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The Key Role of Isotopic Analysis in Tracing the Fukushima Nuclear Accident-Released Pu and Radiocesium Isotopes in the Environment

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Nuclear Emergencies

Abstract

The actinide plutonium (Pu) isotopes and the fission product radiocesium isotopes released in the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP) nuclear accident have drawn scientific attention in post-accident studies. In this chapter, studies that trace the Pu and radiocesium isotopes released from the FDNPP accident into the environment to ensure better nuclear emergency preparedness for the future were summarized. The characteristic 240Pu/239Pu, 241Pu/239Pu, and 135Cs/137Cs atom ratios of the FDNPP accident were determined to be 0.323–0.330, 0.128–0.135, and 0.333–0.343, respectively, which were distinct from those of global fallout. While Pu and radiocesium isotopic signatures from the accident were detected in the terrestrial environment, the release of Pu to the marine environment, if any, was negligible. And no data for 135Cs in the marine environment has been reported yet.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the Grant of Fukushima Prefecture related to Research and Development in Radiological Sciences, the Grand-in-Aid for Scientific Research by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Japan (Grant number JP17k00537), the Kakenhi Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research on Innovative Areas (24110004), the Sumitomo Environmental Foundation, and the Agency for Natural Resources and Energy (METI), Japan. Youyi Ni thanks the China Scholarship Council for offering a scholarship (201606010056) for supporting his Ph.D. study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Institute of Radiological Sciences, National Institutes for Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology, Chiba, Japan

    Youyi Ni, Jian Zheng & Hai Wang

  2. State Key Laboratory of Nuclear Physics and Technology, School of Physics, Peking University, Beijing, China

    Youyi Ni & Qiuju Guo

  3. School of Nuclear Science and Technology, University of South China, Hengyang, China

    Hai Wang

Authors
  1. Youyi Ni
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  2. Jian Zheng
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  3. Qiuju Guo
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  4. Hai Wang
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jian Zheng .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Radioecology and Radiation Protection, Leibniz Universität Hannover, Hannover, Germany

    Georg Steinhauser

  2. Department of Health and Environmental Sciences, Graduate School of Medicine and Faculty of Medicine Kyoto University, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, Japan

    Akio Koizumi

  3. Department of General System Studies, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, University of Tokyo, Meguro, Tokyo, Japan

    Katsumi Shozugawa

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Ni, Y., Zheng, J., Guo, Q., Wang, H. (2019). The Key Role of Isotopic Analysis in Tracing the Fukushima Nuclear Accident-Released Pu and Radiocesium Isotopes in the Environment. In: Steinhauser, G., Koizumi, A., Shozugawa, K. (eds) Nuclear Emergencies. Current Topics in Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-8327-4_14

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-8327-4_14

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Singapore

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  • Online ISBN: 978-981-13-8327-4

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