Preliminary Numerical Experiments on Oceanic Dispersion of<sup>131</sup>I and<sup>137</sup>Cs Discharged into the Ocean because of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant Disaster

Kawamura, Hideyuki; Kobayashi, Takuya; Furuno, Akiko; In, Teiji; Ishikawa, Yoichi; Nakayama, Tomoharu; Shima, Shigeki; Awaji, Toshiyuki

doi:10.1080/18811248.2011.9711826

Cited by 222 publications

(155 citation statements)

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“…Our oceanic source amplitude is more than four times that estimated by Tsumane et al (2011Tsumane et al ( , 2013, and about three times that estimated by Kawamura et al (2011 and Miyazawa et al (2012). However, it agrees well with the estimate of 11 to 16 PBq reported by Charette et al (2013), is consistent with the 14.8 PBq estimate obtained by Masumoto et al (2012) based on the JCOPE model results, and is within the 10-34 PBq range reported by Bailly du Bois et al (2012).…”

Section: Summary and Discussionsupporting

confidence: 70%

“…Over the last two years there have been a number of numerical modeling studies aimed at assessing the aftermath of the Fukushima disaster (e.g., Tsumane et al, 2011Tsumane et al, , 2013Kawamura et al, 2011;Estournel et al, 2012;Miyazawa et al, 2012;Masumoto et al, 2012;Bailly du Bois et al, 2012). Forward numerical models have allowed simulation of the spread of radioactive waters into the ocean.…”

Section: Modeling the Spreading Of 137 Csmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Short-term dispersal of Fukushima-derived radionuclides off Japan: modeling efforts and model-data intercomparison

et al. 2013

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The Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami that caused a loss of power at the Fukushima nuclear power plants (FNPP) resulted in emission of radioactive isotopes into the atmosphere and the ocean. In June of 2011, an international survey measuring a variety of radionuclide isotopes, including ¹³⁷Cs, was conducted in surface and subsurface waters off Japan. This paper presents the results of numerical simulations specifically aimed at interpreting these observations and investigating the spread of Fukushima-derived radionuclides off the coast of Japan and into the greater Pacific Ocean. Together, the simulations and observations allow us to study the dominant mechanisms governing this process, and to estimate the total amount of radionuclides in discharged coolant waters and atmospheric airborne radionuclide fallout. The numerical simulations are based on two different ocean circulation models, one inferred from AVISO altimetry and NCEP/NCAR reanalysis wind stress, and the second generated numerically by the NCOM model. Our simulations determine that > 95% of ¹³⁷Cs remaining in the water within ~600 km of Fukushima, Japan in mid-June 2011 was due to the direct oceanic discharge. The estimated strength of the oceanic source is 16.2 ± 1.6 PBq, based on minimizing the model-data mismatch. We cannot make an accurate estimate for the atmospheric source strength since most of the fallout cesium had left the survey area by mid-June. The model explained several key features of the observed ¹³⁷Cs distribution. First, the absence of ¹³⁷Cs at the southernmost stations is attributed to the Kuroshio Current acting as a transport barrier against the southward progression of ¹³⁷Cs. Second, the largest ¹³⁷Cs concentrations were associated with a semi-permanent eddy that entrained ¹³⁷Cs-rich waters, collecting and stirring them around the eddy perimeter. Finally, the intermediate ¹³⁷Cs concentrations at the westernmost stations are attributed to younger, and therefore less Cs-rich, coolant waters that continued to leak from the reactor in June of that year

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Section: Summary and Discussionsupporting

confidence: 70%

Section: Modeling the Spreading Of 137 Csmentioning

confidence: 99%

Short-term dispersal of Fukushima-derived radionuclides off Japan: modeling efforts and model-data intercomparison

et al. 2013

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“…The eastward speed of the radioactive plume was estimated to be 8 cm s −1 . Moreover, atmospheric deposition of radioactive Cs and 131 I south of the KE near the east coast of Japan was strongly indicated by numerical simulations (Kawamura et al 2011 ;Kobayashi et al 2013 ). Thus, the highly radioactive Cs area observed in the central North Pacifi c in July 2011 and south of the KE near the east coast of Japan may have originated from atmospheric deposition.…”

