Iodine-129 in seawater offshore fukushima: Distribution, inorganic speciation, sources, and budget

Xiaolin Hou; Pavel P. Povinec; Luyuan Zhang; Keliang Shi; Dana Biddulph; Ching Chih Chang; Yukun Fan; Robin Golser; Yingkun Hou; Miroslav Ješkovský; A. J.Tim Jull; Qi Liu; Maoyi Luo; Peter Steier; Weijian Zhou

doi:10.1021/es304460k

Iodine-129 in seawater offshore fukushima: Distribution, inorganic speciation, sources, and budget

Xiaolin Hou, Pavel P. Povinec, Luyuan Zhang, Keliang Shi, Dana Biddulph, Ching Chih Chang, Yukun Fan, Robin Golser, Yingkun Hou, Miroslav Ješkovský, A. J.Tim Jull, Qi Liu, Maoyi Luo, Peter Steier, Weijian Zhou

Geosciences

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

191 Scopus citations

Abstract

The Fukushima nuclear accident in March 2011 has released a large amount of radioactive pollutants to the environment. Of the pollutants, iodine-129 is a long-lived radionuclide and will remain in the environment for millions of years. This work first report levels and inorganic speciation of ¹²⁹I in seawater depth profiles collected offshore Fukushima in June 2011. Significantly elevated ¹²⁹I concentrations in surface water were observed with the highest ¹²⁹I/¹²⁷I atomic ratio of 2.2 × 10^-9 in the surface seawater 40 km offshore Fukushima. Iodide was found as the dominant species of ¹²⁹I, while stable ¹²⁷I was mainly in iodate form, reflecting the fact that the major source of ¹²⁹I is the direct liquid discharges from the Fukushima NPP. The amount of ¹²⁹I directly discharged from the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant to the sea was estimated to be 2.35 GBq, and about 1.09 GBq of ¹²⁹I released to the atmosphere from the accident was deposited in the sea offshore Fukushima. A total release of 8.06 GBq (or 1.2 kg) of ¹²⁹I from the Fukushima accident was estimated. These Fukushima-derived ¹²⁹I data provide necessary information for the investigation of water circulation and geochemical cycle of iodine in the northwestern Pacific Ocean in the future.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	3091-3098
Number of pages	8
Journal	Environmental Science and Technology
Volume	47
Issue number	7
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1021/es304460k
State	Published - Apr 2 2013

ASJC Scopus subject areas

General Chemistry
Environmental Chemistry

Access to Document

10.1021/es304460k

Cite this

Hou, X., Povinec, P. P., Zhang, L., Shi, K., Biddulph, D., Chang, C. C., Fan, Y., Golser, R., Hou, Y., Ješkovský, M., Jull, A. J. T., Liu, Q., Luo, M., Steier, P., & Zhou, W. (2013). Iodine-129 in seawater offshore fukushima: Distribution, inorganic speciation, sources, and budget. Environmental Science and Technology, 47(7), 3091-3098. https://doi.org/10.1021/es304460k

@article{2430cef2281d4543815c1007b0d0e683,

title = "Iodine-129 in seawater offshore fukushima: Distribution, inorganic speciation, sources, and budget",

abstract = "The Fukushima nuclear accident in March 2011 has released a large amount of radioactive pollutants to the environment. Of the pollutants, iodine-129 is a long-lived radionuclide and will remain in the environment for millions of years. This work first report levels and inorganic speciation of 129I in seawater depth profiles collected offshore Fukushima in June 2011. Significantly elevated 129I concentrations in surface water were observed with the highest 129I/127I atomic ratio of 2.2 × 10-9 in the surface seawater 40 km offshore Fukushima. Iodide was found as the dominant species of 129I, while stable 127I was mainly in iodate form, reflecting the fact that the major source of 129I is the direct liquid discharges from the Fukushima NPP. The amount of 129I directly discharged from the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant to the sea was estimated to be 2.35 GBq, and about 1.09 GBq of 129I released to the atmosphere from the accident was deposited in the sea offshore Fukushima. A total release of 8.06 GBq (or 1.2 kg) of 129I from the Fukushima accident was estimated. These Fukushima-derived 129I data provide necessary information for the investigation of water circulation and geochemical cycle of iodine in the northwestern Pacific Ocean in the future.",

