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Koarashi, Jun; Takeuchi, Erina; Kokubu, Yoko; Atarashi-Andoh, Mariko
Radiocarbon, 67(2), p.307 - 317, 2025/04
Times Cited Count:0 Percentile:0.00(Geochemistry & Geophysics)Radiocarbon (C) dating of soil samples by accelerator mass spectrometry has been proven useful for studying carbon (C) cycling in terrestrial ecosystems. There are, however, two main difficulties in sample preparation for this application: contamination of samples with modern C and inhibition of graphite formation due to sulfur (S)-containing impurities. Here we evaluated these effects from three different sample preparation methods, by conducting
C measurements of
C-dead sample and S-rich soil samples. The preparation methods were all successful in graphite formation and
C measurement for soil samples with an organic S content
6.9%. The different methods showed different percent Modern Carbon (pMC) values ranging from 0.19% to 0.64% for
C-dead sample. However, the three methods had little influence on the determination of
C age for samples at least younger than 12,000 yr BP. The methods examined in the present study can be used for
C dating with sufficient accuracy in the application to C cycle studies.
Abe, Yukiko; Nakayama, Masataka*; Atarashi-Andoh, Mariko; Tange, Takeshi*; Sawada, Haruo*; Liang, N.*; Koarashi, Jun
Geoderma, 455, p.117221_1 - 117221_11, 2025/03
Times Cited Count:0Subsoils (typically below a depth of 30 cm) contain more than half of global soil carbon (C) as soil organic C (SOC). However, the extent to which subsoil SOC contributes to the global C cycle and the factors that control it are unclear because quantitative evaluation of carbon dioxide (CO) emission from subsoils through direct observations is limited. This study aimed to quantify CO
emission from subsoils and determine factors that control CO
emission, focusing on the decomposability of soil organic matter (SOM) and the characteristics of the mineral-SOM association in soils. Therefore, a laboratory incubation experiment was conducted using surface soils (0-10 cm and 10-25 cm depth) and subsoils (30-45 cm and 45-60 cm depth) collected from four Japanese forest sites with two different soil types (volcanic ash and non-volcanic ash soils). The CO
emission from the subsoils was found to be responsible for 6%-23% of total CO
emission from the upper 60-cm mineral soil across all sites. Radiocarbon signatures of CO
released from the subsoils indicated the decomposition of decades-old SOM in the subsoils. The correlations between CO
emission rate and soil factors across both soil types suggested that the CO
emission from the subsoils is mainly controlled by the amounts of SOC easily available to soil microbes and microbial biomass C, not by the amounts of reactive minerals. Given the potential active participation of subsoils in terrestrial C cycling, most of the current soil C models that ignore subsoil C cycling are likely to underestimate the response of soil C to future climate change. The quantitative and mechanistic understanding of C cycling through a huge subsoil C pool is critical to accurately evaluating the role of soil C in the global C balance.
Suzuki, Yuri*; Hiradate, Shuntaro*; Koarashi, Jun; Atarashi-Andoh, Mariko; Yomogida, Takumi; Kanda, Yuki*; Nagano, Hirohiko*
Soil (Internet), 11(1), p.35 - 49, 2025/01
Times Cited Count:0 Percentile:0.00(Soil Science)Battulga, B.; Nakanishi, Takahiro; Atarashi-Andoh, Mariko; Otosaka, Shigeyoshi*; Koarashi, Jun
Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 31, p.60080 - 60092, 2024/10
A ubiquitous distribution of plastic debris has been reported in aquatic and terrestrial environments; however, the interactions between plastics and radionuclides and the radioactivity of environmental plastics remain largely unknown. Here, we characterize biofilms developing on the surface of plastic debris to explore the role of plastic-associated biofilms as an interaction medium between plastics and radiocesium (Cs) in the environment. Biofilm samples were extracted from plastics (1-50 mm in size) collected from two contrasting coastal areas in Japan. The radioactivity of plastics was estimated based on the
Cs activity concentration of the biofilms and compared seasonally with surrounding environmental samples (i.e., sediment and sand).
