2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

Development and application of the flux approach for modelling of the long-term radiocesium cycling in Fukushima forests

Research Project

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Project/Area Number	15K00563
Research Category	Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
Allocation Type	Multi-year Fund
Section	一般
Research Field	Environmental impact assessment
Research Institution	Fukushima University
Principal Investigator	Yoschenko Vasyl 福島大学, 環境放射能研究所, 特任教授 (40745569)
Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha)	Kivva Sergii 福島大学, 環境放射能研究所, 特任教授 (70745736) Konoplev Aleksei 福島大学, 環境放射能研究所, 教授 (00745581) Zheleznyak Mark 福島大学, 環境放射能研究所, 特任教授 (90745712) Nanba Kenji 福島大学, 共生システム理工学類, 教授 (70242162) Yoshida Satoshi 独立行政法人放射線医学総合研究所, 福島復興支援本部, 副本部長 (20220642) Takase Tsugiko 福島大学, 環境放射能研究所, 特任准教授 (10466641)
Research Collaborator	Keitoku Koji Sato Natsumi Nagata Hiroko
Project Period (FY)	2015-04-01 – 2018-03-31
Keywords	Fukushima accident / radiocesium / stable cesium / Japanese cedar / forest ecosystems / radiocesium fluxes
Outline of Final Research Achievements	The main aim of our research was prediction of the long-term dynamics of radiocesium in the Fukushima forests for evaluation of the forestry perspectives. To achieve this purpose, we conducted monitoring observations at several experimental sites populated with the typical forestry species. We found that even in the areas were the evacuation orders have been lifted the radiocesium concentrations in wood currently may exceed the Japanese national standards. Using the knowledge on cycling of stable chemical elements in forests, we developed the model predicting how the radiocesium inventories in tree compartments will change in the future. Modelling results show that for the principal forestry species, Japanese cedar, decrease of radiocesium inventory in wood will be rather slow. Also, we analyzed efficiency of decontamination and suggested measures for revitalization of forestry at the radioactive contaminated territories.
Free Research Field	環境学