Effect of soil organic matter on the fate of Cs vertical distribution in forest soils

Koarashi, Jun   ; Atarashi-Andoh, Mariko  ; Nishimura, Shusaku

Predicting the fate of radiocesium (Cs) vertical distribution in Japanese forest soils is key to assessing the radioecological consequences of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident. It is well documented that in mineral soil, the Cs behavior is mostly governed by interaction with clay minerals; however, observations have also been accumulated suggesting the role of soil organic matter (SOM) in enhancing the mobility of Cs. Here, we hypothesized that soil organic carbon (SOC) concentration profile determines the ultimate vertical distribution of Cs in Japanese forest soils. To test this hypothesis, we investigated the detailed vertical distributions of Cs in four Japanese forest soils with varying SOC concentration profiles roughly half a century after global fallout in the early 1960s. Results revealed that Cs retention ratios in each of 2-cm thick soil layers were negatively correlated with SOC concentrations of the layers, across all soils and depths. This demonstrates that the long-term fate of Cs vertical distribution is predictable as a function of SOC concentration for Japanese forest soils.