Fukushima-derived Cs Research Articles

Spatiotemporal variations in vertical profiles of Fukushima-derived 137Cs in the Kuroshio-Oyashio confluence region from 2011 to 2018: Implications for local water mass dynamics and basin-scale circulations

Tracking the processes of the spread of Fukushima-derived 137Cs (137CsF) contributes to a better understanding of North Pacific water dynamics. In this study, the vertical distributions of 137Cs and 90Sr in the Kuroshio-Oyashio confluence region were investigated in May 2018, and 137CsF was separated from the background 137Cs by exploiting the constant global fallout 137Cs/90Sr ratio. To the north of 35°N, 137CsF peaked in the upper 100 m layer, whereas in and just south of the Kuroshio Extension (KE), 137CsF exhibited subsurface peaks at depths of 300–500 m. The T/S diagram indicated that the 137CsF maxima were distributed mainly within the range of lighter central mode water (L-CMW) during May 2018, even in and just south of the KE. We found that anticyclonic (cyclonic) eddies can promote (prevent) the intrusion of 137CsF into the ocean interior. In addition, the high activity of regional anticyclonic eddies in the upstream KE resulted in the modification of 137CsF-rich subtropical mode water (STMW) to L-CMW. Temporal changes in the 137CsF vertical profiles and inventories revealed that 137CsF in transitional and subarctic regions has increased since July 2014, implying the existence of additional sources of 137CsF after July 2014, whereas 137CsF in and just south of the KE has remained constant since July 2014, indicating that the 137CsF entrained by STMW has recirculated in the western subtropical gyre. The comparison between surface 137CsF concentrations in transitional and subarctic regions and those observed in Oyashio waters during 2018 did not support the return of 137CsF to our study area via the western or whole subarctic gyre by May 2018. In contrast, the sea surface height distributions from 2016 to 2017 provide clear evidence that the warm-core rings and quasistationary Isoguchi western jet generated from the Kuroshio Current and KE intruded into the transitional region and even into the subarctic region. Therefore, we concluded that a portion of the 137CsF that subducted into the subtropical western North Pacific during 2011–2012 have entered the transition zone and even the subarctic region since 2016. These results not only enhance our understanding of the protracted spread and fate of 137CsF in the North Pacific but also provide important insights into North Pacific water mass circulation and mixing patterns.

Transport and fate of Fukushima-derived 137Cs and 134Cs in the seawater of theNorthwest Pacific in 2015.

To understand the influence of the Fukushima accident on the Northwest Pacific, the distributions and transportations of 134Cs and 137Cs in the seawater in the Northwest Pacific in May and September 2015 were studied. The data showed that the Fukushima-derived 134Cs and 137Cs at some stations can still be distinguished from background level ~ 4years later. On the whole, the activities of 137Cs and 134Cs in seawater were decreasing from May to Sep 2015. But the increased inventories and the surface activities of 137Cs imply that there has ever been an extra 137Cs from offshore water transported to this study area (from 31° N to 27° N, 145° E to 152.5° E) in May 2015. The average activities of 137Cs in subtropical gyre area in south of KE were the highest and the least were to the east of Luzon Strait in 2015. In vertical direction, 137Cs in subtropical gyre area were mainly distributed at 100 ~ 500m layer and 137Cs only at 500m layer in this area showed an increasing trend from May to Sep 2015 which reflects more 137Cs were still penetrating to deeper layer of 500m from upper water. But they were almost not found below 1000m layer. It was associated with the subsurface transport of radiocesiums by Northwest Pacific Mode Water (NPMW) and the diffusion of mesoscale eddy. Different distribution characteristics of 137Cs existed between north of KE and south of KE. The low-temperature-low-salinity water mass likely to be the first Oyashio Intrusion was the main factor that resulted in higher 137Cs appearing at the upper 100m layers in north of KE.

