NE-OBT concentrations increased in marine fish during operations and had peak values of 3.59 ± 0.03 and 0.56 ± 0.03 Bq/L, respectively. Total dose rates to the fish were 36,000 times lower than the 10 μGy h-1 benchmark. Concentrations gradually decreased to pre-operational levels as the facility was turned off with NE-OBT taking twice as long. Fish sampled from the brackish lake tended to have more incorporated TFWT and NE-OBT concentrations than ocean fish. This indicates that ocean tides might have contributed to the accumulation of discharged tritiated water in the lake via a narrow water channel, which highlights the importance of examining all marine ecosystems in future operations. In both marine environments, the estimated committed effective dose using the highest observed data through ingestion was well below public limits (91,000 times lower).
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Affiliation(s)
- Naofumi Akata
- Department of Radioecology, Institute for Environmental Sciences, 1-7 Ienomae, Obuchi, Rokkasho, Aomori 039-3212, Japan; Institute of Radiation Emergency Medicine, Hirosaki University, 66-1 Honcho, Hirosaki, Aomori 036-8564, Japan.
| | - Donovan Anderson
- Institute of Radiation Emergency Medicine, Hirosaki University, 66-1 Honcho, Hirosaki, Aomori 036-8564, Japan
| | - Hideki Kakiuchi
- Department of Radioecology, Institute for Environmental Sciences, 1-7 Ienomae, Obuchi, Rokkasho, Aomori 039-3212, Japan
| | - Ryohei Yamada
- Institute of Radiation Emergency Medicine, Hirosaki University, 66-1 Honcho, Hirosaki, Aomori 036-8564, Japan
| | - Hidenao Hasegawa
- Department of Radioecology, Institute for Environmental Sciences, 1-7 Ienomae, Obuchi, Rokkasho, Aomori 039-3212, Japan
| | - Shinji Ueda
- Department of Radioecology, Institute for Environmental Sciences, 1-7 Ienomae, Obuchi, Rokkasho, Aomori 039-3212, Japan
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Tsumune D, Bryan FO, Lindsay K, Misumi K, Tsubono T, Aoyama M. Simulated inventory and distribution of 137Cs released from multiple sources in the global ocean. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2023; 197:115663. [PMID: 37897967 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2023.115663] [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: 06/16/2023] [Revised: 10/05/2023] [Accepted: 10/10/2023] [Indexed: 10/30/2023]
Abstract
Radioactive cesium (137Cs) is distributed in the world's oceans as a result of global fallout from atmospheric nuclear weapons tests, releases from fuel reprocessing plants, and inputs from nuclear power plant accident. In order to detect future radionuclide contamination, it is necessary to establish a baseline global distribution of radionuclides such as 137Cs and to understand the ocean transport processes that lead to that distribution. In order to aid in the interpretation of the observed database, we have conducted a suite of simulations of the distribution of 137Cs using a global ocean general circulation model (OGCM). Simulated 137Cs radioactivity concentrations agree well with observations, and the results were used to estimate the changes in inventories for each ocean basin. 137Cs activity concentration from atmospheric nuclear weapons tests are expected to be detectable in the world ocean until at least 2030.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daisuke Tsumune
- Central Research Institute of Electric Power Industry, 1646 Abiko, Abiko, Chiba 270-1194, Japan; University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8572, Japan.
| | - Frank O Bryan
- National Center for Atmospheric Research, P.O. Box 3000, Boulder, CO 80307, USA
| | - Keith Lindsay
- National Center for Atmospheric Research, P.O. Box 3000, Boulder, CO 80307, USA
| | - Kazuhiro Misumi
- Central Research Institute of Electric Power Industry, 1646 Abiko, Abiko, Chiba 270-1194, Japan
| | - Takaki Tsubono
- Central Research Institute of Electric Power Industry, 1646 Abiko, Abiko, Chiba 270-1194, Japan
| | - Michio Aoyama
- University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8572, Japan
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Cappelletti D, Ežerinskis Ž, Šapolaitė J, Bučinskas L, Luks B, Nawrot A, Larose C, Tuccella P, Gallet JC, Crocchianti S, Bruschi F, Moroni B, Spolaor A. Long-range transport and deposition on the Arctic snowpack of nuclear contaminated particulate matter. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2023; 452:131317. [PMID: 37003004 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2023.131317] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2022] [Revised: 03/24/2023] [Accepted: 03/27/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
The primary environmental concern related to nuclear power is the production of radioactive waste hazardous to humans and the environment. The main scientific and technological problems to address this are related to the storage and disposal of the nuclear waste and monitoring the dispersion of radioactive species into the environment. In this work, we determined an anomalously high 14C activity, well above the modern natural background, on surface and seasonal snow sampled in early May 2019 on glaciers in the Hornsund fjord area (Svalbard). Due to the lack of local sources, the high snow concentrations of 14C suggest long-range atmospheric transport of nuclear waste particles from lower latitudes, where nuclear power plants and treatment stations are located. The analysis of the synoptic and local meteorological data allowed us to associate the long-range transport of this anomalous 14C concentration to an intrusion event of a warm and humid air mass that likely brought pollutants from Central Europe to the Arctic in late April 2019. Elemental and organic carbon, trace element concentration data, and scanning electron microscopy morphological analysis were performed on the same snow samples to better constrain the transport process that might have led to the high 14C radionuclide concentrations in Svalbard. In particular, the highest 14C values found in the snowpack (> 200 percent of Modern Carbon, pMC) were associated with the lowest OC/EC ratios (< 4), an indication of an anthropogenic industrial source, and with the presence of spherical particles rich in iron, zirconium, and titanium which, altogether, suggest an origin related to nuclear waste reprocessing plants. This study highlights the role of long-range transport in exposing Arctic environments to human pollution. Given that the frequency and intensity of these atmospheric warming events are predicted to increase due to ongoing climate change, improving our knowledge of their possible impact to Arctic pollution is becoming urgent.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Cappelletti
- Department of Chemistry, Biology and Biotechnology, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy; ISP-CNR, Istituto di Scienze Polari, del Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Venezia, Italy.
