By Jay T. Cullen

The purpose of this diary is to share the results of a recently published, peer reviewed, study that examined the radiological impact of the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP) meltdowns on invertebrates living in coastal waters close to the disaster site in Japan.  The paper by Sohtome and colleagues measured the activity of artificial radionuclides 134-Cesium (¹³⁴Cs half life ~ 2 years) and 137-Cesium (¹³⁷Cs half life ~ 30 years) in 592 specimens representing 46 different taxonomic families collected in coastal waters in Fukushima Prefecture between July 2011 and August 2013.  The authors found ¹³⁷Cs in 77% of the samples with highest activities in the organisms near to or south of the FDNPP where highest levels in seawater and marine sediments were found after the large initial releases in 2011.  Levels of ¹³⁷Cs decreased exponentially with time with differences between the various taxonomic groups.  Continue reading Impact of the Fukushima Nuclear Disaster on Marine Animals Along the Coast of Japan →