Abstract
The Tokyo Electric Power Company Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant in Fukushima-Ken (Prefecture), Japan, was destroyed in March 2011 due to a massive earthquake (magnitude 9) centred offshore to the northeast of Honshu Island and the subsequent historic tsunami on 11 March 2011. Due to nuclear meltdown, damage to the buildings housing the reactors by hydrogen explosions, and the contamination of cooling water from the reactor cores, huge quantities of radioisotopes were emitted to the atmosphere and to the adjacent seawater. Fishing is currently prohibited off the coast of Fukushima-Ken because intermittent surveys have found that the majority of fishery products still contain radioisotope levels exceeding the Japanese Standard Value. However, the total amount of caesium radioisotopes in fish biomass in the Fukushima-Ken Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) has not yet been reported. The Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology has measured radioisotope levels in fishery species off Iwaki-Shi (City), Fukushima-Ken (located south of the destroyed nuclear power plant), and these data can be used to estimate the total fish biomass and the quantity of caesium radioisotopes in fish in the Fukushima-Ken EEZ. On 22 to 23 November 2012, the estimated total fish biomass in the Fukushima-Ken EEZ was 91,150,218.79 kg and the estimated total quantities of Cs-134 and Cs-137 in fish were 4,879,259,657 Bq and 8,381,002,727 Bq, respectively. Key words: Nuclear power plant, Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), radioisotope.
Highlights
The Tokyo Electric Power Company Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant, located in Futaba-Gun (County), Fukushima-Ken (Prefecture), Japan, was destroyed inMarch 2011 due to a massive earthquakecentred offshore to the northeast of Honshu Island and the subsequent historic tsunami on 11 March, 2011
Cores, huge quantities of radioisotopes were emitted to the atmosphere and to the adjacent seawater
Fishing is currently prohibited off the coast of Fukushima-Ken because intermittent surveys have found that the majority of fishery products still contain radioisotope levels exceeding the Japanese Standard Value
Summary
The Tokyo Electric Power Company Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant, located in Futaba-Gun (County), Fukushima-Ken (Prefecture), Japan, was destroyed in. The total quantity of fishery resources and the estimated total quantity of caesium radioisotopes in fish biomass in the Fukushima-Ken EEZ after 11 March, have not been reported (Wan et al, 2012) This information is important to Japanese residents and to residents of other countries. Science and Technology performed an independent sampling measure radioisotope levels in fishery species off Iwaki-Shi (City), Fukushima-Ken (located south of the destroyed nuclear power plant). These data included detailed measurements of individual fish, such as weight, sex, length, and collection locality.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have