Cs traces were detected in biofilms with activity concentrations of 21-1300 Bq kg
biofilm (dry weight), corresponding to 0.04-4.5 Bq kg
plastic (dry weight). Our results reveal the interaction between
Cs and plastics and provide evidence that organic and mineral components in biofilms are essential in
Cs retention in environmental plastics.
Battulga, B.; Nakayama, Masataka; Matsuoka, Shunsuke*; Kondo, Toshiaki*; Atarashi-Andoh, Mariko; Koarashi, Jun
Water Research, 264, p.122207_1 - 122207_12, 2024/10
Times Cited Count:5 Percentile:71.94(Engineering, Environmental)Growing attention has been given to microbial attachment and biofilm formation on microplastics (MPs; sizes: 5 mm) in the environment. Here, we explore the microbial communities in the plastisphere to improve our understanding of microbial ecology as well as their impacts on aquatic ecosystems. Using the amplicon sequence of 16S and ITS genes, we identified bacterial and fungal community composition and diversity on MPs, surface waters, bottom sediments, and coastal sands in two contrasting coastal areas of Japan. Significantly different microbial diversity and taxonomic composition were detected depending on sample types and research sites. This research highlights the microbial metabolic functions in MP-associated biofilm, which could be the key to uncovering the true impact of plastic debris on the global ecosystem.
Nakayama, Masataka; Abe, Yukiko; Atarashi-Andoh, Mariko; Tange, Takeshi*; Sawada, Haruo*; Liang, N.*; Koarashi, Jun
Applied Soil Ecology, 201, p.105485_1 - 105485_12, 2024/09
Times Cited Count:2 Percentile:53.99(Soil Science)Nitrogen often limits plant growth in forest ecosystems. Plants, including trees, change vertical root distribution when nutrient competition is strong within surface soil layer and take up nitrogen even from subsurface soil layers in addition to the surface soil. However, there is still limited knowledge about nitrogen cycles within deeper soil layers. In this study, we investigated the vertical profiles (0-60 cm) of the net nitrogen mineralization and nitrification rates at four Japanese forest sites with two different soil types (Andosols and Cambisols). The partial least square path modeling (PLS-PM) was used to determine factors affecting nitrogen-cycling processes. The net nitrogen mineralization and nitrification rates per unit soil weight were considerably higher in surface soil layer than in deeper soil layers in Andosols but not in Cambisols. PLS-PM analysis showed that microbial biomass and soil organic matter quantities were the main factors influencing the net nitrogen mineralization and nitrification rates, indicating that a similar mechanism creating the spatial variations of nitrogen-cycling processes in surface soil layer predominantly regulates the processes in subsoil layers. Moreover, it was estimated that the net nitrogen mineralization rate could be comparable at all soil types and depths when the rate was expressed per unit soil volume. Therefore, our results suggest that subsoil layers are a quantitatively important nitrogen source for plant nutrients in Andosols and Cambisols, supporting high forest productivity.
Battulga, B.; Munkhbat, D.*; Matsueda, Makoto; Atarashi-Andoh, Mariko; Oyuntsetseg, B.*; Koarashi, Jun; Kawahigashi, Masayuki*
Environmental Pollution, 357, p.124427_1 - 124427_10, 2024/09
Times Cited Count:0 Percentile:0.00(Environmental Sciences)The occurrence and characteristics of plastic debris in aquatic and terrestrial environments have been extensively studied. However, there is still limited information on the properties and dynamic behavior of plastic-associated biofilms in the environment. In this study, we collected plastic samples from an inland river system in Mongolia and extracted biofilms from the plastics to uncover the characteristics of the biofilms using analytical, isotopic, and thermogravimetric techniques. Mixtures of organic and mineral particles were detected from extracted biofilms, revealing the plastic as a carrier for exogenous substances including contaminants in the river ecosystem. The present study provides insights into the characteristics and environmental behavior of biofilms which are useful to elucidate the impact of plastic-associated biofilms on organic matter and material cycling in the aquatic ecosystems.
