Estimation of microbial biomass based on water-extractable organic matter from air-dried soils from Japanese forests and pasture

Nagano, Hirohiko*; Kanda, Yuki*; Suzuki, Yuri*; Hiradate, Shuntaro*; Koarashi, Jun; Atarashi-Andoh, Mariko; Guo, Z.*

Discover Soil (Internet), 2, p.27_1 - 27_9, 2025/04

https://doi.org/10.1007/s44378-025-00053-4

Quantitative evaluation of carbon dioxide emissions from the subsoils of volcanic and non-volcanic ash soils in temperate forest ecosystems

Abe, Yukiko; Nakayama, Masataka*; Atarashi-Andoh, Mariko; Tange, Takeshi*; Sawada, Haruo*; Liang, N.*; Koarashi, Jun

Geoderma, 455, p.117221_1 - 117221_11, 2025/03

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2025.117221

Subsoils (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.

Large-eddy simulation analysis on the area of influence of local hilly terrains on plume dispersion released from a stack

Sato, Takuto; Goger, B.*; Nakayama, Hiromasa

SOLA (Scientific Online Letters on the Atmosphere) (Internet), 21, p.17 - 23, 2025/01

https://doi.org/10.2151/sola.2025-003

In this study, we conducted large-eddy simulations of turbulent flows and plume dispersion over idealized two-dimensional double steep hills. In the simulations, we investigated the distribution patterns of the mean plume concentrations, considering various distances between the hills and emission sources. Our objective was to provide information on the area of influence of local hilly terrains on plume dispersion from the viewpoint of accuracy, i.e., determining if the conventional Gaussian plume model can accurately predict plume concentrations. The result showed that the clockwise circulation was dominant in the area between the windward and leeward hills (valley) when the valley width was less than 10 times the hill height (). This circulation makes the flow close to the stack remain in the valley, resulting in the higher concentrations in the valley than in wider-valley ( 10 valley) cases. The effect of the leeward hill on the flow field was negligible when the valley width was greater than 10. In the area beyond 20 from the crest of the windward hill, estimated plume spreads for all cases were similar, indicating that the area of influence of the hills was approximately 20.

Biofilm-mediated interactions between plastics and radiocesium in coastal environments

Battulga, B.; Nakanishi, Takahiro; Atarashi-Andoh, Mariko; Otosaka, Shigeyoshi*; Koarashi, Jun

Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 31, p.60080 - 60092, 2024/10

https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-024-35164-y

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.

Quantitative importance of subsoil nitrogen cycling processes in Andosols and Cambisols under temperate forests

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

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apsoil.2024.105485

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.

Records of the riverine discharge of I in riverbank sediment after the Fukushima accident

Nakanishi, Takahiro; Sakuma, Kazuyuki; Oyama, Takuya; Hagiwara, Hiroki; Suzuki, Takashi

Environmental Pollution, 355, p.124213_1 - 124213_7, 2024/08

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2024.124213

This study investigated the transport behavior of I by riverbank surveys conducted from 2013 to 2015 in a watershed where the I/Cs activity ratio is low in the mountainous area and high in the plain as of 2011. Until 2015, the I/Cs activity ratio of the levee crown in the studied watershed was similar to that of the surrounding area in 2011. However, the I/Cs ratios of the surface riverbank sediments were all low, indicating that radionuclides transported from the mountainous area were deposited on the riverbank in the plain. The vertical distribution of the I/Cs ratio in the riverbank sediments indicated that some I and Cs deposited during the accident remained in the lower layers, but most were eroded immediately after the accident. Based on the I/Cs ratios of sediments deposited on the riverbank, which remained constant until 2015 after the accident, the amount of I discharged to the ocean was determined from the previously evaluated Cs discharge. It was calculated that 1.810 Bq and 1.210 Bq of I were discharged with sediment from the studied watershed and the contaminated river watersheds (Abukuma River and Fukushima coastal rivers, including the study river), respectively. The results of this study indicate that the continuous I discharge from the river contribute little to their amount in the seafloor sediments along the Fukushima coast.

