Fukushima-derived radionuclides 134Cs and 137Cs in zooplankton and seawater samples collected off the Joban-Sanriku coast, in Sendai Bay, and in the Oyashio region

Fisheries Science volume 81, pages139–153(2015)Cite this article

Abstract

The Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant (FNPP) accident that followed the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011 resulted in the release of enormous quantities of anthropogenic radionuclides, especially radioactive cesium (134Cs and 137Cs) into the ocean off the east coast of Japan. FNPP-derived radioactive Cs may have consequently accumulated within marine food webs via seawater intake and predator–prey interactions. We provide evidence of the temporal variability in 134Cs and 137Cs concentrations in seawater and zooplankton samples collected in coastal waters off Joban-Sanriku, in Sendai Bay, and in the Oyashio region between June 2011 and December 2013. In Sendai Bay, seawater 134Cs and 137Cs concentrations exceeded 1 Bq/kg in June 2011 and rapidly decreased during the study period. 134Cs and 137Cs concentrations in zooplankton were also high in June 2011, up to 23 Bq/kg-wet and also decreased during the study period, although at a slower rate than seawater 134Cs and 137Cs concentrations. Regarding 137Cs concentrations, the difference in the rate of decrease between seawater and zooplankton resulted in a high apparent concentration ratio (aCR) for zooplankton. The observed relation between 137Cs in seawater and the aCR of zooplankton were good indicators of the progress of 137Cs contamination in zooplankton from the beginning of the FNPP accident to the restoration phase.

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Acknowledgments

We would like to thank the captains and crew of the R/V Soyo-maru and R/V Wakataka-maru (Fisheries Research Agency) for their support during the sampling. We also thank Yoshika Tennichi of Kyushu Environmental Evaluation Association for help with the measurement of stable Cs. This study was supported by the Fisheries Agency, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Japan.

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Author notes

  1. Shin-ichi Ito

    Present address: Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute, The University of Tokyo, 5-1-5 Kashiwano-ha, Kashiwa City, Chiba, 277-8564, Japan

Affiliations

  1. Research Center for Fisheries Oceanography and Marine Ecosystem, National Research Institute of Fisheries Sciences, Fisheries Research Agency, 2-12-4 Fukuura, Kanazawa, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 236-8648, Japan

    Hideki Kaeriyama, Ken Fujimoto, Daisuke Ambe, Yuya Shigenobu, Tsuneo Ono & Tomowo Watanabe

  2. Fisheries Management and Oceanography Division, Tohoku National Fisheries Research Institute, Fisheries Research Agency, 3-27-5 Shinhama-cho, Shiogama City, Miyagi, 985-0001, Japan

    Kazuaki Tadokoro, Yuji Okazaki, Shigeho Kakehi & Shin-ichi Ito

  3. Fisheries Management and Oceanography Division, Tohoku National Fisheries Research Institute, Fisheries Research Agency, 25-259 Shimomekurakubo, Samemachi, Hachinohe, 031-0841, Aomori, Japan

    Yoji Narimatsu

  4. Headquarters Research Management Department, Fisheries Research Agency, 2-3-3 Minato Mirai, Nishi-kum, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 220-6115, Japan

    Kaoru Nakata & Takami Morita

Authors
  1. Hideki Kaeriyama
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  2. Ken Fujimoto
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  3. Daisuke Ambe
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  9. Shin-ichi Ito
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  11. Kaoru Nakata
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  13. Tomowo Watanabe
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Hideki Kaeriyama.

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Kaeriyama, H., Fujimoto, K., Ambe, D. et al. Fukushima-derived radionuclides 134Cs and 137Cs in zooplankton and seawater samples collected off the Joban-Sanriku coast, in Sendai Bay, and in the Oyashio region. Fish Sci 81, 139–153 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12562-014-0827-6

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Keywords

  • Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant accident
  • 134Cs
  • 137Cs
  • Zooplankton
  • Ecological half life
  • Apparent concentration ratio