Cesium-137 deposition and contamination of Japanese
soils due to the Fukushima nuclear accident by T. Yasunari, A. Stohl, R.
Hayano, J. Burkhart, S. Eckhardt, & T. Yasunari. Published in the
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences PNAS 2011 :
1112058108v1-5. http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2011/11/11/1112058108
Abstract
The largest concern on the
cesium-137 (137Cs) deposition and its soil contamination due to the
emission from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) showed up after a
massive quake on March 11, 2011. Cesium-137 (137Cs) with a half-life
of 30.1 y causes the largest concerns because of its deleterious effect on
agriculture and stock farming, and, thus, human life for decades. Removal of 137Cs
contaminated soils or land use limitations in areas where removal is not
possible is, therefore, an urgent issue.
A challenge lies in the fact that
estimates of 137Cs emissions from the Fukushima NPP are extremely
uncertain, therefore, the distribution of 137Cs in the environment
is poorly constrained. Here, we estimate total 137Cs deposition by
integrating daily observations of 137Cs deposition in each
prefecture in Japan with relative deposition distribution patterns from a
Lagrangian particle dispersion model, FLEXPART.
We show that 137Cs
strongly contaminated the soils in large areas of eastern and northeastern
Japan, whereas western Japan was sheltered by mountain ranges. The soils around
Fukushima NPP and neighboring prefectures have been extensively contaminated
with depositions of more than 100,000 and 10,000 MBq km-2,
respectively.
Total 137Cs depositions over two domains: (i)
the Japan Islands and the surrounding ocean (130–150 °E and 30–46 °N) and, (ii)
the Japan Islands, were estimated to be more than 5.6 and 1.0 PBq,
respectively. We hope our 137Cs deposition maps will help to
coordinate decontamination efforts and plan regulatory measures in Japan.
END ABSTRACT
Hat Tip: OfficerDave at Enenews provided the link to the BBC report on this research article (his wife found it). Here is the link to the BBC report http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-15691571
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