Sato, Yuhi*; Ishizuka, Shigehiro*; Hiradate, Shuntaro*; Atarashi-Andoh, Mariko; Nagano, Hirohiko*; Koarashi, Jun
Environmental Research, 239(Part 1), p.117224_1 - 117224_9, 2023/12
Times Cited Count:3 Percentile:48.48(Environmental Sciences)The stability of soil organic matter (SOM) is important for improving our understanding of the global carbon cycle and ongoing climate change. This study examined the applicability of loss-on-ignition of soil with a stepwise increase in temperature (SIT-LOI) to evaluate the stability of the SOM using soil samples from Japan having different organic matter (OM) and mineral contents and different mean residence times (MRTs), estimated from radiocarbon analysis, for SOM. As the result of this examination, SIT-LOI data was strongly correlated with MRTs. This clearly suggests that SIT-LOI can be an indicator evaluating the stability of SOM in actual environments.
Koarashi, Jun; Atarashi-Andoh, Mariko; Nishimura, Shusaku
Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety, 262, p.115177_1 - 115177_9, 2023/09
Times Cited Count:5 Percentile:59.64(Environmental Sciences)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.
Battulga, B.; Atarashi-Andoh, Mariko; Koarashi, Jun; Bolormaa, O.*; Kawahigashi, Masayuki*
Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety, 261, p.115100_1 - 115100_10, 2023/08
Times Cited Count:1 Percentile:15.39(Environmental Sciences)The widespread distribution of plastic debris in the riverine environment is one of the major concerns of environmental pollution because of its potential impact on the aquatic ecosystem. In this study, we investigated accumulation of metal(loid)s on polystyrene foam (PSF) plastics collected from the Tuul River shore of Mongolia. Sorbed metal(loid)s on plastics have been extracted from collected PSF by sonication after peroxide oxidation. Size-dependent association of metal(loid)s indicated that PSFs act as vectors for the pollutants in the urban river environment. In addition, images from scanning electron microscopy (SEM) indicated not only the degraded surface of plastics showing fractures, holes, and pits, but also adhered mineral particles and microorganisms on PSFs. Interaction of metal(loid)s with plastics may be facilitated by altered surface physical and chemical properties of the plastics through photodegradation followed by an increase in surface area by size reduction and/or biofilm development in the aquatic environment. Enrichment ratio (ER) of metals on PSF samples suggested continuous accumulation of heavy metals on plastics. Our results demonstrate that the widespread plastic debris could be one of the carriers for hazardous chemicals in the environment. Since the influences of plastic debris on environmental health are major concerns to be solved, the fate and behavior of hetero-aggregates of plastics in aquatic environments should be continuously studied.
Battulga, B.; Atarashi-Andoh, Mariko; Matsueda, Makoto; Koarashi, Jun
Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 30(31), p.77226 - 77237, 2023/05
Times Cited Count:1 Percentile:12.25(Environmental Sciences)The global survey for the presence of microplastics (MPs) in aquatic environments has attracted widespread scientific attention over the past decade. This study demonstrates a multidimensional analytical approach, including isotopic and thermogravimetric analyses to evaluate characteristics and behavior of MPs in the environment. The MP samples were collected in two contrasting coastal areas of Japan. The C values of field-collected polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), and polystyrene (PS) MPs were ranged from -25.6 to -31.4, -23.4 to -30.9, and -27.3 to -28.6 per mil, respectively. The differences in
C signature between MPs with the same polymer types (i.e., PE and PP) but different colors. Through thermal analysis, the single-step endothermic process was observed for environmental PE and PS-MPs. The results reveal that degradation may play a significant role in the behavior and characteristics of MP debris in the aquatic environment.
