Table Of ContentGraduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences
Th e University of Tokyo
Tomoko M. Nakanishi
Keitaro Tanoi Editors
Agricultural
Implications of the
Fukushima Nuclear
Accident
Agricultural Implications of the Fukushima
Nuclear Accident
Tomoko M. Nakanishi (cid:129) Keitaro Tanoi
Editors
Agricultural Implications
of the Fukushima Nuclear
Accident
Editors
Tomoko M. Nakanishi Keitaro Tanoi
Graduate School of Agricultural Graduate School of Agricultural
and Life Sciences and Life Sciences
The University of Tokyo The University of Tokyo
Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
ISBN 978-4-431-54327-5 ISBN 978-4-431-54328-2 (eBook)
DOI 10.1007/978-4-431-54328-2
Springer Tokyo Heidelberg New York Dordrecht London
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Foreword
On March 11, 2011, a tremendous earthquake occurred in northeast Japan that
caused a large accident at a nuclear power plant in Fukushima. This unexpected
mishap led to the emission of radioactive nuclides from the power plant, which
contaminated a large area, including cities, farmlands, mountains, and the sea, caus-
ing serious problems due to agricultural contamination. Immediately after the acci-
dent, 1 31 I, 1 37 Cs, and 1 34 Cs were the main radioactive nuclides detected in the fallout.
As the day continued, 1 31 I decayed because of its relatively short half-life (half-life:
8 days), but the amount of 137 Cs (half-life: 30 years) and 134 Cs (half-life: 2 years)
remained the same. However, in approximately 1.5 years, 134 Cs had decayed gradu-
ally, whereas the amount of 137 Cs was similar to that of the original radioactivity due
to its long half-life.
From an agricultural perspective, one of the most important issues is the security
of food safety for consumers and producers of various agricultural products. After
1 year, the government amended the new standards and enforced much lower radio-
activity levels in food, including water and milk. However, some products had
higher radioactivity levels than those allowed by the new standards, although they
were not regarded as contaminated according to the provisional regulation levels.
In our Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences at The University of
Tokyo, many academic staff members have initiated research activities in their
speci fi c fi elds, such as the contamination of soil, plants, animals, and fi sh, and the
activity of radiation in the environment. Some of these studies have involved coop-
erative research with other research organizations such as the Fukushima Agricultural
Technology Center. The initial research results have been published in the Japanese
journal R adioisotopes, written in a language that can readily be understood by
Japanese readers without a technical background. We have also held several report
meetings, every 3–4 months since November 2011, which are open to the public.
This book contains the results that have already been reported in Japanese journals,
at meetings, or in new studies.
v
vi Foreword
The effects of radioactive contamination will persist for a long time into the
future. Investigating the behavior and mechanisms of radioactivity is the only way
to develop solutions to cope with the contamination. Thus, the most urgent issue
addressed by this research is to understand how radioactivity is incorporated into
foods and how radioactive contamination can be prevented in agricultural
products.
Tokyo, Japan Hiromichi Nagasawa
Professor
Dean, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences
The University of Tokyo
Preface
Since the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant accident in March 2011,
c ontamination of places and foods has been a matter of concern. Unfortunately,
agricultural producers have few sources of information and have had to rely on the
lessons from the Chernobyl accident in 1986 or on information obtained from
the International Atomic Energy Agency. However, as of this writing, data on the
specifi c consequences of the Fukushima accident on Japanese agriculture remain
limited. More than 80% of the land that suffered from the accident was related to
agriculture or was in forests and meadows. The infl u ence of the accident on agri-
culture was the most dif fi cult to study because the activity in nature had to be dealt
with. For example, when contaminated rice is harvested, scientists working on rice
plants and soils and the study of watercourses or mountains have to collaborate to
analyze or determine the vehicle by which the radioactivity accumulated and
through which it spread in nature.
T he situation with Fukushima differs from that with Chernobyl, needless to say,
in terms of the nature of the soil, breeding species, types of grass or trees, and other
aspects. When the nuclear accident at Fukushima is compared with that at
Chernobyl, the contaminated area in Fukushima, both low and high in radio-
activity, was approximately 6% of that in Chernobyl. The amount of fallout in
Fukushima was approximately one-sixth and the distance to which the fallout
spread was approximately one-tenth that in Chernobyl.
At the request of agriculturists in Fukushima, we at the Graduate School of
Agricultural and Life Sciences at The University of Tokyo have been urgently
c ollecting reliable data on the contamination of soil, plants, milk, and crops. Some
of the objects of our activities can be seen in the following photos. Based on
our data, we would like to comment on or propose an effective way of resuming
agricultural activity. Because obtaining research results based on in situ experi-
ments is time-consuming, we have been periodically holding research report
meetings at our university every 3–4 months for laypeople, showing them how the
contamination situation has changed or what type of effect can be estimated.
vii
viii Preface
Although our research is still ongoing, we would like to summarize in this book
our observations made during the one and a half years after the accident.
Tokyo, Japan Tomoko M. Nakanishi
Contents
1 The Overview of Our Research ............................................................. 1
Tomoko M. Nakanishi
2 Behavior of Radiocesium Adsorbed by the Leaves and Stems
of Wheat Plant During the First Year After the Fukushima
Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant Accident .................................................. 11
Keitaro Tanoi
3 Radiocesium Absorption by Rice in Paddy Field Ecosystems ............ 19
Keisuke Nemoto and Jun Abe
4 Cesium Uptake in Rice: Possible Transporter, Distribution,
and Variation ........................................................................................... 29
Toru Fujiwara
5 Time-Course Analysis of Radiocesium Uptake
and Translocation in Rice by Radioisotope Imaging ........................... 37
Natsuko I. Kobayashi
6 Vertical Migration of Radiocesium Fallout in Soil
in Fukushima ........................................................................................... 49
Sho Shiozawa
7 Radioactive Nuclides in Vegetables and Soil Resulting
from Low-Level Radioactive Fallout After the Fukushima
Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant Accident: Case Studies
in Tokyo and Fukushima ........................................................................ 61
Seiichi Oshita
8 Radioactivity in Agricultural Products in Fukushima ........................ 73
Naoto Nihei
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