Radiocesium wash-off associated with soil erosion from various land uses after the Fukushima Dai-ichi NPP accident

Wakiyama, Yoshifumi*; Onda, Yuichi*; Yoshimura, Kazuya  ; Kato, Hiroaki*

This study presents two-year observation of soil erosion and radiocesium wash-off to quantify differences in radiocesium behavior in various land uses. High erodibilities and relatively low values of radiocesium wash-off in cultivated farmlands can be attributed to the mixing of surface soil by ploughing. It was found that the total solid wash-off coefficient of radiocesium from farmlands is high and for 2 years period of time after the accident reaches 10%. Generally high precipitation in the region and steep slopes promote higher wash-off of radiocesium as compared to the Chernobyl case. Also, normalized wash-off coefficients exhibited relatively less volatility than erodibilities in thelandscapes. These results suggest that soil erosion management is crucial for mitigating risks of radiocesium.