Continuous southwestward spread of Fukushima-derived 137Cs in the subtropical western North Pacific and its intrusion flux into the South China Sea

We provide transect profiles of 137Cs and 90Sr along 146.5°E, 136°E and 21°N in the subtropical western North Pacific (WNP) during May 2018. Exploiting the constant global fallout 137Cs/90Sr ratio, we separated Fukushima-derived 137Cs (137CsF) from background 137Cs. At most stations, 137CsF exhibited only one subsurface peak at 300 m depth, corresponding to subtropical mode water (STMW); however, at 25–28°N along 146.5°E and 25–26°N along 136°E, 137CsF exhibited two subsurface peaks, with another peak occurring at 500 m depth, corresponding to lighter central mode water (L-CMW). Temporal changes in 137CsF vertical profiles showed that 137CsF entrained by STMW has recirculated within the western subtropical gyre, while 137CsF entrained by L-CMW has turned southwestward and arrived the western basin in 2018. In the Luzon Strait, the entrance to the South China Sea (SCS), subsurface 137Cs increased since 2013 and peaked in approximately 2018. The estimated amount of 137CsF entering the SCS during 2013–2019 was 0.33 ± 0.10 PBq, equivalent to 1.7–2.2% of total leakage of 137CsF into the ocean. These results enhance our understanding of the protracted spread and fate of 137CsF in the subtropical WNP.

Mass balance and latest fluxes of radiocesium derived from the fukushima accident in the western North Pacific Ocean and coastal regions of Japan

This article summarizes and discusses mass balance calculations of the activities of Fukushima-derived 137Cs released to the atmosphere and ocean prior to 2018 as well as the 137Cs inventories on land and in the ocean, biota, and sediment. We propose that the consensus value of the total amount of 137Cs released to the atmosphere was 15–21 PBq; atmospheric deposition of 137Cs on land was 3–6 PBq; atmospheric deposition of 137Cs on the North Pacific was 12–15 PBq; and direct discharge of 137Cs to the ocean was 3–6 PBq. We also evaluated the movement of 137Cs from one domain to another for several years after the accident. We calculated that the amount of 137Cs transported by rivers might be 40 TBq. The annual deposition of 137Cs due to resuspension at Okuma during the period 2014–2018 was 4–10 TBq year−1. The 137Cs discharged to the ocean was 0.73–1.0 TBq year−1 in 2016–2018. The integrated amount of FNPP1-derived 137Cs that entered the Sea of Japan from the Pacific Ocean from 2011 until 2017 was 270 ± 20 TBq, 6.4% of the estimated amount of FNPP1-derived 137Cs in Subtropical Mode Water in the North Pacific. The integrated amount of FNPP1-derived 137Cs that returned to the North Pacific Ocean through the Tsugaru Strait from the Sea of Japan was 110 ± 10 TBq. Decontamination efforts removed 134 TBq of 137Cs from surface soil prior to February 2019, an amount that corresponded to 4% of the137Cs deposited on land in Japan.

Temporal distribution of Fukushima-derived 137Cs in coniferous forest soil evaluated based on compartment-exponential model

Based on the compartment and exponential models, the distribution of Fukushima-derived 137Cs was evaluated at four sampling dates in undisturbed coniferous forest soil. The compartment model was employed to evaluate the dynamic of 137Cs in the three sub-sections of the forest floor (FF), namely undergrowth (UG), litter layer (OL), and fragmented litter layer (OF), while the exponential model was administrated to describe its distribution below the FF. According to the compartment model, the derived ecological half-life of 137Cs in the UG, OL, and OF layers was 0.97, 1.1, and 4.9 years, respectively, indicating 137Cs resides much longer in the OF layer. Hence, this soil section remains a potential source of radiation dose mainly due to its high 137Cs content associated with low attenuation effect. Below the OF layer, the 137Cs distribution was well described by exponential model and its derived relaxation lengths were in the range of 0.8-1.4 cm, implying the migration of 137Cs in mineral soil is very slow and almost intact during the observation time. Collectively, our results highlighted that the compartment model for the FF and the exponential model for the soil below the FF are adequate enough to generate essential information. Thus, the potential decontamination measures should have to be chosen on their effect on the FF's 137Cs. Graphical abstract.

