Ethanol Production from Rice on Radioactively Contaminated Field toward Sustainable Rice Farming

Abstract

Radioactive species such as 137Cs were discharged from Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant which was severely damaged by the enormous earthquake and tsunami. Cropland has been radioactively contaminated by 137Cs etc. and it seems impossible to plant rice due to the non-suitability for food. According to the reports, 137Cs transferred into the rice from soil is less than 1% on the average. Therefore, it is expected that the concentration of 137Cs in bioethanol will be well below the tentative restriction value even if bioethanol could be produced from the rice. It is proposed that the rice field should be filled with water to avoid the flow of runoff contaminated by radioactive cesium compounds because they are insoluble in aqueous phase and that bioethanol should be produced from the rice in order to maintain the multifunction of rice field and to continue the agriculture. If rice farming is halted and neglected, agricultural function of rice field as well as local community will be permanently destroyed.