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Low levels of 134Cs in suspended solids in rivers discharging into the Sea of Japan

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Abstract

We investigated radiocesium concentrations in the suspended solids (SS) of two large rivers discharging into the Sea of Japan. Higher 134Cs concentrations in SS sampled from upstream area in 2013 (711 Bq/kg-SS) reflected the larger effect of radioactive depositions in western Fukushima Prefecture. However, smaller but less variable concentrations in downstream areas (< 100 Bq/kg-SS) indicated a continual supply of 134Cs-contaminated SS from 2013 to 2017. The particulate 134Cs concentrations in normal flow conditions were at approximately similar levels with those in coastal waters (< ~1 mBq/L), suggesting that the impact of SS on the Sea of Japan was negligible after 2013.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank Y. Furusawa, Y. Shirotani, S. Terasaki, and A. Fujita (Kanazawa University, Japan) for their assistance during river water sampling. This study was partly supported by a Grant-in-Aid for M. Inoue (Scientific Research No. 24510011) from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology in Japan.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Low Level Radioactivity Laboratory, Kanazawa University, Wake O-24, Nomi, Ishikawa, 923-1224, Japan

    Mutsuo Inoue, Shuichiro Yoneoka, Shinya Ochiai, Toshiki Morokado, Hiroaki Uemura & Seiya Nagao

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  1. Mutsuo Inoue
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  2. Shuichiro Yoneoka
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  3. Shinya Ochiai
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  4. Toshiki Morokado
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  5. Hiroaki Uemura
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  6. Seiya Nagao
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Correspondence to Mutsuo Inoue.

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Inoue, M., Yoneoka, S., Ochiai, S. et al. Low levels of 134Cs in suspended solids in rivers discharging into the Sea of Japan. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 316, 1233–1241 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-018-5783-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-018-5783-7

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