Dosimetric depth distribution of Fukushima-derived 137Cs in coniferous forest soil

The ambient dose rate (ADR) in a coniferous forest floor contaminated by Fukushima-derived 137Cs was calculated for small temporal scale as a function of depth. The calculated total ADR was statistically evaluated along the soil vertical strata and among the sampling time series. Moreover, the contribution of the forest floor components to the total radiation dose were examined. Accordingly, the litter and fragmented organic layers accounted for about 58 to 96% (mean 77 ± 14%) of the ambient dose, indicating the organic layer is a chief sources of external radiation exposure, and an important radiological soil section.

Impact of forest thinning on the dynamics of litterfall derived 137Cs deposits in coniferous forest floor after Fukushima accident

The effects of a 50% forest thinning intensity on Fukushima-derived 137Cs deposition by litterfall and its discharge by runoff in hillslope coniferous forest were monitored using four litterfall traps and a hillslope erosion plot. The observation was underway during the pre-and post-thinning periods. Results demonstrated that during the pre-thinning period a total 150 ± 13 g m−2 of litterfall deposited about 924 ± 69 Bq m−2 of 137Cs. This accounts for 11% of the local 137Cs fallout recorded for the study site in the aftermath of the accident. After thinning, both litterfall and 137Cs increased by more than six- and two-fold, respectively. This is possibly owing to the slow individual tree recovery rate assisted by the change on the running space provided by canopy openings, which can accelerate even the normal gust wind to gain damaging power on the unshielded mechanically injured parts of the contaminated residual trees. In both cases, litterfall generally transferred about 37% (3 ± 0.2 kBq m−2) of the local 137Cs fallout onto the forest floor over the observation period. The eroded litter-associated 137Cs increased by about a factor of two after thinning, which only accounted for less than 1% of 137Cs deposited by litterfall. This implies that the forest floor retains 137Cs and remains contaminated regardless of the size of the eroded litter material. But this could become a potential secondary contamination source for the downstream resources such as water bodies and villages, especially at the time of flooding, which in turn calls a serious attention in designing decontamination schemes.

Land use types control solid wash-off rate and entrainment coefficient of Fukushima-derived 137Cs, and their time dependence

Understanding solid 137Cs wash-off in sediment sources is important for predicting radiological risks in zones contaminated by the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant accident. Yoshimura et al. (2015) studied solid 137Cs wash-off using soil erosion plots representing different land uses in Fukushima. However, temporal trends of 137Cs activity concentration in sediments remained unclear owing to the short duration of their observations. This study is a follow-up to that of Yoshimura et al. (2015) and provides additional observations that test the dependency of temporal variations in 137Cs activity concentration in sediment and solid wash-off processes of 137Cs on land use types. Eight soil erosion plots were observed, and data from 2011 to 2014 were analyzed. A normalized 137Cs solid entrainment coefficient, defined as Sc (m2 kg−1), was calculated by dividing 137Cs activity concentration in sediment by initial 137Cs deposition. A particle size-corrected Sc, defined as Sccorrect (m2 kg−1), was also calculated based on granulometry. Sediment quantity-weighted mean values of Sc and Sccorrect, ranged from 0.0072 to 0.084 m2 kg−1 and 0.0052–0.078 m2 kg−1, respectively. Annual wash-off rates of solid 137Cs were 0.0029–12% year−1. There was no significant decreasing trend in Sc or Sccorrect on most of the plots due to its huge variability. However, on an uncultivated farmland after the removal of surface vegetation, marked surface erosion including formation of rill network was found, and Sccorrect significantly decreased as the cumulative sediment discharge increased. Our follow-up observations suggest that temporal changes in 137Cs activity concentration in sediment at the sediment source should be controlled by soil erosion processes and their intensity.

