Chen Zhendong, chair professor of the Department of Marine Science of Sun Yat-Sen University, found that the deep waters of the Kuroshio carried a large amount of radioactive cesium-137 left over from the nuclear bomb test of the United States and Russia 60 years ago. This unprecedented discovery was published in the world's top journal "Marine Pollution Bulletin".

(Provided by Tushan University)

[Reporter Fang Zhixian / Kaohsiung Report] Chen Zhendong, chair professor of the Department of Marine Science of Sun Yat-sen University, was recently elected as a fellow of the American Geophysical Union, the first person in the field of marine science in Taiwan.

His latest research found that the Kuroshio deep water transports a large amount of radioactive cesium 137 left over from the nuclear bomb test explosion of the United States and Russia 60 years ago, and the content is far more than 1,000 times that released by the Fukushima nuclear explosion in the ocean every year from 2016 to 2018. It may be transported to Taiwan The upwelling sea area in the northeast corner is absorbed by shrimps, crabs and algae, which may be affected by human predation. This major discovery was published in the world's top journal "Marine Pollution Bulletin".

On March 11, 2011, the accident at the Fukushima nuclear power plant in Japan released a large amount of the radioactive element cesium.

Chen Zhendong formed a research team with the Taiwan Ocean Science and Technology Research Center, National Taiwan University, Taiwan Ocean University and the Radiation Detection Center of the Atomic Energy Commission of the Executive Yuan. Since 2018, they have been sampling and investigating cesium-134, cesium-137 and their transport in the waters around Taiwan.

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"This is a new discovery that was never known before." Chen Zhendong pointed out that at a depth of 200 to 400 meters, the Kuroshio has the strongest cesium 137 delivery, and it is 1,000 times the annual release to the ocean from the Fukushima area from 2016 to 2018.

He said that Fukushima and nuclear explosions will produce radioactive cesium 134 and cesium 137. At present, cesium 134 with a short half-life has been undetectable, while the content of cesium 137 with a long half-life of about 30.2 years is lower than the record benchmark of the Atomic Energy Commission. value, does not cause harm to the human body.

However, the team speculates that the northeastern corner of Taiwan is an important marine upwelling area, where deep ocean water will rise to the surface of the East China Sea, and cesium 137 may rise from the ocean depths to a surface depth of about 20 meters, where algae and marine organisms absorb Afterwards, it will be used by humans in marine fisheries such as farming and fishing, which may affect humans.

The team also studied its source and found that the large amount of cesium-137 delivered by the Kuroshio came from the long-forgotten history of intensive nuclear bomb test explosions between the United States and Russia between 1958 and 1962.

Chen Zhendong explained that after the Fukushima incident, the released cesium-134 and cesium-137 were transported into the Pacific Ocean from the atmosphere and land through atmospheric circulation for many years. It flows northward to Japan via the east coast of Taiwan; this process continues to this day.

He emphasized that although the substances released by Fukushima do flow to the vicinity of Taiwan, the cesium observed in Taiwan is not necessarily all released by Fukushima, and most of them are residues from past nuclear bomb test explosions.

In addition, in response to Japan's plan to discharge tritium-containing wastewater from Fukushima next spring, Chen Zhendong also pointed out that during the nuclear bomb test, the atomic bomb will release cesium 137, while the hydrogen bomb will release tritium. The tritium measured near Taiwan may also be past nuclear bomb tests. left behind.

The American Geophysical Union, established in 1962, will have 130,000 members by 2022, and 54 members will be elected this year.

Only 5 people from Taiwan have been selected. In the field of marine science, Chen Zhendong is the only one in Taiwan.

Chen Zhendong, chair professor of the Department of Marine Science of Sun Yat-Sen University, found that the deep waters of the Kuroshio carried a large amount of radioactive cesium-137 left over from the nuclear bomb test of the United States and Russia 60 years ago. This unprecedented discovery was published in the world's top journal "Marine Pollution Bulletin".

(Provided by Tushan University)