Radiocesium transfer into freshwater planktonic spp. microalgae in a pond near the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant

Sasaki, Yoshito ; Funaki, Hironori ; Fujiwara, Kenso 

We investigated the transfer behavior of radiocesium in living cells and remains of a bloom of microalgae ( sp.) in a pond located about 5 km from the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant. As a positive correlation was detected between the cell number of microalgae and the radiocesium concentration (Bq/L) in the 0.45-m fraction, microalgae were the controlling factor for the radiocesium concentration of the 0.45-m fraction. The transfer factor of water-to-algae [(Cs concentration Bq/kg 0.45-m fraction) (Cs concentration Bq/L water)] was 1.6 10. The radiocesium concentration of microalgae remains was the same as that in intact cells.