Radionuclide pollution inside the Fukushima Daiichi exclusion zone, part 1: Depth profiles of radiocesium and strontium-90 in soil

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleResearchpeer review

Authors

  • Brett L. Rosenberg
  • Joseph E. Ball
  • Katsumi Shozugawa
  • Gunther Korschinek
  • Mayumi Hori
  • Kenji Nanba
  • Thomas E. Johnson
  • Alexander Brandl
  • Georg Steinhauser

External Research Organisations

  • Colorado State University
  • University of Tokyo
  • Technical University of Munich (TUM)
  • Fukushima University
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Details

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)201-208
Number of pages8
JournalApplied Geochemistry
Volume85
Early online date8 Jun 2017
Publication statusPublished - Oct 2017

Abstract

In June 2013 and July 2014, soil samples were collected from unremediated locations within Fukushima prefecture, with special focus on the Fukushima exclusion zone. The soil samples were analyzed for radiocesium by gamma spectroscopy, and then 90Sr by liquid scintillation counting (LSC) after ion specific extraction chromatography. Activity concentrations are compared between sampling years, sampling sites, and soil layers, revealing a general downward trend in activities but also some inconsistencies. Maximum activity concentrations of 137Cs in soil were found in close vicinity of the gate of Fukushima Daichi Nuclear Power Plant and reached up to 106 Bq·kg−1 in 2013. Thirteen months later, these maximum levels were lower by a factor of at least 5. Activity ratios of 90Sr/137Cs were usually around 2 · 10−4, but locally increased to the 10−3 range, and in one spot even to the 10−1 range. Finally, attempts were made to analyze rare radionuclides in environmental samples from this area, in particular tritium (3H) and 60Fe, however no traces were found in the vegetation and soil samples, respectively.

Keywords

    Cs, H (tritium), Fe, Sr, Fukushima nuclear accident, Soil

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Cite this

Radionuclide pollution inside the Fukushima Daiichi exclusion zone, part 1: Depth profiles of radiocesium and strontium-90 in soil. / Rosenberg, Brett L.; Ball, Joseph E.; Shozugawa, Katsumi et al.
In: Applied Geochemistry, Vol. 85, 10.2017, p. 201-208.

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleResearchpeer review

Rosenberg, BL, Ball, JE, Shozugawa, K, Korschinek, G, Hori, M, Nanba, K, Johnson, TE, Brandl, A & Steinhauser, G 2017, 'Radionuclide pollution inside the Fukushima Daiichi exclusion zone, part 1: Depth profiles of radiocesium and strontium-90 in soil', Applied Geochemistry, vol. 85, pp. 201-208. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apgeochem.2017.06.003
Rosenberg, B. L., Ball, J. E., Shozugawa, K., Korschinek, G., Hori, M., Nanba, K., Johnson, T. E., Brandl, A., & Steinhauser, G. (2017). Radionuclide pollution inside the Fukushima Daiichi exclusion zone, part 1: Depth profiles of radiocesium and strontium-90 in soil. Applied Geochemistry, 85, 201-208. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apgeochem.2017.06.003
Rosenberg BL, Ball JE, Shozugawa K, Korschinek G, Hori M, Nanba K et al. Radionuclide pollution inside the Fukushima Daiichi exclusion zone, part 1: Depth profiles of radiocesium and strontium-90 in soil. Applied Geochemistry. 2017 Oct;85:201-208. Epub 2017 Jun 8. doi: 10.1016/j.apgeochem.2017.06.003
Rosenberg, Brett L. ; Ball, Joseph E. ; Shozugawa, Katsumi et al. / Radionuclide pollution inside the Fukushima Daiichi exclusion zone, part 1 : Depth profiles of radiocesium and strontium-90 in soil. In: Applied Geochemistry. 2017 ; Vol. 85. pp. 201-208.
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title = "Radionuclide pollution inside the Fukushima Daiichi exclusion zone, part 1: Depth profiles of radiocesium and strontium-90 in soil",
abstract = "In June 2013 and July 2014, soil samples were collected from unremediated locations within Fukushima prefecture, with special focus on the Fukushima exclusion zone. The soil samples were analyzed for radiocesium by gamma spectroscopy, and then 90Sr by liquid scintillation counting (LSC) after ion specific extraction chromatography. Activity concentrations are compared between sampling years, sampling sites, and soil layers, revealing a general downward trend in activities but also some inconsistencies. Maximum activity concentrations of 137Cs in soil were found in close vicinity of the gate of Fukushima Daichi Nuclear Power Plant and reached up to 106 Bq·kg−1 in 2013. Thirteen months later, these maximum levels were lower by a factor of at least 5. Activity ratios of 90Sr/137Cs were usually around 2 · 10−4, but locally increased to the 10−3 range, and in one spot even to the 10−1 range. Finally, attempts were made to analyze rare radionuclides in environmental samples from this area, in particular tritium (3H) and 60Fe, however no traces were found in the vegetation and soil samples, respectively.",
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note = "Funding information: This study was supported by JSPS KAKENHI (Grant Number 25870158) as well as Grant Number T42OH009229-07 from CDC NIOSH Mountain and Plains Education and Research Center. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the CDC NIOSH and MAP ERC. GS gratefully acknowledges funding by the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), grant number NRC-HQ-12-G-38-0044. This study was supported by JSPS KAKENHI (Grant Number 25870158 ) as well as Grant Number T42OH009229-07 from CDC NIOSH Mountain and Plains Education and Research Center . Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the CDC NIOSH and MAP ERC. GS gratefully acknowledges funding by the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) , grant number NRC-HQ-12-G-38-0044 . Appendix A",
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T2 - Depth profiles of radiocesium and strontium-90 in soil

AU - Rosenberg, Brett L.

AU - Ball, Joseph E.

AU - Shozugawa, Katsumi

AU - Korschinek, Gunther

AU - Hori, Mayumi

AU - Nanba, Kenji

AU - Johnson, Thomas E.

AU - Brandl, Alexander

AU - Steinhauser, Georg

N1 - Funding information: This study was supported by JSPS KAKENHI (Grant Number 25870158) as well as Grant Number T42OH009229-07 from CDC NIOSH Mountain and Plains Education and Research Center. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the CDC NIOSH and MAP ERC. GS gratefully acknowledges funding by the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), grant number NRC-HQ-12-G-38-0044. This study was supported by JSPS KAKENHI (Grant Number 25870158 ) as well as Grant Number T42OH009229-07 from CDC NIOSH Mountain and Plains Education and Research Center . Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the CDC NIOSH and MAP ERC. GS gratefully acknowledges funding by the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) , grant number NRC-HQ-12-G-38-0044 . Appendix A

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N2 - In June 2013 and July 2014, soil samples were collected from unremediated locations within Fukushima prefecture, with special focus on the Fukushima exclusion zone. The soil samples were analyzed for radiocesium by gamma spectroscopy, and then 90Sr by liquid scintillation counting (LSC) after ion specific extraction chromatography. Activity concentrations are compared between sampling years, sampling sites, and soil layers, revealing a general downward trend in activities but also some inconsistencies. Maximum activity concentrations of 137Cs in soil were found in close vicinity of the gate of Fukushima Daichi Nuclear Power Plant and reached up to 106 Bq·kg−1 in 2013. Thirteen months later, these maximum levels were lower by a factor of at least 5. Activity ratios of 90Sr/137Cs were usually around 2 · 10−4, but locally increased to the 10−3 range, and in one spot even to the 10−1 range. Finally, attempts were made to analyze rare radionuclides in environmental samples from this area, in particular tritium (3H) and 60Fe, however no traces were found in the vegetation and soil samples, respectively.

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