title: Tracking the Fate of Particle Associated Fukushima Daiichi Cesium in the Ocean off Japan.
abstract: A three year time-series of particle fluxes is presented from sediment traps deployed at 500 and 1000 m at a site 115 km southeast of Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP). Results show a high fraction of lithogenic material and mass flux peaks that do not align between the trap depths, suggesting a lateral source of sediments. Fukushima cesium-137 and cesium-134 were enhanced in flux peaks that, given variations in trap (137)Cs/(210)Pbex ratios, are characteristic of material derived from shelf and slope sediments found from <120 to >500 m. These lateral flux peaks are possibly triggered by passing typhoons. The Cs fluxes are an order of magnitude higher than were previously reported for the trap located 100 km due east of FDNPP. We attribute this large difference to the position of our trap under the southeasterly currents that carry contaminated waters and resuspended sediments away from FDNPP and into the Pacific. These higher Cs sedimentary fluxes offshore are still small relative to the inventory of Cs currently buried nearshore. Consequently, we do not expect them to effect any rapid decrease in Cs levels for the coastal sediments near FDNPP that have been linked to enhanced Cs in demersal fish.
authors.affiliation: †Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, Massachusetts 2543, United States.
authors.forename: Ken O
authors.initials: KO
authors.lastname: Buesseler
authors.affiliation: †Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, Massachusetts 2543, United States.
authors.forename: Christopher R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: German
authors.affiliation: ‡Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology, Yokosuka, Kanagawa 237-0061, Japan.
authors.forename: Makio C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Honda
authors.affiliation: §Japan Atomic Energy Agency, Tokai-mura Ibaraki 319-1112, Japan.
authors.forename: Shigeyoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Otosaka
authors.affiliation: †Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, Massachusetts 2543, United States.
authors.forename: Erin E
authors.initials: EE
authors.lastname: Black
authors.affiliation: ‡Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology, Yokosuka, Kanagawa 237-0061, Japan.
authors.forename: Hajime
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kawakami
authors.affiliation: †Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, Massachusetts 2543, United States.
authors.forename: Steven J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Manganini
authors.affiliation: †Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, Massachusetts 2543, United States.
authors.forename: Steven M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Pike
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002588:Cesium Radioisotopes / Q000032:analysis*; D005399:Fishes; D062406:Fukushima Nuclear Accident; D005843:Geography; D007564:Japan; D055848:Nuclear Power Plants; D009792:Oceans and Seas; D052638:Particulate Matter / Q000032:analysis*; D011834:Radiation Monitoring; D014875:Water Pollutants, Radioactive / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D002588:Cesium Radioisotopes; D052638:Particulate Matter; D014875:Water Pollutants, Radioactive