Enhancement of modelling approaches for the assessment of radionuclide transfer in the marine environment

Periez, R.*; Bezhenar, R.*; Maderych, V.*; Brovchenko, I.*; Liptak, L.*; Kobayashi, Takuya; Min, B.-I.*; Suh, K. S.*; Little, A.*; Iosjpe, M.*; et al.

IAEA-TECDOC-2060, 55 Pages, 2024/07

https://doi.org/10.61092/iaea.pjuc-aha9

This publication describes the work undertaken by Working Group 7, Assessment of Fate and Transport of Radionuclides Released in the Marine Environment of the IAEA's Modelling and Data for Radiological Impact Assessments (MODARIA II) programme (2016-2019). In MODARIA II, the degree of complexity of the models used was increased in order to effectively consider additional processes, specifically uptake by biota, and the spatiotemporal scales of the simulations were also expanded.

Study on flow and turbulence characteristics measured by an on-site meteorological station at a nuclear facility for a real-time atmospheric dispersion simulation

Nakayama, Hiromasa; Kono, Takaaki*

Proceedings of 22nd International Conference on Harmonisation within Atmospheric Dispersion Modelling for Regulatory Purposes (HARMO22), 4 Pages, 2024/06

In safety and consequence assessment of nuclear facilities at short distances up to several kilo-meters from an emission source under normal operation or accident conditions, it is important to accurately and quickly predict air concentrations. We developed a real-time calculation method by coupling the three-dimensional (3D) wind observation with Doppler lidar and pre-calculated LES-database. In this study, we first analyze one-year meteorological data at a nuclear facility site and then classify the turbulence intensity for improving a real-time atmospheric dispersion simulation model.

Large-Eddy Simulation of plume dispersion in a turbulent boundary layer flow generated by a dynamically controlled recycling method

Nakayama, Hiromasa; Takemi, Tetsuya*

Atmospheric Science Letters, 25(4), p.e1204_1 - e1204_9, 2024/04

https://doi.org/10.1002/asl.1204

We proposed a dynamically controlled recycling method. The magnitude of turbulent fluctuations is dynamically controlled to match with the target turbulence statistics using a turbulence enhancement coefficient based on the ratio of the target to the computed values. When compared to the recommended data of Engineering Science Data Unit (ESDU) 85020, the turbulence characteristics were quantitatively generated well. Furthermore, the spanwise and vertical plume spreads were also reproduced well. It is concluded that the dynamically controlled recycling method successfully simulates plume dispersion in a neutral turbulent boundary layer.

Investigations and consideration on contamination inspection and decontamination criteria at a nuclear emergency

Togawa, Orihiko; Hokama, Tomonori; Hiraoka, Hirokazu; Saito, Shota

JAEA-Research 2023-011, 78 Pages, 2024/03

JAEA-Research-2023-011.pdf:2.09MB

When radionuclides are released into the atmospheric environment at a nuclear emergency, protective measures such as evacuation and temporal relocation are carried out using motor vehicles such as private cars and buses to reduce radiation exposure to residents. To confirm conditions of contamination for the evacuated/relocated residents and the used motor vehicles, contamination inspection is conducted in the middle of the route from border areas of Nuclear Emergency Planning Zone to evacuation shelters. In the present inspection in Japan, a value of OIL4 = 40,000 cpm is used as decontamination criteria. For the details and derivation methods of the value, however, no official documents are found which give systematically detailed descriptions and explanation. It is also recognized that even few experts on nuclear emergencies can explain these subjects in detail as a whole. In order to explain scientifically and technically the OIL4 value of decontamination criteria used in contamination inspection in Japan, this report aims at investigating and estimating the deviation methods of OIL4, and examining and considering these results. To achieve the objectives, we show the bases for decontamination criteria, and investigate and estimate the derivation methods for limits of a surface contamination density corresponding to the generic criteria for each exposure pathway. Moreover, we give the OIL4 value some consideration and suggestions from a viewpoint of positioning and feature of OIL4 in Japan, and cautionary points at revising the value.