Factors regulating the concentration of particulate iodine in coastal seawater

Sato, Yuhi*; Otosaka, Shigeyoshi*; Suzuki, Takashi; Nakanishi, Takahiro

Limnology and Oceanography, 68(7), p.1580 - 1594, 2023/07

https://doi.org/10.1002/lno.12369

To investigate the factors regulating the concentration of particulate iodine (PI) in seawater, it was measured in two Pacific coastal areas adjacent to Japan in two seasons along with parameters such as particulate organic carbon (POC) and nitrogen (PON), dissolved iodine (DI), and phytoplankton pigments. The dataset was divided in three groups namely, lower (Group A), average (Group B), and higher (Group C) atomic ratios of PI to POC (I/C). The three groups were characterized by phytoplanktonic physiological states as highly productive, steady, and senescent states, respectively. Based on the finding that PI production is associated with the phytoplankton physiological state, the seasonal and regional differences in PI concentration and I/C in the observation areas were consistently explained. Finally, we suggest that the phytoplanktonic physiological state is one of the vital factors regulating the PI concentration in seawater.

Tritium inventory and its temporal variation in Fukushima Front Sea Area; Comparison between coastal and offshore tritium inventories and 1f treated water and operational target values for discharge per year

Machida, Masahiko; Iwata, Ayako; Yamada, Susumu; Otosaka, Shigeyoshi*; Kobayashi, Takuya; Funasaka, Hideyuki*; Morita, Takami*

Nihon Genshiryoku Gakkai Wabun Rombunshi (Internet), 22(1), p.12 - 24, 2023/01

https://doi.org/10.3327/taesj.J22.001

We estimate inventory of tritium in two sea areas corresponding to coastal and offshore ones around Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (1F) based on the measurement results of sea-water tritium concentration monitored constantly from 2013 to Jan. 2021 by using Voronoi tessellation scheme. The obtained results show that the offshore area inventory and its temporal variation amount correspond to approximately 1/5 and 1/40 of that of the treated-water accumulated inside 1F, respectively. These results just suggest that the presence of tritium already included in sea-water as the background is non negligible in evaluating the environmental impact by releasing the accumulated treated-water into the sea region. We also estimate the offshore area inventory before 1F accident and find that it had exceeded over 1F stored inventory over about 30 years from 1960s to 1980s with approximately 4 times larger in the peak decade, 1960s. This fact means that we had already experienced more contaminated situation over 30 years in the past compared to the conservative case appeared by just releasing whole the present 1F inventory. Here, it should be also emphasized that the past contaminated situation was shared by the entire world. We further extend the estimation region into a wider region including an offshore area from Miyagi to Chiba prefectures and find that the area average inventory is now comparable to a half of the present 1F one. Finally, we estimate internal dose per year via ingesting fishes caught inside the area when 1F inventory is just added inside the area and kept for a year. The result indicates that it approximately corresponds to 1.0 of the dose from natural radiation sources. From these estimation results, it is found that all the tritium inventory stored inside 1F never contribute to significant dose increment even when it is instantly released into the area.

(Copepoda) from a deep sediment-trap; Abundance and implications for ecological and biogeochemical studies

Ikenoue, Takahito*; Otosaka, Shigeyoshi*; Honda, Makio*; Kitamura, Minoru*; Mino, Yoshihisa*; Narita, Hisashi*; Kobayashi, Takuya

Frontiers in Marine Science (Internet), 9, p.884320_1 - 884320_11, 2022/05

https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2022.884320

We studied seasonal variations of the mesozooplankton swimmer community collected by a sediment trap moored at 873 m in the Kuroshio & Oyashio Transition region off the east coast of Japan from 5 August 2011 to 23 June 2013. The total flux of mesozooplankton swimmers varied between 0 and 11.1 individuals m-2 d-1, with a mean of 3.1 individuals m-2 d-1 during the sampling period. Among the Copepoda, Neocalanus cristatus was the most dominant taxon. The species composition of the swimmers closely reflected the mid-depth mesozooplankton of the Oyashio region. The fluxes of Neocalanus species reflected ontogenetic vertical migration, but may have been overestimates of active fluxes if they included dormant individuals that accidentally entered the sediment trap.