author = "Xiaolin Hou and Povinec, {Pavel P.} and Luyuan Zhang and Keliang Shi and Dana Biddulph and Chang, {Ching Chih} and Yukun Fan and Robin Golser and Yingkun Hou and Miroslav Je{\v s}kovsk{\'y} and Jull, {A. J.Tim} and Qi Liu and Maoyi Luo and Peter Steier and Weijian Zhou",

year = "2013",

month = apr,

day = "2",

doi = "10.1021/es304460k",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "47",

pages = "3091--3098",

journal = "Environmental Science and Technology",

issn = "0013-936X",

publisher = "American Chemical Society",

number = "7",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Iodine-129 in seawater offshore fukushima

T2 - Distribution, inorganic speciation, sources, and budget

AU - Hou, Xiaolin

AU - Povinec, Pavel P.

AU - Zhang, Luyuan

AU - Shi, Keliang

AU - Biddulph, Dana

AU - Chang, Ching Chih

AU - Fan, Yukun

AU - Golser, Robin

AU - Hou, Yingkun

AU - Ješkovský, Miroslav

AU - Jull, A. J.Tim

AU - Liu, Qi

AU - Luo, Maoyi

AU - Steier, Peter

AU - Zhou, Weijian

PY - 2013/4/2

Y1 - 2013/4/2

N2 - The Fukushima nuclear accident in March 2011 has released a large amount of radioactive pollutants to the environment. Of the pollutants, iodine-129 is a long-lived radionuclide and will remain in the environment for millions of years. This work first report levels and inorganic speciation of 129I in seawater depth profiles collected offshore Fukushima in June 2011. Significantly elevated 129I concentrations in surface water were observed with the highest 129I/127I atomic ratio of 2.2 × 10-9 in the surface seawater 40 km offshore Fukushima. Iodide was found as the dominant species of 129I, while stable 127I was mainly in iodate form, reflecting the fact that the major source of 129I is the direct liquid discharges from the Fukushima NPP. The amount of 129I directly discharged from the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant to the sea was estimated to be 2.35 GBq, and about 1.09 GBq of 129I released to the atmosphere from the accident was deposited in the sea offshore Fukushima. A total release of 8.06 GBq (or 1.2 kg) of 129I from the Fukushima accident was estimated. These Fukushima-derived 129I data provide necessary information for the investigation of water circulation and geochemical cycle of iodine in the northwestern Pacific Ocean in the future.

AB - The Fukushima nuclear accident in March 2011 has released a large amount of radioactive pollutants to the environment. Of the pollutants, iodine-129 is a long-lived radionuclide and will remain in the environment for millions of years. This work first report levels and inorganic speciation of 129I in seawater depth profiles collected offshore Fukushima in June 2011. Significantly elevated 129I concentrations in surface water were observed with the highest 129I/127I atomic ratio of 2.2 × 10-9 in the surface seawater 40 km offshore Fukushima. Iodide was found as the dominant species of 129I, while stable 127I was mainly in iodate form, reflecting the fact that the major source of 129I is the direct liquid discharges from the Fukushima NPP. The amount of 129I directly discharged from the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant to the sea was estimated to be 2.35 GBq, and about 1.09 GBq of 129I released to the atmosphere from the accident was deposited in the sea offshore Fukushima. A total release of 8.06 GBq (or 1.2 kg) of 129I from the Fukushima accident was estimated. These Fukushima-derived 129I data provide necessary information for the investigation of water circulation and geochemical cycle of iodine in the northwestern Pacific Ocean in the future.

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84875802694&partnerID=8YFLogxK

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84875802694&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1021/es304460k

DO - 10.1021/es304460k

M3 - Article

C2 - 23461388

AN - SCOPUS:84875802694

SN - 0013-936X

VL - 47

SP - 3091

EP - 3098

JO - Environmental Science and Technology

JF - Environmental Science and Technology

IS - 7

ER -

Iodine-129 in seawater offshore fukushima: Distribution, inorganic speciation, sources, and budget

Abstract

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this