Accumulation of a Specific Nuclide by Female Common Skete (Feminam Okamejei kenojei spp.)

Abstract

Tokyo Electric Power Fukushima Dai-Ichi Nuclear Power Station in Fukushima-Ken, Japan was destroyed due to a magnitude 9 earthquakes in the ocean north east of the Island of Honshu in Japan that produced a historical Tsunami on 11 March 2011. Due to a nuclear meltdown, hydrogen explosions damaged buildings housing reactors, cooling water from the reactor core was contaminated and huge amounts of radioisotopes were released into the atmosphere and marine waters. Currently, offshore fishing in Fukushima-Ken, Japan is prohibited because the majority of fish still contain excessive amounts of radioisotopes. Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology measured the amounts of radioisotopes found in fishes offshore of Iwaki-shi, located south of the destroyed Nuclear Power Station in Fukushima-Ken, Japan. Some of these data indicated that feminam Okamejei kenojei spp. (English Name: Female Common skete; Japanese Name: KOMON KASUBE NO MESU) had a negative linear relationship between fish weight and ¹³⁷Cs/¹³⁴Cs ratio. Therefore, feminam Okamejei kenojei spp. have the ability to accumulate a specific nuclide (radioisotope). To date, ultracentrifugation and diffusion methods have been used to accumulate specific nuclides for atomic fuel. However, if we could utilize the ability of Okamejei kenojei spp. to accumulate a specific nuclide, we would have an additional method to obtain specific nuclides.