Katata, Genki*; Yamaguchi, Takashi*; Watanabe, Makoto*; Fukushima, Keitaro*; Nakayama, Masataka*; Nagano, Hirohiko*; Koarashi, Jun; Tateno, Ryunosuke*; Kubota, Tomohiro
Atmospheric Environment, 298, p.119640_1 - 119640_12, 2023/04
Times Cited Count:1 Percentile:16.07(Environmental Sciences)Nagano, Hirohiko*; Atarashi-Andoh, Mariko; Tanaka, Sota*; Yomogida, Takumi; Kozai, Naofumi; Koarashi, Jun
Frontiers in Forests and Global Change (Internet), 6, p.1228053_1 - 1228053_9, 2023/00
Times Cited Count:3 Percentile:41.00(Ecology)Ota, Masakazu; Koarashi, Jun
Isotope News, (784), p.28 - 31, 2022/12
In forests affected by the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident, trees became contaminated with Cs. However,
Cs transfer processes determining the tree contamination (particularly for stem wood, a prominent commercial resource) remain insufficiently understood. We propose a model (SOLVEG-R) for simulating dynamic behavior of
Cs in a forest tree-litter-soil system and applied it to contaminated forests of cedar plantation and natural oak stand in Fukushima to elucidate relative impact of distinct
Cs transfer processes determining the tree contamination. The transfer of
Cs to the trees occurred mostly (
99%) through surface uptake of
Cs trapped by needles and bark during the fallout. Root uptake of soil
Cs was several orders of magnitude lower than the surface uptake over a 50-year period following the accident. As a result, internal contamination of the trees proceeded through an enduring recycling (translocation) of
Cs absorbed on the tree surface. A significant surface uptake of
Cs through bark was suggested, contributing to 100% (leafless oak tree) and 30% (foliated cedar tree; the remaining uptake occurred at needles) of the total uptake by the trees. It was suggested that the activity concentration of
Cs in stem wood of the trees at these sites are currently (as of 2021) decreasing by 3% per year, mainly through radioactive decay of
Cs and partly through dilution effect from tree growth.
Zhang, J.*; Kuang, L.*; Mou, Z.*; Kondo, Toshiaki*; Koarashi, Jun; Atarashi-Andoh, Mariko; Li, Y.*; Tang, X.*; Wang, Y.-P.*; Peuelas, J.*; et al.
Plant and Soil, 481(1-2), p.349 - 365, 2022/12
Times Cited Count:10 Percentile:72.10(Agronomy)Battulga, B.; Atarashi-Andoh, Mariko; Nakanishi, Takahiro; Koarashi, Jun
Science of the Total Environment, 849, p.157758_1 - 157758_11, 2022/11
Times Cited Count:7 Percentile:44.24(Environmental Sciences)Characterizing plastic-associated biofilms is key to the better understanding of organic material and mineral cycling in the "Plastisphere"-the thin layer of microbial life on plastics. In this study, we propose a new method to extract biofilms from environmental plastics, in order to evaluate the properties of biofilm-derived organic matter through stable carbon (C) and nitrogen (
N) isotope signatures and their interactions with radionuclides especially radiocesium (
Cs). After ultrasound-assisted separation from the plastics, biofilm samples were successfully collected via a sequence of syringe treatments. Biofilm-derived organic matter samples (14.5-65.4 mg) from four river mouths in Japan showed
Cs activity concentrations of
75 to 820 Bq kg
biofilm (dw), providing evidence that environmental plastics, mediated by developed biofilms, serve as a carrier for
Cs in the coastal environment. Significant differences in the (
C and
N signatures were also obtained for the biofilms, indicating the different sources, pathways, and development processes of biofilms on plastics.
Abe, Yukiko*; Liang, N.*; Teramoto, Munemasa*; Koarashi, Jun; Atarashi-Andoh, Mariko; Hashimoto, Shoji*; Tange, Takeshi*
Geoderma Regional (Internet), 29, p.e00529_1 - e00529_11, 2022/06
Times Cited Count:2 Percentile:6.54(Soil Science)This study aimed to clarify the causes of spatial variation in soil respiration rate on volcanic ash soil. From January 2013 to August 2019, soil respiration rates were measured at 40 measuring points periodically at a 35-year-old plantation in Tokyo, Japan. In August 2019, the carbon content of the litter layer, total carbon content of soil organic matter (SOM), carbon content of the low-density fraction (LF-C) of SOM, fine root biomass, and bulk density of soil were measured at all measuring points. Results of the multiple regression analysis showed that the model with only the LF-C as an explanatory variable had the highest capability for predicting the respiration rate at a soil temperature of 20
C, indicating that LF-C, which is considered to be readily available to soil microorganisms, can be the main factor responsible for the spatial variation in soil respiration rate.