Estimation of temporal variation of discharged tritium from port of Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant; Analysis of the temporal variation and comparison with released tritium from Japan and major nuclear facilities worldwide

Machida, Masahiko; Iwata, Ayako; Yamada, Susumu; Otosaka, Shigeyoshi*; Kobayashi, Takuya; Funasaka, Hideyuki*; Morita, Takami*

Nihon Genshiryoku Gakkai Wabun Rombunshi, 21(1), p.33 - 49, 2022/03

https://doi.org/10.3327/taesj.J20.036

We estimate monthly discharge inventory of tritium from the port of Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (1F) from Jun 2013 to Mar 2020 by using the Voronoi tessellation scheme, following that the tritium monitoring inside the port has started since Jun 2013. As for the missing period from the initial month, Apr 2011 to May 2013, we calculate it by utilizing the concentration ratio of tritium to that of Cs in stagnant contaminant water during the initial direct discharged period to Jun 2011 and the discharge inventory correlation between tritium and Cs for the next-unknown continuously-discharged period up to May 2013. From the all- estimated results over 9 years, we find that the monthly discharge inventory sharply dropped just after closing the sea-side impermeable sea-wall in Oct. 2015 and subsequently coincided well with the sum of those of drainage and subdrain. By comparing the estimated results with those in the normal operation period before the accident, we point out that the discharge inventory from 1F port is not so large compared to those during the normal operation. Even the estimated one in year 2011 is found to be comparable to the maximum of operating pressurized water reactors discharging relatively large inventory in the order. In the nation level, the whole Japan domestic discharge inventory significantly decreased after the accident due to operation shutdown of most plants. Furthermore, 1F and even Japanese total discharge inventory are found to be entirely minor when comparing those of nuclear reprocessing plants and heavy-water reactors in world-wide level. From the above, we suggest that various scenarios can be openly discussed on the management in tritium stored inside 1F with help of the present estimated data and its comparison with the past discharge inventory.

First isolation and analysis of caesium-bearing microparticles from marine samples in the Pacific coastal area near Fukushima Prefecture

Miura, Hikaru*; Ishimaru, Takashi*; Ito, Yukari*; Kuribara, Yuichi; Otosaka, Shigeyoshi*; Sakaguchi, Aya*; Misumi, Kazuhiro*; Tsumune, Daisuke*; Kubo, Atsushi*; Higaki, Shogo*; et al.

Scientific Reports (Internet), 11, p.5664_1 - 5664_11, 2021/03

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-85085-w

For the first time, we isolated and investigated seven CsMPs (radioactive caesium-bearing microparticles) from marine particulate matter and sediment. From the elemental composition, the Cs/Cs activity ratio, and the Cs activity per unit volume results, we inferred that the five CsMPs collected from particulate matter were emitted from Unit 2 of the FDNPP, whereas the two CsMPs collected from marine sediment were possibly emitted from Unit 3. The presence of CsMPs can cause overestimation of the solid-water distribution coefficient of Cs in marine sediments and particulate matter and a high apparent radiocaesium concentration factor for marine biota. CsMPs emitted from Unit 2, which were collected from the estuary of a river that flowed through a highly contaminated area, may have been deposited on land and then transported by the river. By contrast, CsMPs emitted from Unit 3 were possibly transported eastward by the wind and deposited directly onto the ocean surface.

Seven-year temporal variation of caesium-137 discharge inventory from the port of Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant; Continuous monthly estimation of caesium-137 discharge in the period from April 2011 to June 2018

Machida, Masahiko; Yamada, Susumu; Iwata, Ayako; Otosaka, Shigeyoshi; Kobayashi, Takuya; Watanabe, Masahisa; Funasaka, Hideyuki; Morita, Takami*

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 57(8), p.939 - 950, 2020/08

https://doi.org/10.1080/00223131.2020.1740809

After direct discharges of highly contaminated water of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (1F) from April to May 2011, Kanda suggested that relatively small amounts of run-off of radionuclides from the 1F port into the Fukushima coastal region subsequently continued by his estimation method. However, the estimation period was limited to up to September 2012. Therefore, this paper estimates the discharge inventory up to June 2018. In the missing period, the Japanese government and Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings have continued efforts to stop the discharge, and consequently, the radionuclide concentration in seawater inside the 1F port has gradually diminished. We show the monthly discharge inventory of Cs up to June 2018 by two methods, i.e., Kanda method partially improved by the authors and a more sophisticated method using Voronoi tessellation reflecting the increase in the number of monitoring points inside the 1 F port. The results show that the former always yields overestimated results compared with the latter, but the ratio of the former to the latter is less than one order of magnitude. Using these results, we evaluate the impact of the discharge inventory from the 1F port into the coastal area and radiation dose upon fish ingestion.

