Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

High-sensitivity determination of radioactive cesium in Japanese foodstuffs: 3 years after the Fukushima accident

  • Published:
Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

We analyzed 134Cs, 137Cs and 40K in 96 foodstuffs in supermarkets with high sensitivity over 3 years after Fukushima accident. Milk, yoghurt, rice, tea, salmon, cereal, blueberry, miso, and apples had a trace of 134Cs and 137Cs from 10−3 to 100 Bq/kg, however, some mushrooms that were bought in the outer Fukushima prefecture were contaminated by radioactive cesium over the regulatory limit (100 Bq/kg). In view of the 134Cs/137Cs radioactivity ratio, we can conclude that 137Cs detected in remote areas 300 km or more from Fukushima Nuclear power plant contained activity from Pre-Fukushima events such as Chernobyl accident (1986) and atmospheric nuclear explosions (from 1945).

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Steinhauser G, Brandl A, Johnson TE (2014) Comparison of the Chernobyl and Fukushima nuclear accidents: a review of the environmental impacts. Sci Total Environ 470–471:800–817. doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2013.10.029

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Tagami K, Uchida S, Ishii N, Zheng J (2013) Estimation of Te-132 distribution in Fukushima Prefecture at the early stage of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant reactor failures. Environ Sci Technol 47(10):5007–5012. doi:10.1021/es304730b

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Chino M, Nakayama H, Nagai H, Terada H, Katata G, Yamazawa H (2011) Preliminary estimation of release amounts of 131I and137Cs Accidentally Discharged from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant into the atmosphere. J Nucl Sci Technol 48(7):1129–1134. doi:10.1080/18811248.2011.9711799

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Nishihara K, Yamagishi I, Yasuda K, Ishimori K, Tanaka K, Kuno T, Inada S, Gotoh Y (2012) Radionuclide release to stagnant water in Fukushima-1 Nuclear Power Plant. Trans Atomic Energ Soc Jpn 11(1):13–19. doi:10.3327/taesj.J11.040

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Tsumune D, Tsubono T, Aoyama M, Hirose K (2012) Distribution of oceanic 137Cs from the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant simulated numerically by a regional ocean model. J Environ Radioactiv 111:100–108. doi:10.1016/j.jenvrad.2011.10.007

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Winiarek V, Bocquet M, Saunier O, Mathieu A (2012) Estimation of errors in the inverse modeling of accidental release of atmospheric pollutant: application to the reconstruction of the cesium-137 and iodine-131 source terms from the Fukushima Daiichi power plant. J Geophys Res. doi:10.1029/2011jd016932

    Google Scholar 

  7. Stohl A, Seibert P, Wotawa G, Arnold D, Burkhart JF, Eckhardt S, Tapia C, Vargas A, Yasunari TJ (2012) Xenon-133 and caesium-137 releases into the atmosphere from the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant: determination of the source term, atmospheric dispersion, and deposition. Atmos Chem Phys 12(5):2313–2343. doi:10.5194/acp-12-2313-2012

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Morino Y, Ohara T, Watanabe M, Hayashi S, Nishizawa M (2013) Episode analysis of deposition of radiocesium from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant accident. Environ Sci Technol 47(5):2314–2322. doi:10.1021/es304620x

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Teppei J, Yasunaria AS, Hayano Ryugo S, Burkhartb John F, Eckhardtb Sabine, Yasunarie Tetsuzo (2011) Cesium-137 deposition and contamination of Japanese soils due to the Fukushima nuclear accident. Proc Nat Acad Sci. doi:10.1073/pnas.1112058108/-/DCSupplemental

    Google Scholar 

  10. Fukushima Association for Securing Safety of Agricultural Products. https://fukumegu.org/ok/kome/

  11. Shiraishi K, Ban-Nai T, Muramatsu Y, Yamamoto M (1999) Comparison of stable cesium and radiocesium on dietary intakes by Japanese subjects using 18 food categories. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 242(3):687–692. doi:10.1007/Bf02347380

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Ministry of Health LaW, Japan (2013) National Health and Nutrition Survey

  13. Becker W (2000) Total Diet Studies Examples from Sweden. J Food Compos Anal 13:545–549. doi:10.1006/jfca.2000.0907

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Ministry of Education C, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), Japan (1982) The guideline of sample pre-treatment for Ge semiconductor defector. vol 14 (in Japanese)

  15. ICRP (1995) Age-dependent doses to the members of the public from intake of radionuclides—part 5 compilation of ingestion and inhalation coefficients (Publication 72). vol 26

  16. Ministry of Health LaW, Japan (2014) The results of surveys on the levels of radioactive cesium in foods (February–March 2014); 1% or below the current regulatory dose limit of 1 millisieverts per year (in Japanese)

  17. Merz S, Shozugawa K, Steinhauser G (2015) Analysis of Japanese radionuclide monitoring data of food before and after the fukushima nuclear accident. Environ Sci Technol 49(5):2875–2885. doi:10.1021/es5057648

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Guillen J, Baeza A (2014) Radioactivity in mushrooms: a health hazard? Food Chem 154:14–25. doi:10.1016/j.foodchem.2013.12.083

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Lin C, Skarpelos J (1997) Monitoring of fission product release in a boiling water reactor. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 220(2):173–181. doi:10.1007/BF02034852

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Merz S, Steinhauser G, Hamada N (2013) Anthropogenic radionuclides in Japanese food: environmental and legal implications. Environ Sci Technol 47(3):1248–1256. doi:10.1021/es3037498

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

Dr. Akira Ishikawa is acknowledged for providing access to the ICP-MS. This work was supported by JSPS KAKENHI Grant Number 25870158.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Meguro-ku, Tokyo, 153-8902, Japan

    Katsumi Shozugawa, Mayumi Hori & Motoyuki Matsuo

  2. Akita Radiation Measuring Station (Beguredenega), Katagami, Akita, 018-1400, Japan

    Takuya Saito

Authors
  1. Katsumi Shozugawa
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Takuya Saito
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Mayumi Hori
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Motoyuki Matsuo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Katsumi Shozugawa.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Shozugawa, K., Saito, T., Hori, M. et al. High-sensitivity determination of radioactive cesium in Japanese foodstuffs: 3 years after the Fukushima accident. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 307, 2117–2122 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-015-4407-8

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-015-4407-8

Keywords

Search

Navigation