Section: Eastward Dispersion In Surface Seawatermentioning

confidence: 86%

“…The Japanese government conducted intensive monitoring of 131 I, 134 Cs,and 137 Cs in the seawater offshore near the FNPP (Nuclear Regulation Authority 2014 ) and in fi sheries products from a wide area around Japan (Fisheries Agency 2014 ). Although information on radioactive contamination covering a broad area of the North Pacifi c is still quite limited (Aoyama et al 2013a , b ), some model experiments have addressed the dispersion of FNPP-derived radioactive Cs (Kawamura et al 2011 ;Bailly du Bois et al 2012 ;Dietze and Kriest 2012 ;Tsumune et al 2012 ;Miyazawa et al 2012 ), and estimated amounts of 137 Cs discharged directly into the ocean ranged from 2.3 to 14.8 PBq, with considerable uncertainties . Although most studies have discussed the surface dispersion patterns of FNPP-derived radioactive Cs, understanding the ocean distribution patterns of radioactive Cs throughout the water column is key to assessing its effects on marine ecosystems.…”

Section: Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant Accidentmentioning

confidence: 99%

134Cs and 137Cs in the Seawater Around Japan and in the North Pacific

Kaeriyama

2015

Impacts of the Fukushima Nuclear Accident on Fish and Fishing Grounds

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“…Most efforts on the investigation of the contamination in the ocean have centred on the radiocaesium isotopes 134 Cs (T½ = 2.06 y) and 137 Cs (T½ = 30.2 y), of which between 5 to 11.7 PBq would have been deposited onto the regional ocean (Estournel et al, 2012;Kawamura et al, 2011;Kobayashi et al, 2013). The direct liquid discharges to sea were estimated to be about 2.8-5.9 PBq (Miyazawa et al, 2013;Tsumune et al, 2012;Tsumune et al, 2013), although other authors produced larger figures, ranging from 13.5 to 27 PBq (Bailly du Bois et al, 2012;Charette et al, 2013;Rypina et al, 2013).…”

Section: State Of Knowledge On the Impact Of The Fdnpp Accident On Thmentioning

confidence: 99%

Marine radioecology after the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear accident: Are we better positioned to understand the impact of radionuclides in marine ecosystems?

Batlle

Aoyama

Bradshaw

et al. 2018

Science of The Total Environment

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This paper focuses on how a community of researchers under the COMET (CO-ordination and iMplementation of a pan European projecT for radioecology) project has improved the capacity of marine radioecology to understand at the process level the behaviour of radionuclides in the marine environment, uptake by organisms and the resulting doses after the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear accident occurred in 2011. We present new radioecological understanding of the processes involved, such as the interaction of waterborne radionuclides with suspended particles and sediments or the biological uptake and turnover of radionuclides, which have been better quantified and mathematically described.We demonstrate that biokinetic models can better represent radionuclide transfer to biota in nonequilibrium situations, bringing more realism to predictions, especially when combining physical, chemical and biological interactions that occur in such an open and dynamic environment as the ocean. As a result, we are readier now than we were before the FDNPP accident in terms of having models that can be applied to dynamic situations.The paper concludes with our vision for marine radioecology as a fundamental research discipline and we present a strategy for our discipline at the European and international levels. The lessons learned 2 are presented along with their possible applicability to assess/reduce the environmental consequences of future accidents to the marine environment and guidance for future research, as well as to assure sustainability of marine radioecology in Europe and globally. This guidance necessarily reflects on why and where further research funding is needed, signalling the way for future investigations.3

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Preliminary Numerical Experiments on Oceanic Dispersion of¹³¹I and¹³⁷Cs Discharged into the Ocean because of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant Disaster

Cited by 222 publications

References 9 publications

Short-term dispersal of Fukushima-derived radionuclides off Japan: modeling efforts and model-data intercomparison

Short-term dispersal of Fukushima-derived radionuclides off Japan: modeling efforts and model-data intercomparison

134Cs and 137Cs in the Seawater Around Japan and in the North Pacific

Marine radioecology after the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear accident: Are we better positioned to understand the impact of radionuclides in marine ecosystems?

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Preliminary Numerical Experiments on Oceanic Dispersion of131I and137Cs Discharged into the Ocean because of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant Disaster

Cited by 222 publications

References 9 publications

Short-term dispersal of Fukushima-derived radionuclides off Japan: modeling efforts and model-data intercomparison

Short-term dispersal of Fukushima-derived radionuclides off Japan: modeling efforts and model-data intercomparison

134Cs and 137Cs in the Seawater Around Japan and in the North Pacific

Marine radioecology after the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear accident: Are we better positioned to understand the impact of radionuclides in marine ecosystems?

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Preliminary Numerical Experiments on Oceanic Dispersion of¹³¹I and¹³⁷Cs Discharged into the Ocean because of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant Disaster