The nuclear reactor accident at the Fukushima Daiichi power plant resulted in the release of large quantities of various radionuclides into the environment. While airborne releases mainly consisted of volatile elements such as iodine, cesium and tellurium, elements such as plutonium and other actinides were also released through aquatic pathways. Actinides were also introduced into the environment through debris scattered by the explosions in three of the reactors. The surroundings of the Fukushima nuclear power plant provide therefore an involuntary, but nonetheless unique opportunity to investigate the behavior of plutonium and cesium in an eco-system. Several areas in the vicinity of the power plant are still considered an exclusion zone and have not been cleared for human resettlement. While these areas are not suitable for permanent habitation, they are accessible for field work. The purpose of this research is to analyze the movement and bioavailability of radiocesium and plutonium in the ecosystems contaminated by the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear reactor accident. This will be done by collecting and analyzing soil, sediment, water, and vegetation samples from within the inclusion zone. Most of the existing studies have focused on determining the total amount of cesium and plutonium in soil. While this provides important data on the distribution of these radionuclides in the environment, it yields limited information on the bioavailability of these elements. Therefore, in this work the samples will be analyzed using sequential extraction techniques. By treating the samples with increasingly aggressive chemicals, it is possible to discover the geological host phase to which the radionuclides are bound. In addition to further the overall understanding of cesium and plutonium transport pathways in natural ecosystems, this research will also provide an opportunity to validate the sequential extraction procedures developed using real-world samples.<br/>

Sequential extraction techniques to investigate movement and bioavailability of soil contaminants

255th National Meeting (2018)

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