Radioactivity data analysis of 137Cs in marine sediments near severely damaged Chernobyl and Fukushima nuclear power plants

Abstract

Abstract Using several accessible published data sets, we analyzed the temporal change of 137Cs radioactivity (per unit mass of sample) in marine sediments and investigated the effect of the water content of sediment on the 137Cs radioactivity, to understand the behavior of 137Cs present in marine environments. The 137Cs radioactivity in sediments decreased more slowly in the Baltic Sea (near the Chernobyl nuclear power plant) than in the ocean near the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant (FDNPP). The 137Cs radioactivity in the sediment near the FDNPP tended to increase as the water content increased, and the water content decreased at certain sampling sites near the FDNPP for several years. Additionally, the decrease in the water content contributed to 51.2% of the average 137Cs radioactivity decrease rate for the same period. Thus, it may be necessary to monitor both the 137Cs radioactivity and the water content for marine sediments to track the 137Cs that was discharged from the sites of Chernobyl and Fukushima nuclear power plants where severe accidents occurred.