Estimation of the air kerma rate from <sub>137</sub>Cs and <sub>134</sub>Cs deposited on the ground in the Sakhalin region of Russia after the Fukushima accident

Previous studies conducted by the Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Well-Being (Rospotrebnadzor) in Sakhalin Region, Russia in 2011–2012 have shown that soils on the southern Kuril Islands were contaminated with 137Cs and 134Cs due to the accident at the Fukushima-1 NPP. In this study, we evaluated the air kerma rate from 137Cs and 134Cs using earlier published data on the vertical distribution of Fukushima-derived radiocaesium in the soil at grasslands on the islands of Kunashir, Shikotan and Iturup. The air kerma rate due to gamma-rays from pre-Fukushima 137Cs was estimated as well. In the period from May 2011 to September 2012, the air kerma rate due to the fresh fallout of radioactive caesium varied from 0.31 to 0.84 nGy h−1. On average, the contribution of the radiation from Fukushima-derived 134Cs and 137Cs to the total air kerma rate from radioactive cesium was 35% in the fall of 2011 and 25% in the fall of 2012. The mean normalized kerma rate from Fukushima-derived 137Cs was estimated at a level of 1.63 nGy h−1 per kBq m−2 in mid-May 2011, 1.53 nGy h−1 per kBq m−2 in autumn 2011 and 1.45 nGy h−1 per kBq m−2 in autumn 2012. The mean normalized air kerma rate from pre-Fukushima 137Cs at reference undisturbed grasslands was estimated as 0.77 nGy h−1 per kBq m−2. The results of our calculations of the air kerma rate from Fukushima-derived 137Cs were in good agreement with the forecast of the 2013 UNSCEAR model, which was used to estimate the external doses of the Japanese population after the Fukushima accident. For pre-Fukushima 137Cs, the UNSCEAR model underestimated the calculated normalized air kerma rates in Sakhalin Region by approximately 40%. Our calculations showed that, overall, the aboveground biomass of herbaceous plants had practically no effect on the air kerma rate from radioactive cesium contained in the soil. The fallout of 134Cs and 137Cs after the accident at the Fukushima-1 NPP did not lead to any significant increase in the gamma dose rate in the air at grasslands on Kuril Islands. In 2019–2020, the contribution of radiocaesium to the total gamma dose rate in air will not exceed 5%.

FUKUSHIMA FALLOUT IN SAKHALIN REGION, RUSSIA, PART 3: 137CS AND 134CS IN COW’S MILK

The study was conducted on Kunashir, Shikotan and Iturup Islands (Sakhalin Region of Russia) in order to evaluate the impact of the Fukushima accident on the “soil–grass–cow’s milk” exposure pathway. A total of 22 samples of cow’s milk were collected in the May 2011 – September 2012 period. Radiocaesium was isolated from thermally treated specimens using the antimony–iodide radiochemical method. The activity concentrations of 134Cs and 137Cs were measured by γ-ray spectrometry using high purity germanium detectors. Caesium-134 was detected in 18 of the total 22 samples of milk. The activity concentration of 134Cs in the samples varied from 0.08 Bq kg–1 to 2.00 Bq kg–1. Caesium-137 was quantified in all 22 samples: range = 0.088–2.43 Bq kg–1. On average, more than a half of the total 137Cs in the milk samples from Sakhalin Region was of Fukushima origin (mean = 60%, median = 57%, range = 13–95%). The highest activity concentrations and values of the soil–to–milk aggregated transfer coefficient, Tag, for 134Cs (and Fukushimaderived 137Cs) were observed in milk samples collected in mid-May 2011. The mean Tag values decreased in the May–October period of 2011 from 12 × 10−3 m2 kg–1 to 2.3 × 10−3 m2 kg–1. In September 2012, the Tag values remained unchanged (mean = 2.8 × 10−3 m2 kg–1) compared to those in September–October 2011. In the autumns of 2011 and 2012, the calculated values of Tag for Fukushima-derived radiocaesium were on average 17 times larger than the ones for pre-Fukushima 137Cs. The higher transfer of Fukushima-derived 137Cs (compared to pre-Fukushima 137Cs) for milk reflected the difference between the “new” and “aged” radiocaesium in the intensity of the radionuclide transfer from soil to grassland plants which were the major component of the cow’s diet in the area of our study. The ratio between the 137Cs activity concentration in the milk (fresh weight) and that in the grassland plants (dry weight) ranged from 0.028 to 0.11. The effective dose from ingestion of Fukushima-derived radiocaesium in locally produced cow’s milk for critical group of adult residents of the southern Kuril in the first year after the accident is conservatively estimated as 0.0027 mSv. The Fukushima accident has had a negligible impact on radiocaesium contamination of cow’s milk and the corresponding human exposure on the southern Kuril Islands: Shikotan, Kunashir and Iturup .

