title: Radiocesium contamination of greenlings (Hexagrammos otakii) off the coast of Fukushima.
abstract: We measured the radiocesium ((134)Cs and (137)Cs) contamination of 236 greenlings (Hexagrammos otakii) off the coast of Fukushima Prefecture in Japan, following the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in March 2011. The radiocesium concentrations of greenlings caught approximately 40 km south of the power plant were significantly higher than those of greenlings caught approximately 50 km north of the power plant. The radiocesium concentrations of greenlings caught in southern waters were significantly higher in shallow than in deep waters. Meanwhile, two outlier specimens of greenlings with higher (137)Cs concentrations, 16,000 Bq/kg-wet on 1 August 2012 and 1,150 Bq/kg-wet on 8 May 2013, were caught approximately 20 km from the power plant. Our calculations suggest that the probability of two such outlier specimens being found off the coast of Fukushima is exceedingly low. By contrast, extremely contaminated greenlings were frequently caught in the power plant port (geometric mean of (137)Cs = 17,364 Bq/kg-wet). Our results suggest that the two outlier greenlings with higher (137)Cs concentrations migrated from the power plant port. Continued close monitoring of radiocesium concentrations in the area should be done to ensure the safety of food supplies.
authors.affiliation: Research Center for Fisheries Oceanography and Marine Ecosystem, National Research Institute of Fisheries Sciences, Fisheries Research Agency, 2-12-4, Fukuura, Kanazawa-ward, Yokohama, Kanagawa. 236-8648, Japan.
authors.forename: Yuya
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shigenobu
authors.affiliation: Research Center for Fisheries Oceanography and Marine Ecosystem, National Research Institute of Fisheries Sciences, Fisheries Research Agency, 2-12-4, Fukuura, Kanazawa-ward, Yokohama, Kanagawa. 236-8648, Japan.
authors.forename: Ken
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fujimoto
authors.affiliation: Research Center for Fisheries Oceanography and Marine Ecosystem, National Research Institute of Fisheries Sciences, Fisheries Research Agency, 2-12-4, Fukuura, Kanazawa-ward, Yokohama, Kanagawa. 236-8648, Japan.
authors.forename: Daisuke
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ambe
authors.affiliation: Research Center for Fisheries Oceanography and Marine Ecosystem, National Research Institute of Fisheries Sciences, Fisheries Research Agency, 2-12-4, Fukuura, Kanazawa-ward, Yokohama, Kanagawa. 236-8648, Japan.
authors.forename: Hideki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kaeriyama
authors.affiliation: Research Center for Fisheries Oceanography and Marine Ecosystem, National Research Institute of Fisheries Sciences, Fisheries Research Agency, 2-12-4, Fukuura, Kanazawa-ward, Yokohama, Kanagawa. 236-8648, Japan.
authors.forename: Tsuneo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ono
authors.affiliation: Research Center for Fisheries Oceanography and Marine Ecosystem, National Research Institute of Fisheries Sciences, Fisheries Research Agency, 2-12-4, Fukuura, Kanazawa-ward, Yokohama, Kanagawa. 236-8648, Japan.
authors.forename: Kenji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Morinaga
authors.affiliation: Head office of Fisheries Research Agency, Queen's Tower B 15F, 2-3-3, Minato Mirai, Nishi-ward, Yokohama, Kanagawa. 220-6115, Japan.
authors.forename: Kaoru
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nakata
authors.affiliation: Research Center for Fisheries Oceanography and Marine Ecosystem, National Research Institute of Fisheries Sciences, Fisheries Research Agency, 2-12-4, Fukuura, Kanazawa-ward, Yokohama, Kanagawa. 236-8648, Japan.
authors.forename: Takami
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Morita
authors.affiliation: Research Center for Fisheries Oceanography and Marine Ecosystem, National Research Institute of Fisheries Sciences, Fisheries Research Agency, 2-12-4, Fukuura, Kanazawa-ward, Yokohama, Kanagawa. 236-8648, Japan.
authors.forename: Tomowo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Watanabe
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002588:Cesium Radioisotopes; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005507:Food Contamination, Radioactive; D062406:Fukushima Nuclear Accident; D005843:Geography; D007564:Japan; D010473:Perciformes
chemical_list: D002588:Cesium Radioisotopes