Detection and activity of iodine-131 in brown algae collected in the Japanese coastal areas

Morita, Takami*; Niwa, Kentaro*; Fujimoto, Ken*; Kasai, Hiromi*; Yamada, Haruya*; Nishiuchi, Ko*; Sakamoto, Tatsuya*; Godo, Waichiro*; Taino, Seiya*; Hayashi, Yoshihiro*; Takeno, Koji*; Nishigaki, Tomokazu*; Fujiwara, Kunihiro*; Aratake, Hisamichi*; Kamonoshita, Shingo*; Hashimoto, Hiroshi*; Kobayashi, Takuya ; Otosaka, Shigeyoshi  ; Imanaka, Tetsuji*

Iodine-131 (I) was detected in brown algae collected off the Japanese coast. The maximum measured specific activity of I in brown algae was 0.370.010 Bq/kg-wet. Cesium-137 (Cs) was also detected in all brown algal samples used in this study. There was no correlation between specific activities of I and Cs in these seaweeds. Low specific activity and minimal variability of Cs in brown algae indicated that past nuclear weapon tests were the source of Cs. Although nuclear power facilities are known to be pollution sources of I, there was no relationship between the sites where I was detected and the locations of nuclear power facilities. Most of the sites where I was detected were near big cities with large populations. On the basis of the results, we suggest that the likely pollution source of I, detected in brown seaweeds, is not nuclear power facilities, but nuclear medicine procedures.