Radioactivity and radionuclides in deciduous teeth formed before the Fukushima-Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident

Takahashi, Atsushi*; Chiba, Mirei*; Tanahara, Akira*; Aida, Jun*; Shimizu, Yoshinaka*; Suzuki, Toshihiko*; Murakami, Shinobu*; Koarai, Kazuma   ; Ono, Takumi*; Oka, Toshitaka   ; Ikeyama, Joji*; Kaneko, Osamu*; Unno, Makoto*; Hirose, Kimiharu*; Ono, Takashi*; Kino, Yasushi*; Sekine, Tsutomu*; Osaka, Ken*; Sasaki, Keiichi*; Shinoda, Hisashi*

The Fukushima-Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (FNPP) accident released substantial amounts of radionuclides into the environment. We collected 4,957 deciduous teeth, from children living in Fukushima and reference prefectures. Radioactivity was detected in most of the teeth examined and was attributed to the presence of natural radionuclides, including K and daughter nuclides in U and Th series. Additionally, artificial radionuclides, Sr and Cs, were detected in the teeth obtained from children from Fukushima and the reference prefectures. However, these radionuclides were not believed to have originated from the FNPP accident. Because the teeth examined in the present study were formed before the FNPP accident occurred, the aforementioned findings may serve as important control data for future studies regarding the radioactivity of teeth formed after the FNPP accident.