Central Northwest Pacific biota and their radioactivity

Ecological and radiological surveys of biota around a proposed dumping site have been carried out by the Japanese Fisheries Agency. Micronekton were collected with a KOC net towed at prescribed depths. Fish nekton were collected with a KMT net towed from 1 to 2 hours either obliquely or horizontally at prescribed depths. This large net enabled the collection of larger organisms not collectable with KOC nets. Benthos were collected via benthos nets. Deep sea rattails and gammarids were collected with trapnets. In 1985, larger gear with mouth diameters of 1.8m were used with older gear having mouth diameters of 0.9m and used previously. New large gear allowed better collecting efficiency. Radioactivity measurements were carried out by gammaspectrometry with GeLi detectors on ashed samples. In almost all samples, Cs-137 was detected. In addition Co-60 was detected in some samples. Data obtained by the Tokai Regional Fisheries Research Laboratory were examined and summarized by the Ecology Working Group under the Executive Committee on Environmental Safety Assessment of Sea Dumping of Low level Radioactive Wastes in the Radioactive Waste Management Center