Repeatability and reproducibility of measurements of low dissolved radiocesium concentrations in freshwater using different pre-concentration methods

Kurihara, Momo*; Yasutaka, Tetsuo*; Aono, Tatsuo*; Ashikawa, Nobuo*; Ebina, Hiroyuki*; Iijima, Takeshi*; Ishimaru, Kei*; Kanai, Ramon*; Karube, Jinichi*; Konnai, Yae*; et al.

Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry, 322(2), p.477 - 485, 2019/11

https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-019-06696-2

We assessed the repeatability and reproducibility of methods for determining low dissolved radiocesium concentrations in freshwater in Fukushima. Twenty-one laboratories pre-concentrated three of 10 L samples by five different pre-concentration methods (prussian-blue-impregnated filter cartridges, coprecipitation with ammonium phosphomolybdate, evaporation, solid-phase extraction disks, and ion-exchange resin columns), and activity of radiocesium was measured. The z-scores for all of the Cs results were within 2, indicating that the methods were accurate. The relative standard deviations (RSDs) indicating the variability in the results from different laboratories were larger than the RSDs indicating the variability in the results from each separate laboratory.

Distribution and fate of I in the seabed sediment off Fukushima

Otosaka, Shigeyoshi; Sato, Yuhi*; Suzuki, Takashi; Kuwabara, Jun; Nakanishi, Takahiro

Journal of Environmental Radioactivity, 192, p.208 - 218, 2018/12

AA2017-0744.pdf:1.17MB

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvrad.2018.06.025

From August 2011 to October 2013, the concentration of iodine-129 (I) in the seabed sediment collected from 26 stations located within 160 km from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant was estimated. The concentrations of I in seabed sediment off Fukushima in 2011 ranged between 0.02 and 0.45 mBq/kg. Although iodine is a biophilic element, the accident-derived radioiodine negligibly affects the benthic ecosystem. Until October 2013, a slightly increased activity of I in the surface sediment in the shelf-edge region (bottom depth: 200-400 m) was observed. The increase of the I concentrations in the shelf-edge sediments was affected by the (1) transport of I-bound particles from the land through rivers and (2) re-deposition of I desorbed from the contaminated coastal sediment to the shelf-edge sediments, which were considered to be dominant processes.

C and N values of sediment-trap particles in the Japan and Yamato Basins and comparison with the core-top values in the East/Japan Sea

Khim, B.-K.*; Otosaka, Shigeyoshi; Park, K.-A.*; Noriki, Shinichiro*

Ocean Science Journal, 53(1), p.17 - 29, 2018/03

https://doi.org/10.1007/s12601-018-0003-5

Distribution of carbon and nitrogen stable isotope ratios (C, N) in sinking particles collected in four stations in the Japan Sea was summarized. The C and N values in the sinking particles showed a clear seasonal variation, which agreed well with the variation in the chlorophyll a concentration in the surface seawater and in the sinking flux of biogenic particles. In particular, during the highly productive season of phytoplankton, a remarkable isotopic fractionation of N was found in the sinking particles, and it was inferred that the fractionation indicates the degree of nitrogen uptake by diatoms in the surface layer. These results are helpful information for linking the phenomenon in the ocean surface and the isotopic information recorded in the seafloor.

Challenges for enhancing Fukushima environmental resilience, 7; Behavior and abundance of radiocesium in the coastal area off Fukushima

Otosaka, Shigeyoshi; Kobayashi, Takuya; Machida, Masahiko

Nihon Genshiryoku Gakkai-Shi ATOMO, 59(11), p.659 - 663, 2017/11

It is estimated that about 70% of radiocesium released to the environment by the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident was carried to the ocean. In addition to monitoring surveys by the government, oceanographic research by many institutions has revealed the distribution and behavior of the accident-derived radiocesium in the ocean. Numerical simulations are efficiently used in such oceanographic investigations, and further improvements are being made based on findings newly obtained after the accident. In this paper, we review the abundance and behavior of radiocesium in the coastal area of Fukushima, deepen the scientific understanding of the current situation of environmental restoration, and explain the issues to be addressed in the future.