Unexpected source of Fukushima-derived radiocesium to the coastal ocean of Japan

There are 440 operational nuclear reactors in the world, with approximately one-half situated along the coastline. This includes the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP), which experienced multiple reactor meltdowns in March 2011 followed by the release of radioactivity to the marine environment. While surface inputs to the ocean via atmospheric deposition and rivers are usually well monitored after a nuclear accident, no study has focused on subterranean pathways. During our study period, we found the highest cesium-137 (137Cs) levels (up to 23,000 Bq⋅m-3) outside of the FDNPP site not in the ocean, rivers, or potable groundwater, but in groundwater beneath sand beaches over tens of kilometers away from the FDNPP. Here, we present evidence of a previously unknown, ongoing source of Fukushima-derived 137Cs to the coastal ocean. We postulate that these beach sands were contaminated in 2011 through wave- and tide-driven exchange and sorption of highly radioactive Cs from seawater. Subsequent desorption of 137Cs and fluid exchange from the beach sands was quantified using naturally occurring radium isotopes. This estimated ocean 137Cs source (0.6 TBq⋅y-1) is of similar magnitude as the ongoing releases of 137Cs from the FDNPP site for 2013-2016, as well as the input of Fukushima-derived dissolved 137Cs via rivers. Although this ongoing source is not at present a public health issue for Japan, the release of Cs of this type and scale needs to be considered in nuclear power plant monitoring and scenarios involving future accidents.

Vertical distributions of global fallout 137Cs and 14C in a Japanese forest soil profile and their implications for the fate and migration processes of Fukushima-derived 137Cs

Vertical distributions of global fallout 137Cs and 14C were investigated in a Japanese forest soil in 2001. Even 38 years after the fallout, 137Cs was still observed mostly in the uppermost 5 cm. A preferential accumulation of 137Cs was found in a 1-cm-thick transition layer between organic-rich A and underlying B horizons. This unique observation indicated that 137Cs migrated through the A horizon at a rate of 0.20 % year−1 and the transition layer acted as a barrier for 137Cs migration to deeper layers. The vertical distributions of 137Cs and 14C were significantly correlated, suggesting a coupled downward migration of 137Cs and organic matter on a time scale of decades, along the same physical pathways.

