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Comparison of radioactive and stable cesium uptake in aquatic macrophytes affected by the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant accident

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Abstract

Concentrations of 134+137Cs and 133Cs in aquatic macrophytes, water, and sediment were measured in samples collected from Fukushima Prefecture, Japan. The concentrations of 137Cs in submerged and floating-leaved plants were higher than the values for emergent plants according to their main Cs uptake mode. The geometric mean water-to-plant concentration ratio for 137Cs and 133Cs was comparable observed in submerged and floating-leaved plants, while the geometric mean sediment-to-plant concentration ratio for 137Cs in emergent plants was higher than that of 133Cs, which suggest that the mobility of Fukushima accident-derived 137Cs is not in steady state 4–5 years after the accident.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Kousuke Tsuji, Miki Yokoyama, Natsumi Ono, Miyuki Sawada, Saya Nakagawa, Yuki  Mekata, (The University of Shiga Prefecture), and Masatoshi Endo (Fukushima University) for assisting with the sample collection and pretreatment, Dr. Syou Kato (Wetlands International Japan) for identification of Nitella oligospira, and Dr. Yasuyuki Yukawa (Tokyo Metropolitan Industrial Technology Research Institute) for assistance in the SF-ICP-MS measurements. We would like to thank Editage (www.editage.jp) for English language editing. This work was partly supported by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) [Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research No. 15K00595 awarded to E. H., N. S., and Y. N.].

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Biotechnology Group, Tokyo Metropolitan Industrial Technology Research Institute, 2-4-10, Aomi, Koto-ku, Tokyo, 135-0064, Japan

    Yoshiyasu Nagakawa & Noboru Sakurai

  2. School of Science and Engineering, Meisei University, 2-1-1, Hodokubo, Hino, Tokyo, 191-8506, Japan

    Michihisa Uemoto

  3. Faculty of Symbiotic Systems Science, Fukushima University, 1, Kanayagawa, Fukushima, 960-1296, Japan

    Takahide Kurosawa & Kohtaroh Shutoh

  4. Faculty of Education, Niigata University, 2-8050, Ikarashi, Nishi-ku, Niigata, 950-2181, Japan

    Kohtaroh Shutoh

  5. School of Environmental Science, The University of Shiga Prefecture, 2500, Hassaka-cho, Hikone, Shiga, 522-8533, Japan

    Hiroshi Hasegawa & Emiko Harada

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  1. Yoshiyasu Nagakawa
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  2. Michihisa Uemoto
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Correspondence to Yoshiyasu Nagakawa.

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Nagakawa, Y., Uemoto, M., Kurosawa, T. et al. Comparison of radioactive and stable cesium uptake in aquatic macrophytes affected by the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant accident. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 319, 185–196 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-018-6304-4

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