Contamination processes of tree components in Japanese forest ecosystems affected by the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident Cs fallout

Ota, Masakazu; Koarashi, Jun

Science of the Total Environment, 816, p.151587_1 - 151587_21, 2022/04

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.151587

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.

Status of study of long-term assessment of transport of radioactive contaminants in the environment of Fukushima (FY2018) (Translated document)

Nagao, Fumiya; Niizato, Tadafumi; Sasaki, Yoshito; Ito, Satomi; Watanabe, Takayoshi; Dohi, Terumi; Nakanishi, Takahiro; Sakuma, Kazuyuki; Hagiwara, Hiroki; Funaki, Hironori; et al.

JAEA-Research 2020-007, 249 Pages, 2020/10

JAEA-Research-2020-007.pdf:15.83MB

The accident of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station, Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, Inc. occurred due to the Great East Japan Earthquake, Sanriku offshore earthquake, of 9.0 magnitude and the accompanying tsunami. As a result, large amount of radioactive materials was released into the environment. Under these circumstances, Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) has been conducting "Long-term Assessment of Transport of Radioactive Contaminants in the Environment of Fukushima" concerning radioactive materials released in environment, especially migration behavior of radioactive cesium since November 2012. This report is a summary of the research results that have been obtained in environmental dynamics research conducted by JAEA in Fukushima Prefecture.

Characterizing vertical migration of Cs in organic layer and mineral soil in Japanese forests; Four-year observation and model analysis

Muto, Kotomi; Atarashi-Andoh, Mariko; Matsunaga, Takeshi*; Koarashi, Jun

Journal of Environmental Radioactivity, 208-209, p.106040_1 - 106040_10, 2019/11

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvrad.2019.106040

Vertical distributions of Cs in the soil profile were observed at five forest sites with different vegetation types for 4.4 years after the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant accident, and Cs migration in the organic layer and mineral soil was analyzed based on a comparison of models and observations. Cesium-137 migration from the organic layer was faster than that observed in European forests, suggesting that the mobility and bioavailability of Cs could be suppressed rapidly in Japanese forests. The diffusion coefficients of Cs in the mineral soil were estimated to be 0.042-0.55 cmy, which were roughly comparable with those of European forest soils affected by the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant accident. Model predictions indicated Cs mainly distributed in the surface mineral soil at 10 years after the accident. It suggest that the Cs deposited onto Japanese forest ecosystems will be retained in the surface layers of mineral soil for a long time.

Status of study of long-term assessment of transport of radioactive contaminants in the environment of Fukushima (FY2018)

Nagao, Fumiya; Niizato, Tadafumi; Sasaki, Yoshito; Ito, Satomi; Watanabe, Takayoshi; Dohi, Terumi; Nakanishi, Takahiro; Sakuma, Kazuyuki; Hagiwara, Hiroki; Funaki, Hironori; et al.

JAEA-Research 2019-002, 235 Pages, 2019/08

JAEA-Research-2019-002.pdf:21.04MB

The accident of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station (hereinafter referred to 1F), Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, Inc. occurred due to the Great East Japan Earthquake, Sanriku offshore earthquake, of 9.0 magnitude and the accompanying tsunami. As a result, large amount of radioactive materials was released into the environment. Under these circumstances, JAEA has been conducting Long-term Environmental Dynamics Research concerning radioactive materials released in environment, especially migration behavior of radioactive cesium since November 2012. This report is a summary of the research results that have been obtained in environmental dynamics research conducted by JAEA in Fukushima Prefecture.

Event sequence analyses of a forest fire heat effect on a sodium-cooled fast reactor for an external hazard PRA methodology development

Okano, Yasushi; Yamano, Hidemasa

Proceedings of 10th Japan-Korea Symposium on Nuclear Thermal Hydraulics and Safety (NTHAS-10) (USB Flash Drive), 9 Pages, 2016/11

This paper deals with an event sequence by forest fire heat effect on a decay heat removal function of a sodium-cooled fast reactor. Related to the potential vulnerability, an event scenario was developed using conservative assumptions. An event tree was developed with an initiating event of the loss of off-site power, and the headings are related to "external diesel fuel tanks", "emergency diesel generator and its auxiliary system", "alternative cooling system and its power source", and "decay heat air cooler". A failure probability on each heading was given from a fragility curve as a function of reaction intensity or by assumptions based on conservative models. A core damage frequency, under the conditional of the loss of off-site power, was conservatively evaluated around 10/year. A key heading in the event tree with large effect on the frequency is the intactness of the external diesel fuel tanks.

