Transuranic nuclides Pu, Am and Cm isotopes, and 90Sr in seafloor sediments off the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant during the period from 2012 to 2019

The Pu-238, Pu239+240, Am-241, Cm-242, Cm243+244 and Sr-90 concentrations in seafloor surface sediments collected at three sampling stations off the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP) site during the period from 2012 to 2019 were determined to elucidate the impacts of the FDNPP accident onto their concentrations in coastal sediments and to discuss the sources of the measured radionuclides. The Pu239+240, Pu-241 and Am-241 concentrations and Pu-240/Pu-239 atom ratios in a sediment core were also determined to allow comparison of their inventories between this study and previously reported values and to identify the Pu sources. The Pu-238, Pu239+240, Am-241 and Sr-90 concentrations showed no remarkable temporal variations; no significant increases in concentrations after the FDNPP accident were observed; these concentrations were comfortably within the previously reported concentration range; and no detectable Cm-242 and Cm243+244 amounts were observed in surface sediments. The observed Pu-238/Pu239+240 activity ratios were approximately two orders of magnitudes lower than those for the damaged FDNPP reactor core inventories and the observed values in terrestrial samples after the accident. The Pu239+240, Pu-241 and Am-241 inventories in the sediment core were 389 +/- 5, 503 +/- 33 and 214 +/- 3 Bq m(2), respectively. The Pu239+240 inventory was about an order of magnitude greater than the expected cumulative deposition density of global fallout from atmospheric nuclear weapons testing due to an enhanced scavenging effect. The Pu-240/Pu-239 atom ratios in the sediment core ranged from 0.239 to 0.246 with a mean value of 0.242 +/- 0.002; these ratios were clearly greater than the mean global fallout ratio of 0.18. The results for Pu-238/Pu239+240 activity ratios and Pu-240/Pu-239 atom ratios reflected a mixture of global fallout and Pacific Proving Grounds (PPG) close-in fallout Pu rather than Fukushima accident-derived Pu. The sediment column inventory for Pu239+240 originating from the PPG close-in fallout was calculated as 166 Bq m(2), which corresponded to 43% of the total inventory. A significant amount of the PPG-derived Pu has been transported by ocean currents and then preferentially scavenged in the coastal waters of Japan.

Automated summary

The study investigated the concentrations of radioactive isotopes in seafloor sediments near the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant after the accident, showing no significant increase in concentrations and values comfortably within previously reported ranges. By determining concentrations and atom ratios of radioactive isotopes, the sources of these isotopes were identified, indicating that the isotopes primarily originated from global fallout and close-in fallout from the Pacific Proving Grounds, rather than from the Fukushima accident.