Evaluation of sources and seasonal variations of dissolved Cs in stream water in forested catchments

Sakuma, Kazuyuki   ; Yoshimura, Kazuya  ; Nakanishi, Takahiro   ; Hayashi, Seiji*; Tsuji, Hideki*; Funaki, Hironori ; Iijima, Kazuki  

The Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident released substantial radiocesium into terrestrial environments in 2011. Understanding the sources of dissolved radiocesium and the factors controlling its seasonal variation in stream water is crucial for assessing and mitigating environmental radioactive contamination. From 2015 to 2021, we investigated dissolved Cs concentrations and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in stream water, spring water, groundwater, litter leachate, soil pore water, and infiltrated water. In the headwater area, dissolved Cs concentrations increased just after spring compared to the concentrations in the groundwater. During approximately three years of stream water monitoring, dissolved Cs concentrations correlated with water temperature, concentrations of DOC, and K. A three-component mixture model revealed that stream water composition is derived mainly from groundwater, leaching from forest litter/surface soil, and soil pore water. The soil pore water particularly influenced summer stream water, likely due to the water table fluctuations with precipitation. The leaching water also influenced the summer stream water compared to the winter stream water. These findings suggest that seasonal variations in dissolved Cs are driven by temperature-dependent leaching from surface forest litter/soil and increased contributions from soil pore water. This study is the first to identify the sources and seasonal drivers of dissolved Cs in forested headwater streams.