Impact assessment of the forest fires on Oarai Research and Development Center Waste Treatment Facility

Shimomura, Yusuke; Hanari, Akira*; Sato, Isamu*; Kitamura, Ryoichi

JAEA-Technology 2015-062, 47 Pages, 2016/03

JAEA-Technology-2015-062.pdf:1.85MB

In response to new standards for regulating waste management facilities, it was carried out impact assessment of forest fires on the waste management facilities existed in Oarai Research and Development Center of Japan Atomic Energy Agency. At first, a fire spread scenario of forest fires was assumed. The intensity of forest fires was evaluated from field surveys, forest fire evaluation models and so on. As models of forest fire intensity evaluation, Rothermel Model and Canadian Forest Fire Behavior Prediction (FBP) System were used. Impact assessment of radiant heat to the facilities was carried out, and temperature change of outer walls for the assumed forest fires was estimated. The outer wall temperature of facilities was estimated around 160C at the maximum, it was revealed that it doesn't reach allowable temperature limit. Consequently, it doesn't influence the strength of concrete. In addition, a probability of fire breach was estimated to be about 20%. This report illustrates an example of evaluation of forest fires for the new regulatory standards through impact assessment of the forest fires on the waste management facilities.

Variation of C, Cs and stable carbon composition in forest soil and its implications

Guo, J.; Atarashi-Andoh, Mariko; Amano, Hikaru

Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry, 255(1), p.223 - 229, 2003/01

https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1022281226010

Soil organic matter content, C, C and Cs radioactivity were determined in 3 undisturbed forest soil profiles in Ibaraki prefecture, Japan to estimate C migration in surface environment. The Cs data illustrate that no disturbance has occurred during past years in 3 soil profiles. The peak values are observed in the top 10 cm of the soil profiles. C activities were determined with fast bomb combustion-liquid scintillation counting method. C determination shows that C also has peak values in the top 10 cm of the soil profiles ascribed to the highest bomb C level in 1960's.C values continuously decreased with increasing soil depth. Enrichment of deeper soils in isotope ratio probably results from discrimination against C during mineralization and loss of isotopically lighter carbon from soils due to root uptake, leaching etc.It shows that C is an excellent indicator of soil carbon turnover and belowground process.

CPU load prediction on heterogeneous distributed computing environments using dataFOREST data-mining tool

Moda, Yukimitsu*; Hayashi, Takuya*; Koide, Hiroshi; Kashima, Toru*; Tsutsui, Hiroaki*; Kasahara, Hironori*

Joho Shori Gakkai Dai-62-Kai (Heisei-13-Nen Zenki) Zenkoku Taikai Koen Rombunshu, p.1_131 - 1_132, 2001/03

no abstracts in English

Results of field tracer experiments in a pine forest, 1; Vertical diffusion from line sources

Yamazawa, Hiromi; ; Chino, Masamichi; Hayashi, Takashi; ; ; Kojima, Hiromi*;

JAERI-Data/Code 95-012, 65 Pages, 1995/09

JAERI-Data-Code-95-012.pdf:2.24MB

no abstracts in English

Using PHITS to calculate ambient dose equivalent rates in radiocesium contaminated forests

Malins, A.; Imamura, Naohiro*; Niizato, Tadafumi; Kim, M.; Sakuma, Kazuyuki; Shinomiya, Yoshiki*; Miura, Satoru*; Machida, Masahiko

no journal, , 

Changes in the concentrations of radioactive cesium outflowed from the steep mountainous forest of Abukuma Mountains, released by Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident

Ishii, Yasuo; Watanabe, Takayoshi; Oyama, Takuya; Sasaki, Yoshito; Abe, Hironobu; Mitachi, Katsuaki; Niizato, Tadafumi

no journal, , 

Mountainous forest is currently one of the most important sources of radioactive cesium released from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident in Fukushima prefecture, which was covered approximately 70% of the land area by the forest. This study reports the changes in concentrations of radioactive cesium in sediments outflowed from the steep mountainous forest of the Abukuma Mountains, Fukushima, during September - December 2015.