Modeling dynamics of 137Cs in forest surface environments: Application to a contaminated forest site near Fukushima and assessment of potential impacts of soil organic matter interactions

A process-based model for 137Cs transfer in forest surface environments was developed to assess the dynamic behavior of Fukushima-derived 137Cs in a Japanese forest. The model simulation successfully reproduced the observed data from 3year migration of 137Cs in the organic and mineral soil layers at a contaminated forest near Fukushima. The migration of 137Cs from the organic layer to the mineral soil was explained by the direct deposition pattern on the forest floor and the turnover of litter materials in the organic layer under certain ecological conditions. Long-term predictions indicated that more than 90% of the deposited 137Cs would remain within the top 5cm of the soil for up to 30years after the accident, suggesting that the forest acts as an effective long-term reservoir of 137Cs with limited transfer via the groundwater pathway. The model was also used to explore the potential impacts of soil organic matter (SOM) interactions on the mobility and bioavailability of 137Cs in the soil–plant system. The simulation results for hypothetical organic soils with modified parameters of 137Cs turnover revealed that the SOM-induced reduction of 137Cs adsorption elevates the fraction of dissolved 137Cs in the soil solution, thereby increasing the soil-to-plant transfer of 137Cs without substantially altering the fractional distribution of 137Cs in the soil. Slower fixation of 137Cs on the flayed edge site of clay minerals and enhanced mobilization of the clay-fixed 137Cs in organic-rich soils also appeared to elevate the soil-to-plant transfer of 137Cs by increasing the fraction of the soil-adsorbed (exchangeable) 137Cs. A substantial proportion (approximate 30%–60%) of 137Cs in these organic-rich soils was transferred to layers deeper than 5cm decades later. These results suggested that SOM influences the behavior of 137Cs in forests over a prolonged period through alterations of adsorption and fixation in the soil.

Small scale temporal distribution of radiocesium in undisturbed coniferous forest soil: Radiocesium depth distribution profiles

The depth distribution of pre-Fukushima and Fukushima-derived 137Cs in undisturbed coniferous forest soil was investigated at four sampling dates from nine months to 18 months after the Fukushima nuclear power plant accident. The migration rate and short-term temporal variability among the sampling profiles were evaluated. Taking the time elapsed since the peak deposition of pre-Fukushima 137Cs and the median depth of the peaks, its downward displacement rates ranged from 0.15 to 0.67 mm yr−1 with a mean of 0.46 ± 0.25 mm yr−1. On the other hand, in each examined profile considerable amount of the Fukushima-derived 137Cs was found in the organic layer (51%–92%). At this moment, the effect of time-distance on the downward distribution of Fukushima-derived 137Cs seems invisible as its large portion is still found in layers where organic matter is maximal. This indicates that organic matter seems the primary and preferential sorbent of radiocesium that could be associated with the physical blockage of the exchanging sites by organic-rich dusts that act as a buffer against downward propagation of radiocesium, implying radiocesium to be remained in the root zone for considerable time period. As a result, this soil section can be a potential source of radiation dose largely due to high radiocesium concentration coupled with its low density. Generally, such kind of information will be useful to establish a dynamic safety-focused decision support system to ease and assist management actions.

A numerical investigation into the long-term behaviors of Fukushima-derived 137Cs in the ocean

The Fukushima nuclear accident in 2011 released large amounts of radionuclides, including 137Cs, into the Pacific Ocean. A quasi-global ocean radioactive transport model with horizontal grid spacing of 0.5°×0.5° and 21 vertical layers was thereafter established to study the long-term transport of the Fukushima-derived 137Cs in the ocean. The simulation shows that the plume of 137Cs would be rapidly transported eastward alongside the Kuroshio Current and its extensions. Contaminated waters with concentrations lower than 2 Bq/m3 would reach the west coast of North America 4 or 5 years after the accident. The 137Cs tends to be carried, despite its very low concentration, into the Indian and South Pacific Oceans by 2016 via various branches of ocean currents. Meanwhile, the 137Cs concentrations in the western part of the North Pacific Ocean decrease rapidly with time. Up to now the highly contaminated waters have remained in the upper 400 m, showing no evidence of significant penetration to deeper layers.

