Abstract
Absorption of radiocesium (137Cs and 134Cs) through bark, and its subsequent translocation into wood and needles, has been suggested as a potential source of tree contamination, but the process is not well understood. Field experiments were conducted to confirm whether Cs could enter a Japanese cedar tree through the bark and how Cs moves within a tree. Stable Cs (133Cs) was applied to the bark at 1.2-m height on 10- and 26-year-old Japanese cedars. The 133Cs concentrations were determined in the bark, sapwood, and heartwood (for 26-year-old cedar only) of stem disks from several heights, as well as in current-year needles from the canopy. The 133Cs concentrations were considerably higher in the sapwood and heartwood of stem disks from 1.2-m height in treated trees than in untreated trees, suggesting that 133Cs penetrated the bark to enter the wood. The average 133Cs concentrations were higher in the heartwood than the sapwood, indicating 133Cs accumulation in the heartwood. High 133Cs concentrations in the needles of treated trees implied acropetal movement of 133Cs to actively growing organs. Our results demonstrate that Cs can enter Japanese cedar trees through the bark and that Cs is transported radially to the heartwood and vertically to the apex.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Adachi K, Kajino M, Zaizen Y, Igarashi Y (2013) Emission of spherical cesium-bearing particles from an early stage of the Fukushima nuclear accident. Sci Rep 3:2554
Akama A, Kiyono Y, Kanazashi T, Shichi K (2013) Survey of radioactive contamination of sugi (Cryptomeria japonica D. Don) shoots and male flowers in Fukushima prefecture. Jpn J For Environ 55:105–111
Aliyu AS, Evangeliou N, Mousseau TA, Wu J, Ramli AT (2015) An overview of current knowledge concerning the health and environmental consequences of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP) accident. Environ Int 85:213–228
Amano H, Akiyama M, Chunlei B, Kawamura T, Kishimoto T, Kuroda T, Muroi T, Odaira T, Ohta Y, Takeda K, Watanabe Y, Morimoto T (2012) Radiation measurements in the Chiba Metropolitan Area and radiological aspects of fallout from the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plants accident. J Environ Radioact 111:42–52
Borger GA (1973) Development and shedding of bark. In: Kozlowski TT (ed) Shedding of plant parts. Academic Press, New York, London, pp 205–236
Chigira M, Saito Y, Kimura K (1988) Distribution of Sr-90 and Cs-137 in annual tree rings of Japanese cedar, Cryptomeria japonica D Don. J Radiat Res 29:152–160
Hashimoto S, Ugawa S, Nanko K, Shichi K (2012) The total amounts of radioactively contaminated materials in forests in Fukushima, Japan. Sci Rep 2:416
IAEA (2006) Environmental consequences of the Chernobyl accident and their remediation: twenty years of experiences. Report of the Chernobyl Forum Expert Group ‘Environment’, Radiological Assessment Reports Series, IAEA
Ipatyev V, Bulavik I, Baginsky V, Gonchrenko G, Dvornik A (1999) Forest and Chernobyl: forest ecosystems after the Chernobyl nuclear power plant accident: 1986–1994. J Environ Radioact 42:9–38
Iwase K, Tomioka R, Sugiura Y, Kanasashi T, Takenaka C (2013) Absorption properties of the Cs in the bark of Cryptomeria japonica and Quercus serrata. Jpn J For Environ 55:69–73 (in Japanese)
Kajimoto T, Saito S, Kawasaki T, Kabeya D, Yazaki K, Tanaka H, Ota T, Matsumoto Y, Tabuchi R, Kiyono Y, Takano T, Kuroda K, Fujiwara T, Suzuki Y, Komatsu Ohashi S, Kaneko S, Akama A, Takahashi M (2015) Dynamics of radiocesium in forest ecosystems affected by the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant Accident: species-related transfer processes of radiocesium from tree crowns to ground floor during the first two years. J Jpn For Soc 97:33–43 (in Japanese)
Kanasashi T, Sugiura Y, Takenaka C, Hijii N, Umemura M (2015) Radiocesium distribution in sugi (Cryptomeria japonica) in eastern Japan: translocation from needles to pollen. J Environ Radioact 139:398–406
Kaneyasu N, Ohashi H, Suzuki F, Okuda T, Ikemori F (2012) Sulfate aerosol as a potential transport medium of radiocesium from the Fukushima nuclear accident. Environ Sci Technol 46:5720–5726
Kato H, Onda Y, Gomi T (2012) Interception of the Fukushima reactor accident-derived 137Cs, 134Cs and 131I by coniferous forest canopies. Geophys Res Lett 39:L 20403
Kubo T, Ataka S (1998) Blackening of sugi (Cryptomeria japonica D. Don) heartwood in relation to meta content and moisture content. J Wood Sci 44:137–141
