Sinking velocity of particulate radiocesium in the northwestern North Pacific

Sinking particles (SP) were collected by time series sediment traps at two depths in the northwestern Pacific before and after the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident, and accident‐derived particulate radiocesium was measured. Radiocesium (137Cs) was first detected at 500 m (4810 m) about...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Geophysical research letters 2014-06, Vol.41 (11), p.3959-3965
Main Authors: Honda, Makio C., Kawakami, Hajime
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Accidents
Aluminosilicates
Aluminum silicates
Caesium 137
Cesium radioisotopes
Detection
Electric power plants
Flux
marine snow
Nuclear accidents
Nuclear accidents & safety
Nuclear electric power generation
Nuclear energy
Nuclear power plants
Organic materials
Particulate flux
radiocesium
Sediment
sediment trap
Sediment traps
Sinking
sinking velocity
Temporal logic
TEPCO Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident
Time lag
Time series
Traps
Velocity
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Summary:Sinking particles (SP) were collected by time series sediment traps at two depths in the northwestern Pacific before and after the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident, and accident‐derived particulate radiocesium was measured. Radiocesium (137Cs) was first detected at 500 m (4810 m) about 2 weeks (1 month) after the accident. 137Cs of SP collected over 1 year revealed that the time lag between two depths was larger than that for the first 137Cs detection (about 2 weeks). We estimated the transient sinking velocity (SV) from the cumulative temporal 137Cs flux and the time lags at the two depths. Although the SV of SP collected in very early period was large, the estimated SV of most particulate 137Cs (about 80%) was about 50 m d−1. Based on comparison of 137Cs concentration in total SP with that in SP without organic materials, we suspect that most of the 137Cs was likely incorporated into aluminosilicates. Key Points Radiocesium from the Fukushima in sinking particle was measured Estimated sinking velocity was slower than that estimated previously Radiocesium in sinking particle is mainly adsorbed onto aluminosilicates
ISSN:0094-8276
1944-8007
DOI:10.1002/2014GL060126