Abstract
The effects of the Japanese horned beetle larvae on the transfer of 137Cs from a contaminated leaf litter to the leaf vegetable, komatsuna (Brassica rapa var. perviridis) was studied. Feces of the larvae which were fed 137Cs-contaminated leaf litter were added to a potting mix in which komatsuna plants were cultivated. The presence of feces increased the harvest yield of komatsuna, suggesting that feces provided nutrients for the plant growth. In addition, the amount of exchangeable 137Cs in leaf litter was experimentally confirmed to be enhanced by the presence of feces which were excreted by larvae feeding. However, there was no difference in the soil-to-plant transfer factor of 137Cs for the presence and absence of feces. Interactions between clay minerals and exchangeable 137Cs in the soil beneath the litter layer may diminish the root uptake of 137Cs. From these results, it was concluded that the effect of exchangeable 137Cs released from feces was limited for the transfer of 137Cs to plants if plant roots were not present in litter layers.
Highlights
Large amounts of radionuclides were released to the environment by the accident at TEPCO’s Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP) after the Tohoku earthquake on 11 March 2011
Some of the contaminated leaves have since fallen from the trees, and have formed leaf litter with decomposed humus on forest floors which currently constitute the main sink for 137Cs7
The main function of decomposition processes in forest ecosystems is the release of nutrients from litters[8], and some of these nutrients, including radiocesium, will be taken up by plants and trees
Summary
Large amounts of radionuclides were released to the environment by the accident at TEPCO’s Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP) after the Tohoku earthquake on 11 March 2011. Forests supply products such as mushrooms, wild plant shoots, and game animals The contamination of these wild foods by radiocesium is a major public concern because they present a possible route for radiocesium to enter the human food chain. To reduce this concern, and to ensure better decontamination measures, it is important to understand the behavior of 137Cs in forest ecosystems. The Japanese horned beetle, Trypoxylus dichotomus, widely inhabits forests in Japan Their larvae are saprophagous and feed on and decompose decaying plant materials and leaf litters. The concentrations of 137Cs in plants and potting mixes were measured, and soil-plant transfer factors were determined
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