title: Retention of potentially mobile radiocesium in forest surface soils affected by the Fukushima nuclear accident.
abstract: The fate of (137)Cs derived from the Fukushima nuclear accident fallout and associated radiological hazards are largely dependent on its mobility in the surface soils of forest ecosystems. Thus, we quantified microbial and adsorptive retentions of (137)Cs in forest surface (0-3 cm) soils. The K(2)SO(4) extraction process liberated 2.1%-12.8% of the total (137)Cs from the soils. Two soils with a higher content of clay- and silt-sized particles, organic carbon content, and cation exchange capacity showed higher (137)Cs extractability. Microbial biomass was observed in all of the soils. However, the (137)Cs extractability did not increase after destruction of the microbial biomass by chloroform fumigation, providing no evidence for microbial retention of the Fukushima-fallout (137)Cs. The results indicate that uptake of (137)Cs by soil microorganisms is less important for retention of potentially mobile (137)Cs in the forest surface soils compared to ion-exchange adsorption on non-specific sites provided by abiotic components.
authors.affiliation: Nuclear Science and Engineering Directorate, Japan Atomic Energy Agency, Ibaraki 319-1195, Japan. koarashi.jun@jaea.go.jp
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Koarashi
authors.forename: Koichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Moriya
authors.forename: Mariko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Atarashi-Andoh
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Matsunaga
authors.forename: Hiroki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Fujita
authors.forename: Mika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nagaoka
mesh_terms: D018533:Biomass; D002586:Cesium / Q000032:analysis*; D002587:Cesium Isotopes / Q000032:analysis; D062406:Fukushima Nuclear Accident; D007564:Japan; D012987:Soil / Q000032:analysis*; D012988:Soil Microbiology; D012990:Soil Pollutants, Radioactive; D014197:Trees / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000382:microbiology
chemical_list: D002587:Cesium Isotopes; D012987:Soil; D012990:Soil Pollutants, Radioactive; D002586:Cesium