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Low 137Cs retention capability of organic layers in Japanese forest ecosystems affected by the Fukushima nuclear accident

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Abstract

Quantitative understanding of 137Cs retention behavior in organic layers in Japanese forest ecosystems is of primary importance in the assessment of long-term radioecological impacts of the Fukushima nuclear accident. Litter samples were collected at five forest sites in Fukushima in 2011, 2015, and 2017, and separated into eight fractions with different precursor species and degrees of degradation; afterward, 137Cs inventory was determined. All fractions exhibited a significant decrease in 137Cs inventory over the six-year period. The results suggested that the organic layers in Japanese forest ecosystems have a low 137Cs retention capability, although it differs depending on the forest type.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank the Fukushima City Office for advice on selecting the study sites. The authors also thank T. Matsunaga of the Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) and T. Sato of Hokkaido University for support with the fieldwork, and M. Ishihara, M. Kaminaga, M. Toyoshima, K. Yoshigaki, K. Muto, E. Takeuchi, S. Nishimura, and S. Otosaka of JAEA for support with the laboratory work. This study was partly funded by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), Japan.

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  1. Nuclear Science and Engineering Center, Japan Atomic Energy Agency, Ibaraki, 319-1195, Japan

    Jun Koarashi & Mariko Atarashi-Andoh

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  1. Jun Koarashi
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Correspondence to Jun Koarashi.

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Appendix

Appendix

See Tables 3, 4 and 5.

Table 3 Inventory of litter materials (kg m−2) in the litter fractions of the organic layer at five forest sites
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Table 4 134Cs/137Cs activity ratios of the litter fractions
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Table 5 Inventory of 137Cs (Bq m−2) in the litter fractions of the organic layer at five forest sites
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Koarashi, J., Atarashi-Andoh, M. Low 137Cs retention capability of organic layers in Japanese forest ecosystems affected by the Fukushima nuclear accident. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 320, 179–191 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-019-06435-7

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