Behavior of radiocesium (Cs) on the coastal seafloor near the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant inferred from radiocesium distributions in long cores

Nakanishi, Takahiro; Tsuruta, Tadahiko; Misono, Toshiharu; Shiribiki, Takehiko; Urabe, Yoshimi*; Sanada, Yukihisa

Journal of Coastal Research, 116(SI), p.161 - 165, 2024/01

https://doi.org/10.2112/JCR-SI116-033.1

Continuous data of Cs-137 concentration in surface seabed sediment around the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP) from 2012 to 2022 was compiled and its temporal change was fitted by exponential function. In general, Cs-137 concentrations were gradually declining with time. However, at some monitoring points in shallow region, long half-lives and/or large deviations of Cs-137 concentrations were noticed. To gain insight into cesium dynamics in shallow seafloor, long sediment cores were collected at shallow region near the FDNPP, and the vertical profiles of Cs-137 concentration and particle size distribution were determined. At the beach, Cs-137 concentration and particle size distribution were very homogenized from several tens of cm to more than 1 m deep, probably due to strong vertical mixing by wind waves and tides. Therefore, beach sediments have significant Cs-137 reserves in deeper layers at present. It was suggested that the Cs-137 supply from deep layers as well as the land area might suppress the decline of surface Cs-137 concentration in this area. At sampling points located at the bases of cliffs and depressions at the offshore zone, the vertical distributions of Cs-137 concentration were highly heterogeneous, showing the particle size dependency. Moreover, Cs-137 profiles obtained at the same point for several years were quite different. Therefore, it might cause the large fluctuation of Cs-137 concentration at surface sediment over time.

Effects of radioactive cesium from suspended matter and fallout on agricultural products

Nihei, Naoto*; Yoshimura, Kazuya

Agricultural Implications of Fukushima Nuclear Accident (IV), p.33 - 40, 2023/09

https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-9361-9_4

Radiation monitoring via manned helicopter around the Nuclear Power Station in the fiscal year 2021 (Contract research)

Futemma, Akira; Sanada, Yukihisa; Nagakubo, Azusa; Kawasaki, Yoshiharu*; Iwai, Takeyuki*; Hiraga, Shogo*; Haginoya, Masashi*; Matsunaga, Yuki*; Akutsu, Yuichiro*; Urabe, Yoshimi*; et al.

JAEA-Technology 2022-027, 148 Pages, 2023/02

JAEA-Technology-2022-027.pdf:19.64MB

By the nuclear disaster of Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station (FDNPS), Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO), caused by the Great East Japan Earthquake and the following tsunami on March 11, 2011, a large amount of radioactive material was released from the FDNPS. After the nuclear disaster, airborne radiation monitoring via manned helicopter has been conducted around FDNPS. The results of the airborne radiation monitoring and the evaluation for temporal change of dose rate in the fiscal 2021 were summarized in this report. Analysis considering topographical effects was applied to the result of the airborne monitoring to improve the accuracy of the conventional method. In addition, technique for discriminating gamma rays from the ground and those from the airborne Rn-progenies was also utilized to evaluate their effect on airborne radiation monitoring.

Remobilisation of radiocaesium from bottom sediments to water column in reservoirs in Fukushima, Japan

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

Science of the Total Environment, 812, p.152534_1 - 152534_10, 2022/03

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.152534

Reservoir sediments generally act as a sink for radionuclides derived from nuclear accidents, but under anaerobic conditions, several radionuclides remobilise in bioavailable form from sediment to water columns, which may contribute to a long-term contamination in aquatic products. This study systematically investigated the Cs activities between sediment and pore water, which is a direct evidence of the remobilisation of bioavailable Cs from sediments, in two highly contaminated reservoirs affected by the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant accident. Our results strongly indicate a competitive ion exchange process between Cs and NH via a highly selective interaction with the frayed edges sites of phyllosilicate minerals to be the major reason for the variability of the Kd values between sediment and pore water, even in the Fukushima case.