| | - Žilvinas Ežerinskis
- Department of Nuclear Research, Accelerator Mass Spectrometry Laboratory, Center for Physical Sciences and Technology, Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Justina Šapolaitė
- Department of Nuclear Research, Accelerator Mass Spectrometry Laboratory, Center for Physical Sciences and Technology, Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Laurynas Bučinskas
- Department of Nuclear Research, Accelerator Mass Spectrometry Laboratory, Center for Physical Sciences and Technology, Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Bartłomiej Luks
- Institute of Geophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Adam Nawrot
- Institute of Geophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Catherine Larose
- Univ Lyon, CNRS, INSA Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Ecole Centrale de Lyon, Ampère, UMR5005, 69134 Ecully cedex, France
| | - Paolo Tuccella
- Department of Physical and Chemical Sciences, University of L'Aquila, Via Vetoio 46, 67100 Coppito, L'Aquila, Italy; Center of Excellence Telesensing of Environment and Model Prediction of Severe Events (CETEMPS), Via Vetoio, 67100 Coppito, L'Aquila, Italy
| | | | - Stefano Crocchianti
- Department of Chemistry, Biology and Biotechnology, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy
| | - Federica Bruschi
- Department of Chemistry, Biology and Biotechnology, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy
| | - Beatrice Moroni
- Department of Chemistry, Biology and Biotechnology, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy
| | - Andrea Spolaor
- ISP-CNR, Istituto di Scienze Polari, del Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Venezia, Italy; Ca'Foscari University of Venice, Department of Environmental Sciences, Informatics and Statistics, Via Torino 155, 30172 Venice Mestre, Italy
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Transcriptome Analysis of the Immortal Human Keratinocyte HaCaT Cell Line Damaged by Tritiated Water. BIOLOGY 2023; 12:biology12030405. [PMID: 36979097 PMCID: PMC10045445 DOI: 10.3390/biology12030405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2022] [Revised: 02/05/2023] [Accepted: 03/02/2023] [Indexed: 03/08/2023]
Abstract
Radioactive elements, such as tritium, have been released into the ocean in large quantities as a result of the reactor leakage accident. In this study, an MTT assay demonstrated that the viability of HacaT cells decreased after tritiated water treatment. Bioinformatics analysis was used to analyze gene changes in the HacaT cells. The sequencing results showed 267 significantly differentially expressed genes (DEGs), and GO enrichment analysis showed that the DEGs were mainly divided into three parts. The KEGG pathway analysis showed that the up-regulated DEGs were involved in Wnt and other pathways, while the down-regulated DEGs were involved in Jak–STAT and others. A Western blot assay was used to verify the parts of the sequencing results. This study was the first to explore the mechanism of tritiated water on HacaT cells using Transcriptome analysis. The results will provide a theoretical basis for the study of tritiated water hazard mechanisms.
