Testing mosses exposed in bags as biointerceptors of airborne radiocaesium after the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Station accident. (December 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Di Palma, A.; Adamo, P.; Dohi, T.; Fujiwara, K.; Hagiwara, H.; Kitamura, A.; Sakoda, A.; Sato, K.; Iijima, K.
• Is Part Of: Chemosphere. Volume 308:Part 1(2022)
• Publication Date: 2022-12
• Subjects: Biomonitoring -- Hypnum spp. -- Sphagnum spp. -- 137Cs -- 134Cs -- Airborne particulate matter; Pollution -- Periodicals; Pollution -- Physiological effect -- Periodicals; Environmental sciences -- Periodicals; Atmospheric chemistry -- Periodicals; 551.511
• DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.136179
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0045-6535

Abstract

Abstract: Eight years after the Fukushima nuclear accident, mosses exposed in bags were used to investigate their ability to accumulate radiocaesium and therefore to act as biointerceptors of 134 Cs and 137 Cs in the evacuated area of the Fukushima territory. Bags were filled with 3 widely studied moss species ( Sphagnum palustre, Hypnum cupressiforme, and Hypnum plumaeforme ) and exposed for 3, 6 or 9 weeks at 5 former residential sites within the Fukushima area and, for comparison, at three background sites located 700 km away. The radiocaesium activity concentrations found in moss bags were evaluated as function of exposure time, site conditions and moss species. In the Fukushima area, the moss bags accumulated 137 Cs at all exposure sites and in all exposure periods, with S. palustre having the highest 137 Cs accumulation ability. The 137 Cs activity concentrations (from 28 to 4700 Bq kg −1 ) measured in moss bags increased with the exposure time and were consistent with the decontamination status of each exposure site, highlighting the big potential of moss bags to discriminate among exposure sites. Time dependency of 137 Cs activity concentrations measured in mosses allowed the calculation of location-specific and species-specific factors, which can be used to predict radiocaesium accumulation trends in future biomonitoring surveys performed in the same area with the same experimental design. Autoradiography and electron microscopy analyses of the moss surfaces revealed a prevalence of soil-derived particulate form of radiocaesium, suggesting the use of moss bags as warning sensors of resuspended particles potentially harmful for local residents. Graphical abstract: Image 1 Highlights: Mosses in bags act as biosensors of radiocaesium in evacuated Fukushima municipalities. In Fukushima sites moss-bags highlight 137 Cs after only 3 weeks of exposure. Sphagnum palustre shows the highest 137 Cs uptake ability. Radiocaesium occurs on moss surfaces in soil-derived particulate form. Location (LF) and Species (SF) factors may help to determine 137 Cs accumulation trends.