Intake of Radionuclides in the Trees of Fukushima Forests 3. Removal of Radiocesium from Stem Wood, Cryptomeria Japonica (L.f.) D. Don

• Published in: Forests Vol. 11; no. 5; p. 589
• Main Authors: Seyama, Tomoko, Arakawa, Ryohei, Machida, Shogo, Yoshida, Sota, Maru, Akihiko, Baba, Kei’ichi, Kobayashi, Yoshinori, Kaida, Rumi, Taji, Teruaki, Sakata, Yoichi, Iijima, Tomoaki, Hayashi, Takahisa
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basel MDPI AG 01.05.2020
• Subjects: Air pollution; Biomass energy; Biotechnology; Cellulose; Cryptomeria japonica; Enzymes; Forests; Japanese cedar; Nuclear accidents; Nuclear accidents & safety; Nuclear energy; Nuclear power plants; pit membrane; Ponding; ponding method; Potassium; radiocesium removal; Radioisotopes; Sodium; Stems; tracheid; Trees; Viscosity; Wood; Xyloglucan; Xyloglucanase; Zeolites; Australia; United States > US; Canberra Australian Capital Territory Australia; Japan
• ISSN: 1999-4907; 1999-4907
• DOI: 10.3390/f11050589

Nuclear power plant accidents have dispersed radiocesium into the atmosphere to contaminate trees with no turnover in heartwood, as occurred in Fukushima, and as has persisted for over 30 years around Chernobyl. Here we employ the ponding method, in which radiocesium can be flushed out from the cross-cut edges of Japanese cedar, Cryptomeria japonica (L.f.) D. Don., stem with water due to xyloglucan degradation in tracheids. Furthermore, lab-scale ponding experiments have shown that a non-detectable level of radiocesium has been observed not only in the pool water used for 575 days but also in the water containing recombinant xyloglucanase. This traditional technology is now a new biotechnology.