Spatial variations of low levels of ¹³⁴Cs and ¹³⁷Cs in seawaters within the Sea of Japan after the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant accident

Mutsuo Inoue; Hisaki Kofuji; Shinji Oikawa; Takuma Murakami; Masayoshi Yamamoto; Seiya Nagao; Yasunori Hamajima; Jun Misonoo

doi:10.1016/j.apradiso.2013.03.084

Spatial variations of low levels of ¹³⁴Cs and ¹³⁷Cs in seawaters within the Sea of Japan after the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant accident

Appl Radiat Isot. 2013 Nov:81:340-3. doi: 10.1016/j.apradiso.2013.03.084. Epub 2013 Mar 28.

Authors

Mutsuo Inoue¹, Hisaki Kofuji, Shinji Oikawa, Takuma Murakami, Masayoshi Yamamoto, Seiya Nagao, Yasunori Hamajima, Jun Misonoo

Affiliation

¹ Low Level Radioactivity Laboratory, Kanazawa University, Nomi, Ishikawa 923-1224, Japan. mutsuo@llrl.ku-unet.ocn.ne.jp

PMID: 23602582
DOI: 10.1016/j.apradiso.2013.03.084

Abstract

Our method based on low background γ-spectrometry enabled the measurement of low radiocesium concentrations in only 20 L of seawater. In May 2011 after deposition of radiocesium, (134)Cs concentration in surface water within the Sea of Japan was confirmed to be significantly small (<0.1-1 mBq/L) by the method. The concentration was not detected (<0.1 mBq/L) below 50 m depth. The Fukushima-derived radiocesium migrated from the surface water of the Sea of Japan without advection to below the thermocline.

Keywords: Deposition; Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant accident; Radiocesium; Riverine discharge; Water circulation.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Cesium Radioisotopes / analysis*
Fukushima Nuclear Accident*
Japan
Oceans and Seas
Radiation Dosage
Radiation Monitoring / methods*
Radioactive Fallout / analysis*
Seawater / analysis*
Seawater / chemistry*
Spatio-Temporal Analysis
Water Pollutants, Radioactive / analysis*

Substances

Cesium Radioisotopes
Radioactive Fallout
Water Pollutants, Radioactive