Airborne radiation survey after the accident

Torii, Tatsuo*; Sanada, Yukihisa

Behavior of Radionuclides in the Environment III; Fukushima, p.17 - 29, 2022/00

https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-6799-2_3

Airborne radiation survey was conducted to evaluate the influence of radionuclides emitted by the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP) accident. Carrying out airborne radiation surveys using a manned helicopter, the Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) has developed and established an analysis method concurrently with the development of this survey method. In particular, because the background radiation level differs greatly between the East and West regions of Japan, the JAEA has developed a discrimination method for natural radionuclide and cosmic rays using the gamma energy spectra. The reliability of the airborne radiation monitoring data was confirmed through comparison with large amounts of ground measurement data. Here, we report on the measurement technique and the results. The ambient dose rate has been decreased by the increasing attenuation effect due to radioactive cesium penetration into the soil in addition to the physical decay of radioactive cesium. These results indicate the importance of airborne monitoring to evaluate and predict the radiation exposure of residents.

An Effect of forest floor condition on radiocesium outflow in mountainous forest of Fukushima, Japan

Niizato, Tadafumi; Sasaki, Yoshito; Watanabe, Takayoshi; Amamiya, Hiroki*

Dai-31-Kai Shakai Chishitsugaku Shimpojiumu Rombunshu, p.19 - 22, 2021/11

A three-year monitoring of Cs outflow associated with soil erosion from decontaminated and burnt sites using an experimental plot was conducted in a mountainous forest of Fukushima, Japan. Corresponding with recovery of the forest floor cover, such as undergrowth and litter layer, the Cs outflow during the monitoring period in the rainy season of Fukushima decreased from 3.24% to 0.61% and 2.79% to 0.03% in the decontaminated and burnt sites, respectively. The forest floor cover ratio of 60% or more is a threshold for an effect on the Cs outflow in the monitoring sites. In the burnt site, a change of dominant outflowed materials from soil particles into litter and its fragments also contributes to the decreasing in the Cs outflow. A protective function of forest floor cover against the soil erosion inherent in the natural forest environment is effective for the migration control of the Cs outflow.

Dynamics of radiocaesium within forests in Fukushima; Results and analysis of a model inter-comparison

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

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvrad.2021.106721

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.

Development experience for plastic scintillation fiber after the accident of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant

Sanada, Yukihisa

Hokeikyo Nyusu, (68), p.2 - 6, 2021/10

https://www.irm.or.jp/news68.pdf

Due to the impact of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station accident (hereinafter referred to as the power station accident) of Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, Inc., the surrounding environment was contaminated with radioactive substances such as radioactive cesium. After the nuclear power plant accident, plastic scintillation fiber is one of the applied wire and surface radiation measurement techniques. This paper summarizes the development process from a series of development to the introduction of the actual machine.

Mechanism of long-term radiocaesium accumulation in lichens

Dohi, Terumi

Raiken, 21(3), p.29 - 36, 2021/09

no abstracts in English

Dynamics of Cs in water and phyto- and zooplankton in a reservoir affected by the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant Accident

Tsuji, Hideki*; Nakagawa, Megumi*; Iijima, Kazuki; Funaki, Hironori; Yoshimura, Kazuya; Sakuma, Kazuyuki; Hayashi, Seiji*

Global Environmental Research (Internet), 24(2), p.115 - 127, 2021/06

Lake water, phytoplankton and zooplankton were sampled by a total of 12 quarterly surveys from August 2014 to May 2017 at a dam lake in the Fukushima nuclear disaster area, and variations of dissolved form of Cs and planktonic Cs were observed. Seasonal variations in dissolved Cs concentration with high in summer and low in winter were observed in the upstream, midstream and downstream areas of the lake, but no seasonal or site specific differences in planktonic Cs concentrations and dominant species were found. The amount of planktonic form of Cs in the water was less than 1.4% of the total Cs in the lake water, therefore the effect of plankton on the dynamics of Cs in the lake was minimal.