Discovery of radioactive silver (110mAg) in spiders and other fauna in
the terrestrial environment after the meltdown of Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power
plant |
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Authors: | Hiromi NAKANISHI Atsushi MORI Kouki TAKEDA Houdo TANAKA Natsuko KOBAYASHI Keitaro TANOI Takashi YAMAKAWA Satoshi MORI |
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Institution: | *1Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.;*2The University of Electro-Communications, Tokyo,
Japan. |
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Abstract: | Six months after the explosion of TEPCO’s Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant, radioactive
silver (110mAg), was detected in concentrations of 3754 Bq/kg in Nephila
clavata (the orb-web spider; Joro-gumo in Japanese) collected at
Nimaibashi, Iitate village in Fukushima Prefecture, whereas 110mAg in the soil was
43.1 Bq/kg. A survey of 35 faunal species in the terrestrial environment during the 3.5 years
after the accident showed that most of Anthropoda had two orders higher 110mAg in
their tissues than soils, although silver is not an essential element for their life. However,
tracing of the activity of 110mAg detected in spider Atypus karschi
collected regularly at a fixed location showed that it declined much faster than the physical
half-life. These results suggest that 110mAg was at once biologically concentrated
by faunal species, especially Arthropoda, through food chain. The factors affecting the
subsequent rapid decline of 110mAg concentration in faunal species are
discussed. |
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Keywords: | Atypus karschi fauna Fukushima Dai-ichi accident radioactive silver radioactive cesium Nephila clavata |
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