Ota, Masakazu; Koarashi, Jun
Science of the Total Environment, 816, p.151587_1 - 151587_21, 2022/04
Times Cited Count:8 Percentile:50.11(Environmental Sciences)In forests affected by the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident, trees became contaminated with Cs. However,
Cs transfer processes determining tree contamination (particularly for stem wood, which is a prominent commercial resource in Fukushima) remain insufficiently understood. This study proposes a model for simulating the dynamic behavior of
Cs in a forest tree-litter-soil system and applied it to two contaminated forests (cedar plantation and natural oak stand) in Fukushima. The model-calculated results and inter-comparison of the results with measurements elucidated the relative impact of distinct
Cs transfer processes determining tree contamination. The transfer of
Cs to trees occurred mostly (
99%) through surface uptake of
Cs directly trapped by leaves or needles and bark during the fallout. By contrast, root uptake of
Cs from the soil was unsubstantial and several orders of magnitude lower than the surface uptake over a 50-year period following the accident. As a result, the internal contamination of the trees proceeded through an enduring recycling (translocation) of
Cs absorbed on the tree surface at the time of the accident. A significant surface uptake of
Cs at the bark was identified, contributing 100% (leafless oak tree) and 30% (foliated cedar tree; the remaining surface uptake occurred at the needles) of the total
Cs uptake by trees. It was suggested that the trees growing at the study sites are currently (as of 2021) in a decontamination phase; the activity concentration of
Cs in the stem wood decreases by 3% per year, mainly through radioactive decay of
Cs and partly through a dilution effect from tree growth.
Hashimoto, Shoji*; Tanaka, Taku*; Komatsu, Masabumi*; Gonze, M.-A.*; Sakashita, Wataru*; Kurikami, Hiroshi; Nishina, Kazuya*; Ota, Masakazu; Ohashi, Shinta*; Calmon, P.*; et al.
Journal of Environmental Radioactivity, 238-239, p.106721_1 - 106721_10, 2021/11
Times Cited Count:14 Percentile:52.93(Environmental Sciences)This study was aimed at analysing performance of models for radiocesium migration mainly in evergreen coniferous forest in Fukushima, by inter-comparison between models of several research teams. The exercise included two scenarios of countermeasures against the contamination, namely removal of soil surface litter and forest renewal, and a specific konara oak forest scenario in addition to the evergreen forest scenario. All the models reproduced trend of time evolution of radiocesium inventories and concentrations in each of the components in forest such as leaf and organic soil layer. However, the variations between models enlarged in long-term predictions over 50 years after the fallout, meaning continuous field monitoring and model verification/validation is necessary.
Atarashi-Andoh, Mariko; Koarashi, Jun; Tsuzuki, Katsunori; Takeuchi, Erina; Nishimura, Shusaku; Muto, Kotomi*; Matsunaga, Takeshi*
Journal of Environmental Radioactivity, 238-239, p.106725_1 - 106725_8, 2021/11
Times Cited Count:3 Percentile:13.15(Environmental Sciences)To understand the spatial variation in soil Cs inventory in complex mountainous topography, a whole-area investigation of
Cs deposition in a broad-leaved forest catchment of a mountain stream was conducted using grid sampling. Across the catchment, organic and surface mineral soil layers were collected at 42 locations in 2013 and 6 locations in 2015.
Cs deposition on the forest floor exhibited high spatial heterogeneity and altitude-dependent distribution over the catchment. The
Cs retention ratio in the organic layer ranged from 6% to 82% in 2013. The
Cs retention ratios had positive correlations with the material inventory in the organic layer and the elevation. The
Cs retention ratios in the organic layer were less than 20% in 2015, even at the locations where the retention ratio was higher than 55% in 2013. Although there was spatial variation in the migration speed,
Cs migration from the organic layer to mineral soil was almost completed within 4 y of the deposition.