News Release

March 1, 2021 – March 11, 2021 will be the 10^th anniversary of the earthquake and tsunami that caused the meltdown of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. This meltdown had immediate and long-term impacts on the area. The Soil Science Society of America’s (SSSA) March 1^st Soils Matter Blog explores how erosion is affecting the recovery of the Fukushima area.

Blogger Taku Nishimura explains, “Fukushima has a large, forested area and radioactive Cesium was deposited on forests in Fukushima after the accident of the nuclear power plant. However, only the edge of the forests that affects residents was decontaminated. These forests can be a source of eroded soil if not managed properly – and that soil could contaminate other areas of Fukushima.”

Annual rainfall in this area is high. Nishimura researched whether the deposited Cesium migrated to surface water. Analysis of river water in Fukushima showed most of the radioactive Cesium in river water was adsorbed to suspended solids, and the soluble form was minor. This may suggest radioactive Cesium moves with the sediments when erosion occurs – out from the forest and into other areas of Fukushima. To learn more, read the entire blog: https://soilsmatter.wordpress.com/2021/03/01/how-is-erosion-affecting-the-recovery-of-the-fukushima-area/

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