title: Radiocaesium activity concentrations in parmelioid lichens within a 60 km radius of the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant.
abstract: Radiocaesium activity concentrations ((134)Cs and (137)Cs) were measured in parmelioid lichens collected within the Fukushima Prefecture approximately 2 y after the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant accident. A total of 44 samples consisting of nine species were collected at 16 points within a 60 km radius of the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant. The activity concentration of (134)Cs ranged from 4.6 to 1000 kBq kg(-1) and for (137)Cs ranged from 7.6 to 1740 kBq kg(-1). A significant positive correlation was found between the (137)Cs activity concentration in lichens and the (137)Cs deposition density on soil (n = 44), based on the calculated Spearman's rank correlation coefficients as r = 0.90 (P < 0.01). The two dominant species, Flavoparmelia caperata (n = 12) and Parmotrema clavuliferum (n = 11), showed strong positive correlations, for which the r values were calculated as 0.92 (P < 0.01) and 0.90 (P < 0.01) respectively. Therefore, Flavoparmelia caperata and Parmotrema clavuliferum are suggested as biomonitoring species for levels of radiocaesium fallout within the Fukushima Prefecture.
authors.affiliation: Sector of Fukushima Research and Development, Japan Atomic Energy Agency, 6-6 Sakae-machi, Fukushima, Fukushima 960-8031, Japan. Electronic address: dohi.terumi@jaea.go.jp.
authors.forename: Terumi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Dohi
authors.affiliation: Department of Botany, National Museum of Nature and Science, 4-1-1 Amakubo, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0005, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoshihito
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ohmura
authors.affiliation: Sector of Fukushima Research and Development, Japan Atomic Energy Agency, 6-6 Sakae-machi, Fukushima, Fukushima 960-8031, Japan; Department of Botany, National Museum of Nature and Science, 4-1-1 Amakubo, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0005, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kashiwadani
authors.affiliation: Sector of Fukushima Research and Development, Japan Atomic Energy Agency, 6-6 Sakae-machi, Fukushima, Fukushima 960-8031, Japan.
authors.forename: Kenso
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fujiwara
authors.affiliation: Sector of Fukushima Research and Development, Japan Atomic Energy Agency, 6-6 Sakae-machi, Fukushima, Fukushima 960-8031, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoshiaki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sakamoto
authors.affiliation: Sector of Fukushima Research and Development, Japan Atomic Energy Agency, 6-6 Sakae-machi, Fukushima, Fukushima 960-8031, Japan.
authors.forename: Kazuki
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Iijima
mesh_terms: D002588:Cesium Radioisotopes / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism; D056727:Endangered Species; D062406:Fukushima Nuclear Accident; D007564:Japan; D055848:Nuclear Power Plants; D000068837:Parmeliaceae / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism*; D011834:Radiation Monitoring; D011847:Radioactive Fallout / Q000032:analysis*; D012990:Soil Pollutants, Radioactive / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D002588:Cesium Radioisotopes; D011847:Radioactive Fallout; D012990:Soil Pollutants, Radioactive
keywords: Biomonitor; Fallout; Flavoparmelia caperata; Fukushima; Parmotrema clavuliferum; Radiocesium