Abstract
Nuclear power plant accidents have dispersed radiocesium into the atmosphere to contaminate trees with no turnover in heartwood, as occurred in Fukushima, and as has persisted for over 30 years around Chernobyl. Here we employ the ponding method, in which radiocesium can be flushed out from the cross-cut edges of Japanese cedar, Cryptomeria japonica (L.f.) D. Don., stem with water due to xyloglucan degradation in tracheids. Furthermore, lab-scale ponding experiments have shown that a non-detectable level of radiocesium has been observed not only in the pool water used for 575 days but also in the water containing recombinant xyloglucanase. This traditional technology is now a new biotechnology.
Highlights
The meltdown and subsequent hydrogen explosion at the Fukushima nuclear power plant inJapan in March 2011 dispersed tremendous amounts of radionuclides into humans, forests, and other objects [1]
575 of days of process caused a decrease in radiocesium in both and the 575 days ponding followed by vertical draining, radiocesium was almost completely removed from the ponding followed by vertical draining, radiocesium was almost completely removed from the 2-m 2-m the of level of which had dropped to approximately
Our study revealed that xyloglucan is the first target in the pit membranes, the degradation of which effectively aids in the removal of radiocesium from stem wood and accelerates water flow
Summary
The meltdown and subsequent hydrogen explosion at the Fukushima nuclear power plant inJapan in March 2011 dispersed tremendous amounts of radionuclides into humans, forests, and other objects [1]. Radiocesium is recycled among other forest components—such as living plant tissues, leaf litter, mulch, and soil—once it enters the heartwood, there is no more turnover, and it continues to accumulate [6]. This has made it very difficult to remove radiocesium from living tree plants, though we attempted to use a foliar spray of potassium solution applied by hand and by radio-controlled helicopter in a small forest, as well as the direct injection of potassium solution into tree trunks over several years
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