Vertical distribution of radiocesium in coniferous forest soil after the Fukushima nuclear power plant accident

This study deals with the description of the vertical distribution of radiocaesium (137Cs and 134Cs) in a representative coniferous forest soil, investigated 10 months after the Fukushima radioactive fallout. During soil sampling, the forest floor components (understory plants, litter (Ol-) and fermented layers (Of)) were collected and treated separately. The results indicate that radiocesium is concentrated in the forest floor, and high radiocesium transfer factor observed in the undergrowth plants (3.3). This made the forest floor an active exchanging interphase for radiocesium. The raw organic layer (Ol + Of) holds 52% (5.3 kBq m−2) of the Fukushima-derived and 25% (0.7 kBq m−2) of the pre-Fukushima 137Cs at the time of the soil sampling. Including the pre-Fukushima 137Cs, 99% of the total soil inventory was in the upper 10 cm, in which the organic matter (OM) content was greater than 10%, suggesting the subsequent distribution most likely depends on the OM turnover. However, the small fraction of the Fukushima-derived 137Cs at a depth of 16 cm is most likely due to the infiltration of radiocesium-circumscribed rainwater during the fallout before that selective adsorption prevails and reduces the migration of soluble 137Cs. The values of the depth distribution parameters revealed that the distribution of the Fukushima-derived 137Cs was somewhat rapid.

Shipboard determination of radiocesium in seawater after the Fukushima accident: results from the 2011–2012 Russian expeditions to the Sea of Japan and western North Pacific Ocean

A total of 88 seawater samples were collected during two Russian research expeditions (April–May 2011 and August–September 2012) to the Sea of Japan, the Oyashio Current region near Kuril Islands and the Kuroshio–Oyashio transition area in the western North Pacific Ocean. The observations were made aboard the R/V Pavel Gordienko and Akademik Shokalsky in order to study the impact of the Fukushima accident on radioactive contamination of the marine environment. On the board of a ship, the water samples were passed through filters to retain particles with the size of >1 micron. Cesium was extracted from the large volumes (100–3000 L) of the filtrated water using a selective fiber chemisorbent impregnated with copper ferrocyanide. Measurements of 134Cs and 137Cs activities in 83 samples of sorbents and 21 samples of filters were performed in the ship-based laboratory with a semiconductor HP-Ge detector. The quantified activity concentrations of dissolved radiocesium ranged from 1 Bq m−3 to 34 Bq m−3 for 137Cs and from 0.2 Bq m−3 to 29 Bq m−3 for 134Cs. Activity concentrations of 137Cs and 134Cs were strongly correlated with each other (r = 0.993, n = 59). The 137Cs/134Cs activities ratio in the Fukushima-derived radiocesium inventory for the study areas was deduced to be 0.99 ± 0.03 (on 15 March 2011) and the pre-Fukushima background level of 137Cs in seawater was estimated as 1.3 ± 0.3 Bq m−3. The lowest activities of both isotopes were determined in the western part of the Sea of Japan near the Russian coast, while the maximal levels were observed in the open Pacific Ocean, some 500–800 km offshore the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant. Contamination with 134Cs at a level of 0.3–2.6 Bq m−3 was registered in seawater samples collected in 2011 near the Kuril Islands and Kamchatka in the Oyashio Current region. During the period from April–May 2011 to August–September 2012, activity concentrations of 137Cs and 134Cs in surface waters had decreased for all seven stations repeatedly sampled in the study. A detailed observation of radiocesium distribution within the water column down to the depth of 200 m at nine stations from the Kuroshio–Oyashio Interfrontal Zone and Kuroshio Extension in 2012 revealed maximal activity concentrations of both cesium radionuclides in the 100–200 m depth layer. The average inventory of Fukushima-derived 137Cs in the top 200 m of the water column for the nine stations was estimated as 1.19 kBq m−2 (decay corrected to 15 March 2011) which is 4.6 times higher than the background value of 0.26 kBq m−2 expected for this depth. The monitoring results obtained in the study and relevant data published by others show that following the Fukushima accident, the Oyashio current acts as a provider of low-contaminated subarctic waters to the heavily contaminated Kuroshio–Oyashio mixed water region.