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Connan O, Bailly du Bois P, Solier L, Hebert D, Voiseux C. Flux of tritium from the sea to the atmosphere around a nuclear reprocessing plant: Experimental measurements and modelling for the Western English channel. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RADIOACTIVITY 2023; 257:107068. [PMID: 36410084 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2022.107068] [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: 09/07/2022] [Revised: 11/03/2022] [Accepted: 11/09/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Tritium is released to the environment by nuclear industries in various forms, mainly HTO. In impact studies leading to estimated doses for the population, atmospheric discharges are mainly taken into consideration because they generally lead to values higher than those related to liquid discharges. However, the tritium released in liquid environments can be transferred to the atmosphere by evaporation and then be transported to terrestrial ecosystems by wind. This study was carried out in France near a fuel reprocessing plant (RP) which discharges tritium into the western English Channel. We highlighted the influence of a mass of water enriched with tritium on the HTO levels in atmospheric water vapour downwind through 18 field campaigns. A hydrodynamic model able to simulate tritium activity in the water was coupled with an evaporation an atmospheric transport model. It allows to reconstitute variations in atmospheric tritium on the coast, depending on liquid discharges of tritium from the reprocessing plant. On this basis, when seawater containing 20-100 Bq.L-1 of tritium flows between 0 and 10 km off the coast, variations in atmospheric activity onshore can increase of 2-15 Bq.L-1. Mean tritium quantities released by the sea into the atmosphere in the Western English Channel reached 130 TBq.y-1 over the 2017-2020 period. Emissions were estimated at 0.9-11.3 GBq km-2.y-1 and depends principally on the distance from the liquid discharge point. If we compare the "marine" source term, in HTO form, with the direct source term for gaseous discharges, the marine source term is one order of magnitude greater for the marine region affected by liquid discharges. Finally, we estimate that approximately 1.1% of tritium stock discharged at sea (regulated and controlled) return to the atmosphere each year at the scale of the Western English Channel.
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Affiliation(s)
- O Connan
- Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire (IRSN), PSE-ENV/SRTE/LRC, BP 10, rue Max Pol Fouchet, 50130, Cherbourg-En-Cotentin, France.
| | - P Bailly du Bois
- Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire (IRSN), PSE-ENV/SRTE/LRC, BP 10, rue Max Pol Fouchet, 50130, Cherbourg-En-Cotentin, France; LUSAC-Intechmer, Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers, Boulevard de Collignon, Tourlaville, 50110, Cherbourg-en-Cotentin, France
| | - L Solier
- Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire (IRSN), PSE-ENV/SRTE/LRC, BP 10, rue Max Pol Fouchet, 50130, Cherbourg-En-Cotentin, France
| | - D Hebert
- Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire (IRSN), PSE-ENV/SRTE/LRC, BP 10, rue Max Pol Fouchet, 50130, Cherbourg-En-Cotentin, France
| | - C Voiseux
- Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire (IRSN), PSE-ENV/SRTE/LRC, BP 10, rue Max Pol Fouchet, 50130, Cherbourg-En-Cotentin, France
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Lin J, Yu T, Chen S, Liu C, Huang D. An effective method for the determination of 106Ru in seawater by γ-spectrometry. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RADIOACTIVITY 2021; 237:106691. [PMID: 34217046 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2021.106691] [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: 02/07/2021] [Revised: 06/18/2021] [Accepted: 06/20/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
106Ru is a product originating from the fission reactions of uranium (235U) and plutonium (239Pu). 106Ru represents a potential source of radioactive marine contamination since it makes up 70-90% of the total radioactivity of liquid effluents from fuel reprocessing plants; thus, it is important to effectively determine the quantity of 106Ru in the natural environment. In this study, a simple and effective method was developed for the determination of 106Ru in seawater by γ-spectrometry using NiS coprecipitation. In addition, the amounts of S2- and Ni2+ added, Ru3+ carrier addition, pH, salinity, and sample volume were tested, and accordingly, optimal conditions were proposed. With the optimized conditions, the recovery of 106Ru in seawater ranged from 85.3% to 92.3%, with an average of 88.1 ± 4.2%. The method proposed in the present study can also be applied to seawater samples with various salinities and volumes. For 20 L seawater and 24 h counting time on a γ-spectrometer, the limit of detection for 106Ru in seawater was 5.74 mBq/L. In contrast to the traditional CoS method, the usage of NiS does not require any heating process; thus, the pretreatment time is substantially reduced. In addition, by using our method, 106Ru can be determined in the presence of other radionuclides, further enhancing processing efficiency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Lin
- Laboratory of Marine Isotopic Technology and Environmental Risk Assessment, Third Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resource, Xiamen, 361005, China; Observation and Research Station of Island and Coastal Ecosystem in the Western Taiwan Strait, Ministry of Natural Resources, Xiamen, 361005, China; Fujian Provincial Station for Field Observation and Research of Island and Costal Zone in Zhangzhou, Zhangzhou, 363216, China
