title: Radiocaesium contamination and dose rate estimation of terrestrial and freshwater wildlife in the exclusion zone of the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant accident.
abstract: To characterise the radioactive contamination of terrestrial and freshwater wildlife caused by the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant accident, biological samples, namely, fungi, mosses, plants, amphibians, reptiles, insects, molluscs, and earthworms, were collected mainly from the forests of the exclusion zone in the Fukushima Prefecture from 2011 to 2012. Caesium-134 and137Cs were detected by gamma spectrometry in almost all the samples. Fungi, ferns, and mosses accumulated high amounts of radiocaesium, as they did in Chernobyl, with134Cs +137Cs activity concentrations of 104-106Bq kg-1fresh mass (FM). Earthworms, amphibians, and the soft tissue of the garden snail Acusta despecta sieboldiana, also had levels as high as 104-105Bq kg-1FM of134Cs +137Cs. Most of the estimated total (internal + external) dose rates to herbaceous plants, amphibians, insects, and earthworms were below the corresponding derived consideration reference levels (DCRLs) recommended by the ICRP. This suggests that, in most cases, there was little chance of deleterious effects of ionising radiation on these organisms in the exclusion zone for the first year after the accident, though the dose rates were underestimated mainly due to the lack of consideration of short-lived radionuclides.
authors.affiliation: Fukushima Project Headquarters, National Institute of Radiological Sciences, National Institutes for Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology, 4-9-1 Anagawa, Inage-ku, Chiba, 263-8555, Japan. Electronic address: fuma.shoichi@qst.go.jp.
authors.forename: Shoichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fuma
authors.affiliation: Hokkaido University of Education Kushiro Campus, 1-15-55 Shiroyama, Kushiro, Hokkaido, 085-8580, Japan.
authors.forename: Sadao
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ihara
authors.affiliation: Tokyo Nuclear Services Co., Ltd., Sorimachi Building, 1-3-5 Taito, Taito-ku, Tokyo, 110-0016, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.affiliation: Minamisoma City Museum, 194 Deguchi, Gorai, Haramachi-ku, Minamisoma, Fukushima, 975-0051, Japan.
authors.forename: Osamu
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Inaba
authors.affiliation: Fukushima Wildlife Workshop, Japan.
authors.forename: Youji
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.affiliation: Fukushima Project Headquarters, National Institute of Radiological Sciences, National Institutes for Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology, 4-9-1 Anagawa, Inage-ku, Chiba, 263-8555, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoshihisa
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kubota
authors.affiliation: Fukushima Project Headquarters, National Institute of Radiological Sciences, National Institutes for Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology, 4-9-1 Anagawa, Inage-ku, Chiba, 263-8555, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoshito
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.affiliation: Center for Radiation Protection Knowledge, National Institute of Radiological Sciences, National Institutes for Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology, 4-9-1 Anagawa, Inage-ku, Chiba, 263-8555, Japan.
authors.forename: Isao
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kawaguchi
authors.affiliation: Fukushima Project Headquarters, National Institute of Radiological Sciences, National Institutes for Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology, 4-9-1 Anagawa, Inage-ku, Chiba, 263-8555, Japan.
authors.forename: Tatsuo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Aono
authors.affiliation: Fukushima Project Headquarters, National Institute of Radiological Sciences, National Institutes for Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology, 4-9-1 Anagawa, Inage-ku, Chiba, 263-8555, Japan.
authors.forename: Haruhi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Soeda
authors.affiliation: Department of Management and Planning, National Institutes for Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology, 4-9-1 Anagawa, Inage-ku, Chiba, 263-8555, Japan.
authors.forename: Satoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yoshida
mesh_terms: D002588:Cesium Radioisotopes / Q000032:analysis*; D004777:Environment; D005618:Fresh Water; D062406:Fukushima Nuclear Accident; D007564:Japan; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D000069079:Radiation Exposure / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011834:Radiation Monitoring; D011848:Radioactive Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D002588:Cesium Radioisotopes; D011848:Radioactive Pollutants
keywords: Amphibian; Derived consideration reference level; ERICA; Fern; Fungus; Moss