Isotopic determination of U, Pu and Cs in environmental waters following the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident

Autor(en)

Aya Sakaguchi, Akinobu Kadokura, Peter Steier, K Tanaka, Yoshio Takahashi, Haruka Chiga, Akihito Matsushima, Satoru Nakashima, Yuichi Onda

Abstrakt

Concentrations of the radionuclides,

U, Pu, and Cs were measured in water samples (10-20 L) to study analyte

dispersion and migration following the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power

Plant (FDNPP) accident. A total of 8 water samples including oceanic

water and paddy-field water were collected in the vicinity of the plant.

Determinations of U, Pu and Cs isotopes were performed by accelerator

mass spectrometry (AMS), inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry

(ICP-MS), and γ-ray spectrometry. The ^{236U/238U atom ratio was in the range 1.83-8.20 × 10-9 for fresh water and around 0.57 × 10-9 for seawater while the concentration of 236U was about 104-105 and 106 atoms/kg, respectively. Plutonium (239,240Pu)}

was detected in one riverine sample and the marine samples at very low

levels and with large uncertainty. The concentrations of ¹³⁷Cs

in fresh riverine samples were 0.02-0..46 Bq/kg which are more than

three orders of magnitude larger than the global fallout level. As for

seawater samples within 80 km offshore of the FDNPP, the concentrations

of ¹³⁷Cs were 10-20 times higher than that of the Japan Sea water. Also ¹³⁴Cs and ¹³⁷Cs

were of similar concentrations in all samples. The results show that

volatile and refractory nuclides such as Cs, U and Pu exist in the

dissolved phase, which can be readily assimilated by plants/humans.

However the environmental impact of Pu and U in the vicinity of the

FDNPP is considered to be low in comparison to that of the volatile

radionuclide Cs.

 

Organisation(en)

Isotopenphysik

Externe Organisation(en)

Hiroshima University, Kyoto University, University of Hyogo, University of Tsukuba

Journal

Geochemical Journal

Band

46

Seiten

355-360

Anzahl der Seiten

6

ISSN

0016-7002

Publikationsdatum

2012

Peer-reviewed

Ja

ÖFOS 2012

103014 Kernphysik, 104020 Radiochemie, 105904 Umweltforschung

Sustainable Development Goals

SDG 14 – Leben unter Wasser

Link zum Portal

https://ucrisportal.univie.ac.at/de/publications/a979d54d-ce3c-470a-8547-e2b521c4153a