| | - Tao Yu
- Laboratory of Marine Isotopic Technology and Environmental Risk Assessment, Third Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resource, Xiamen, 361005, China; Observation and Research Station of Island and Coastal Ecosystem in the Western Taiwan Strait, Ministry of Natural Resources, Xiamen, 361005, China; Fujian Provincial Station for Field Observation and Research of Island and Costal Zone in Zhangzhou, Zhangzhou, 363216, China
| | - Suiyuan Chen
- Laboratory of Marine Isotopic Technology and Environmental Risk Assessment, Third Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resource, Xiamen, 361005, China; Observation and Research Station of Island and Coastal Ecosystem in the Western Taiwan Strait, Ministry of Natural Resources, Xiamen, 361005, China; Fujian Provincial Station for Field Observation and Research of Island and Costal Zone in Zhangzhou, Zhangzhou, 363216, China; College of Ocean and Earth Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, China
| | - Chuyue Liu
- Laboratory of Marine Isotopic Technology and Environmental Risk Assessment, Third Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resource, Xiamen, 361005, China; Observation and Research Station of Island and Coastal Ecosystem in the Western Taiwan Strait, Ministry of Natural Resources, Xiamen, 361005, China; Fujian Provincial Station for Field Observation and Research of Island and Costal Zone in Zhangzhou, Zhangzhou, 363216, China; College of Marine Sciences, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai, 201306, China
| | - Dekun Huang
- Laboratory of Marine Isotopic Technology and Environmental Risk Assessment, Third Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resource, Xiamen, 361005, China; Observation and Research Station of Island and Coastal Ecosystem in the Western Taiwan Strait, Ministry of Natural Resources, Xiamen, 361005, China; Fujian Provincial Station for Field Observation and Research of Island and Costal Zone in Zhangzhou, Zhangzhou, 363216, China.
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Bailly du Bois P, Dumas F, Morillon M, Furgerot L, Voiseux C, Poizot E, Méar Y, Bennis AC. The Alderney Race: general hydrodynamic and particular features. PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. SERIES A, MATHEMATICAL, PHYSICAL, AND ENGINEERING SCIENCES 2020; 378:20190492. [PMID: 32713322 PMCID: PMC8278971 DOI: 10.1098/rsta.2019.0492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/30/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
This study presents an overview of the main hydrodynamic features of the Alderney Race strait based on in situ measurements and two-dimensional hydrodynamic model simulations. The strait encompasses a large amplitude of tidal properties (tidal range and tidal wave propagation) and particularly strong currents exceeding 5 m s-1 with associated counter currents and gyres. Variations in depth, sea bottom roughness, coastal topography and current orientation around the La Hague Cape provide access to a large variety of original hydrodynamic regimes. Some are revealed as locations with a 0.4 m drop in the mean sea level associated with strong average currents. A resonance effect associated with the offshore currents can also be observed close to the coasts. The 'St Martin whistle' occurs in a bay whose gyre centre oscillates with a reversal of the measured current every 5-7 min. The Alderney Race represents a particular area of interest for coastal hydrodynamic studies. The available in situ measurement datasets are rich with recordings of: sea levels; acoustic Doppler current profiler current profiles; surface radar currents; waves; dye experiments; surface and in-depth dissolved tracer surveys. Combined with hydrodynamic models, the complexity of this area can be further understood and knowledge of the hydrodynamic process and forcing parameters can be refined, which can be applied to other coastal areas. This article is part of the theme issue 'New insights on tidal dynamics and tidal energy harvesting in the Alderney Race'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pascal Bailly du Bois
- Laboratoire de Radioécologie de Cherbourg, IRSN-LRC, Rue Max Pol Fouchet B.P. 10, 50130 Cherbourg en Cotentin, France
| | - Franck Dumas
- Service hydrographique et océanographique de la marine – Shom, Brest, France
| | - Mehdi Morillon
- Laboratoire de Radioécologie de Cherbourg, IRSN-LRC, Rue Max Pol Fouchet B.P. 10, 50130 Cherbourg en Cotentin, France
| | - Lucille Furgerot
- LUSAC, Laboratoire Universitaire des Sciences Appliquées de Cherbourg, University Normandie, Cherbourg-en-Cotentin, France
| | - Claire Voiseux
- Laboratoire de Radioécologie de Cherbourg, IRSN-LRC, Rue Max Pol Fouchet B.P. 10, 50130 Cherbourg en Cotentin, France
| | - Emmanuel Poizot
- LUSAC, Laboratoire Universitaire des Sciences Appliquées de Cherbourg, University Normandie, Cherbourg-en-Cotentin, France
- Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers, Intechmer, Cherbourg-en-Cotentin, France
| | - Yann Méar
- LUSAC, Laboratoire Universitaire des Sciences Appliquées de Cherbourg, University Normandie, Cherbourg-en-Cotentin, France
- Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers, Intechmer, Cherbourg-en-Cotentin, France
| | - Anne-Claire Bennis
- Normandie Univ., UNICAEN, CNRS, UNIROUEN, Morphodynamique Continentale et Côtière (M2C), Caen, France
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