title: Radioactive pollution and accumulation of radionuclides in wild plants in Fukushima.
abstract: The radionuclide status of wild plants and soil in the Fukushima area was investigated during the period May 2011 to October 2012, using an imaging plate (autoradiograms) or a high purity germanium detector. Analyses of autoradiograms showed that wild plants grown in March 2011 were strongly polluted with fallout released from the Fukushima 1 Nuclear Power Plant. The radioactivity was mostly due to fallout adsorbed on the surface of the plants. On the other hand, a number of herbaceous plants were regularly collected in the Fukushima area and their radionuclide concentrations were measured with a high-purity germanium detector. Plants grown in March 2011 showed very high levels of ¹³⁴Cs and ¹³⁷Cs, but these radioactivity levels decreased rapidly after July 2011 and eventually became lower than that of endogenous ⁴⁰K. During this period, the radioactivity of the soil remained high. We therefore suppose that a significant proportion of the radioactivity detected from plants harvested after July 2011 was most likely derived from soil dust attached on the plant surface. Autoradiograms of rice plants were virtually identical between plants cultivated in Fukushima and Osaka area, reflecting the background radiation due to ⁴⁰K.
authors: Department of Biology, Graduate School of Science, Kobe University, Rokkodai, Nada, Kobe, 657-8501, Japan, mimura@kobe-u.ac.jp.
authors: Tetsuro
authors: T
authors: Mimura
authors: Mari
authors: M
authors: Mimura
authors: Daisuke
authors: D
authors: Kobayashi
authors: Chiyo
authors: C
authors: Komiyama
authors: Hitoshi
authors: H
authors: Sekimoto
authors: Masaaki
authors: M
authors: Miyamoto
authors: Akira
authors: A
authors: Kitamura
mesh_terms: D001345:Autoradiography; D002588:Cesium Radioisotopes / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D062406:Fukushima Nuclear Accident; D005720:Gamma Rays; D007564:Japan; D055848:Nuclear Power Plants; D012275:Oryza / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D010944:Plants / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D011197:Potassium Radioisotopes / Q000032:analysis; D011834:Radiation Monitoring; D011848:Radioactive Pollutants / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D012987:Soil / Q000737:chemistry*; D013997:Time Factors; D014197:Trees / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D002588:Cesium Radioisotopes; D011197:Potassium Radioisotopes; D011848:Radioactive Pollutants; D012987:Soil