Kuroda K, Kagawa A, Tonosaki M (2013) Radiocesium concentrations in the bark, sapwood and heartwood of three tree species collected at Fukushima forests half a year after the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear accident. J Environ Radioact 122:37–42
Mahara Y, Ohta T, Ogawa H, Kumata A (2014) Atmospheric direct uptake and long-term fate of radiocesium in trees after the Fukusima nuclear accident. Sci Rep 4:7121
Masuchika K, Yoshinobu K, Katsuno O, Iwako M (1988) Distribution of environmental cesium-137 in tree rings. J Environ Radioact 8:15–19
Momoshima N, Eto I, Kofuji H, Takashima Y, Koike M, Imaizumi Y (1995) Distribution and chemical characteristics of cations in annual rings of Japanese cedar. J Environ Qual 24:1141–1149
Morikawa T, Oda K, Matsumura J, Oda K, Utsumi Y, Yamamoto K (1996) Black-heartwood formation and ash contents in the stem of sugi ( D. Don). II. Heartwood properties of three sugi cultivars. Bull Kyushu Univ For 74:41–49 (in Japanese with English summary)
Nishikiori T, Watanabe M, Koshikawa MK, Takamatsu T, Ishii Y, Ito S, Takenaka A, Watanabe K, Hayshi S (2015) Uptake and translocation of radiocesium in cedar leaves following the Fukushima nuclear accident. Sci Total Environ 52:611–616
Ohashi S, Okad N, Tanaka A, Nakai W, Takano S (2014) Radial and vertical distributions of radiocesium in tree stems of Pinus densiflora and Quercus serrata 1.5 y after the Fukushima nuclear disaster. J Environ Radioact 134:54–60
Okada N, Hirakawa Y, Katayama Y (2012) Radial movement of sapwood-injected rubidium into heartwood of Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica) in the growing period. J Wood Sci 58:1–8
Povinec PP, Sýkora I, Holý K, Gera M, Kováčik A, Brest’áková L (2012) Aerosol radioactivity record in Bratislava/Slovakia following the Fukushima accident—a comparison with global fallout and the Chernobyl accident. J Environ Radioact 114:81–88
Pröhl G (2009) Interception of dry and wet deposited radionuclides by vegetation. J Environ Radioact 100:675–682
Rulik P, Pilatova H, Suchara I, Sucharova J (2014) Long-term behaviour of Cs-137 in spruce bark in coniferous forests in the Czech Republic. Environ Pollut 184:511–514
Sombré L, Vanhouche M, de Brouwer S, Ronneau C, Lambotte JM, Myttenaere C (1994) Long-term radiocesium behavior in spruce and oak forests. Sci Total Environ 157:59–71
Tagami K, Uchida S, Ishii N, Kagiya S (2012) Translocation of radiocesium from stems and leaves of plants and the effect on radiocesium concentrations in newly emerged plant tissues. J Environ Radioact 111:65–69
Van Bel AJE (1990) Xylem-phloem exchange via the rays: the undervalued route of transport. J Exp Bot 1990(41):631–644
Watmugh SA, Hutchinson TC (2003) Uptake of 207Pb and 111Cd through bark of mature sugar maple, white ash and white pine: a field experiment. Environ Pollut 121:39–48
Yoshida N, Kanda J (2012) Tracking the Fukushima radionuclides. Science 336:1115–1116
Yoshida S, Muramatsu Y, Dvornik AM, Zhuchenko TA, Linkov I (2004) Equilibrium of radiocesium with stable cesium within the biological cycle of contaminated forest ecosystems. J Environ Radioact 75:301–313
Yoshihara T, Matsumura H, Tsuzaki M, Wakamatsu T, Kobayasi T, Hashida S, Nagaoka T, Goto F (2014) Changes in radiocesium contaminations from Fukushima in foliar parts of 10 common tree species in Japan between 2011 and 2013. J Environ Radioact 138:220–226
Zhiyanski M, Sokolovska M, Bech J, Clouvas A, Penev I, Badlin V (2010) Cesium-137 contamination of oak (Quercus petrae Liebl.) from sub-Mediterranean zone in South Bulgaria. J Environ Radioact 101:864–886
Acknowledgments
This research was financially supported by the Japan Atomic Energy Agency and KAKENHI Grant Numbers 24110007 and 24380078. We are grateful to the Fukushima Prefectural Forest Research Centre and Utsunomiya University for their advice and support. Also, we would like to thank our many collaborators for their assistance in fieldwork in Fukushima. Finally, we thank Prof. Hiroyuki Yamamoto of Nagoya University for his kind help with cutting the disks.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of interest
The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.
About this article
Cite this article
Wang, W., Hanai, Y., Takenaka, C. et al. Cesium absorption through bark of Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica). J For Res 21, 251–258 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10310-016-0534-5
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10310-016-0534-5