2017 Volume 135 Pages 9-23
This paper illustrates the behavior of radioactive cesium (radiocesium) in agricultural environment mostly based on the new findings obtained during the last 5 years after the Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO)- Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP) acci-dent in 2011, in comparison with the knowledge in Europe after the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant (CNPP) accident in 1986. The highlight topics are on the potassium (K) application as the most effective measure to reduce trans-fer factor (TF) of radiocesium from soil to crop; discovery and characterization of a few micrometer-size particulate radiocesium deposits; formulation of effective solid-liquid distribution coefficient (Kd) to elucidate in-situ Kd varia-tion; unexpectedly rapid migration rate of radiocesium in soil in Europe as well as in Japan; importance of long-term monitoring of radiocesium inventory in soil, etc. Fur-ther research needs to ensure the long-term safety on the crop production in the contaminated/decontaminated agri-cultural soils would be proposed as follows: developing Kd database and Kd formula; proposing appropriate K ap-plication scenario by using short- to long-term TF predic-tion model; reconstructing water-soluble/particulate radio-cesium deposition map in 2011; and understanding the bio-geochemical cycle of radiocesium in relation with that of stable cesium in agricultural environment.
