Source and distribution characteristics of 239,240,241Pu, 237Np and 134, 137Cs in sediments in the Northwest and Central Equatorial Pacific after the Fukushima nuclear accident

To understand the possible influence of the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP) accident on the deep sea, as well as the geochemical behavior and transport of radionuclides, Cs-134, Cs-137, Pu-239,Pu-240, Pu-241, and Np-237 were measured in the abyssal sediments of the Northwest Pacific (NWP) and Central Equatorial Pacific (CEP) Ocean. Data on the characteristics of these sediments obtained after the FDNPP accident are extremely rare, especially in the NWP subtropical gyre (NPSG) region. FDNPP-derived radio-Cs (Cs-134,Cs-137) arrived at the open sea floor of the NWP before 2018 but was only found in the Kuroshio-Oyashio Extension (KOE) region. No FDNPP-derived Pu was detected in the abyssal sediments of the NWP or CEP. Pu in the NWP mainly originated from global fallout and the Pacific Proving Ground (PPG) close-in fallout, except for at station WP1 (39 degrees N in the KOE region), where an abnormal but non-FDNPP-derived Pu signal was detected. Pu in the eastern CEP sediment was less affected by the PPG close-in fallout from the Marshall Islands and was mainly derived from global fallout, with some close-in fallout from the Johnston Atoll test. The KOE region was the area most affected by PPG close-in fallout Pu via Kuroshio transport, while the lowest inventories of Pu239+240 and Np-237 were found in the NPSG region due to its oligotrophic environment. The Np-237 originated from the same source as Pu, and the latitudinal pattern of Np-237 was consistent with that of Pu. Station SS (in the marginal sea of the NWP) contained high Np-237/Pu-239 atom ratios in the deeper layers of sediment and had a Np-237 depth profile opposite that of the Pu239+240 profile, compared to other stations; these differences are mainly attributed to differences in the behaviors of Np-237 and Pu-239.

Automated summary

This study investigates the impact of the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant accident on the deep sea environment in the Northwest Pacific and Central Equatorial Pacific Oceans. The results show the presence of radioactive Cs and Pu in the abyssal sediments, with Cs-134 and Cs-137 reaching the open sea floor of the Northwest Pacific before 2018. The Pacific Proving Ground close-in fallout and global fallout are identified as the main sources of Pu in the sediments. The Kuroshio-Oyashio Extension region is found to be the most affected area by the nuclear fallout.