Radiocesium fallout in the grasslands on Sakhalin, Kunashir and Shikotan Islands due to Fukushima accident: the radioactive contamination of soil and plants in 2011

The accident at the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant has resulted in radioactive contamination of environmental media and food in the Far East of Russia, particularly in the Sakhalin Region. To obtain the knowledge about the 134Cs and 137Cs spatial distribution in the Sakhalin Region, soil samples were collected at 31 representative grassland sites on Sakhalin, Kunashir and Shikotan islands (43.80°–46.40° N and 142.73°–146.84° E) in the middle of May and around the end of September to early October 2011. In the autumn, vegetation samples (mixed grass/forb crop and bamboo, Sasa sp.) were collected together with soil samples. Maximum measured activity concentrations (on dry weight) of 134Cs and 137Cs in soil were 30 Bq kg−1 and 210 Bq kg−1, respectively. Within soil profile, 134Cs activity concentrations declined rapidly with depth. Although for both sampling occasions (in the spring and autumn) the radionuclide was completely retained in the upper 3–4 cm of soil, a deeper penetration of the contaminant into the ground was observed in the autumn. In contrast with 134Cs, activity concentrations of 137Cs demonstrated a broad range of the vertical distribution in soil; at most sites, the radionuclide was found down to a depth of 20 cm. This resulted from interfering the aged pre-accidental 137Cs and the new Fukushima-borne 137Cs. To calculate contribution of these sources to the inventory of 137Cs, the 134Cs:137Cs activity ratio of 1:1 in Fukushima fallout (the reference date 15 March 2011) was used. The maximum deposition density of Fukushima-derived 137Cs was found on Shikotan and Kunashir Islands with average density of 0.124 ± 0.018 kBq m−2 and 0.086 ± 0.026 kBq m−2, respectively. Sakhalin Island was less contaminated by Fukushima-derived 137Cs of 0.021 ± 0.018 kBq m−2. For the south of Sakhalin Island, the reference inventory of pre-Fukushima 137Cs was calculated as 1.93 ± 0.25 kBq m−2 (reference date 15 March 2011). For Shikotan and Kunashir Islands, the pre-Fukushima reference levels of 137Cs ground contamination appeared to be higher: on average, 2.81 ± 0.35 kBq m−2. Maximum measured activity concentrations (on wet weight) of 134Cs and 137Cs in the vegetation were 5 Bq kg−1 and 18 Bq kg−1, respectively. Soil-to-plant aggregated transfer factors, Tags, for 134Cs were more than an order of magnitude higher than those for 137Cs. For the above-ground biomass density of 1 kg per m2 (wet weight), plant contamination may contribute approximately 2% and 0.1% to the ground deposition of Fukushima-derived and pre-accidental 137Cs, respectively.

2011 Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant accident: summary of regional radioactive deposition monitoring results

After the Great East Japan Earthquake and resulting Tsunami on March 11, 2011, serious accident of the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant has been occurred. Huge amounts of radionuclides were released in atmosphere and ocean. Japanese prefectural governments have carried out environmental radioactivity monitoring; external dose rate, radioactivity measurements in environmental samples and others. Since March 18, 2011, daily and monthly deposition samples were collected in 45 stations covering Japanese Islands and radionuclides in the deposition samples were determined. We summarize radioactive deposition data reported by Japanese Government and study the depositional behaviors of the Fukushima-derived radionuclides. The results revealed that Fukushima-derived radioactive cloud dominantly affected in the central and eastern part of Honshu-Island, although it affected all of Japanese land area and also western North Pacific. The temporal change of the Fukushima-derived 137Cs revealed that the apparent atmospheric residence time of the Fukushima-derived 137Cs in sites within 300 km from the Fukushima Dai-ichi NPPis about 10 d.