Report on the Monitoring of Radionuclides in Fishery Products (March 2011 - January 2015) April 2015 Fisheries Agency of Japan 0 1 Table of Contents Overview…………………………………………………………………………………………………. 8 The Purpose of this Report………………………………………………………………………………9 Part One. Efforts to Guarantee the Safety of Fishery Products………………………………………..11 Chapter 1. Monitoring of Radioactive Materials in Food; Restrictions on Distribution and Other Countermeasures………...…………………………………………………………………11 1-1-1 Standard Limits for Radioactive Materials in Food………………………………………...……11 1-1-2 Methods of Testing for Radioactive Materials………………………………………...…………12 1-1-3 Inspections of Fishery Products for Radioactive Materials…………………………...…………14 1-1-4 Restrictions and Suspensions on Distribution and Shipping ……………………………………..18 1-1-5 Cancellation of Restrictions on Shipping and Distribution………………………………………20 Box 1 Calculation of the Limits for Human Consumption……..………………………………………23 Box 2 Survey of Radiation Dose from Radionuclides in Foods Calculation of the Limits…………….24 Box 3 Examples of Local Government Monitoring Plan………………………………...…………….25 Chapter 2. Results of Radioactive Cesium Inspections for Fishery Products…………………………26 1-2-1 Inspection Results for Nationwide Fishery Products in Japan (in total)…………………………26 1-2-2 Inspection Results for Fukushima Prefecture Fishery Products (all)…………………………….27 1-2-3 Inspection Results for Fishery Products (all) from Outside Fukushima Prefecture……………...30 1-2-4 Trends within Fish Species……………………………………………………………………….32 1-2-5 Inspection Results for Main Target Fish Species of Fishing and Farming by Fiscal Year……….42 1-2-6 Radioactive Material Concentrations within Fish within 20 km of the Fukushima Daiichi NPS.46 Box 4 Fukushima Fishing Trials………………………………...……………………………………...47 1-2-7 Screening Test by Prefectural and Municipal Governments……………………………………..48 Chapter 3. Inspection for Radionuclides Other Than Radioactive Cesium……………………………49 1-3-1 Inspections for Radioactive Strontium etc. by the Fisheries Research Agency…………………49 1-3-2 Survey of Radionuclides Mentioned in the CODEX Guidelines………………………………...55 Box 5 Why weren’t Radioactive Strontium and Plutonium Targeted in the Survey?.......……………...59 Part Two. The State of Radionuclides Released into the Environment………………………………..62 Chapter 1. Movement of Radioactive Cesium Released into the Environment……………………….62 2-1-1 Intake and Excretion by Fish [35]………………………………………………………………..62 2-1-2 Movement within the Environment………………………………………………………………63 2 - 2 - Chapter 2. The Leakage of Contaminated Water into the Fukushima Daiichi NPS Port……………...65 2-2-1 Impact of Contaminated Water Leakage and Countermeasures………………………………….65 Box 6 Quantity of Radioactive Material Leaked into the Ocean (Est.).....…………………...………...67 2-2-2 Concentrations of Radioactive Cesium in Fishery Products …………………………………......68 Chapter 3. Monitoring of Radionuclides in the Ocean………………………………………………...74 2-3-1 Results from Ocean Water Monitoring (Figure 45, Figure 46)…………………………………..74 2-3-2 Results from Marine Soil Monitoring (Figure 45, Figure 47)……………………………………78 Part Three. Research on the Mechanism by which Radionuclides are Transferred to Fishery Products…….……….……………………………………………………………………..81 Chapter 1. Relationship with Prey Organisms and Ecology of Fish Species……………………….…81 3-1-1 Research on Radioactive Materials within Prey Organisms……………………………………..81 3-1-2 Research on Ecology of Fish Species and the Timing of Radionuclide Transfer………………..83 3-1-3 Conclusion and Future Research…………………………………………………………………85 Chapter 2. Urgent Research on the Cause of Contamination of Highly Contaminated Fish (Fat Greenling)……….………………..………………………………………………………...86 3-2-1 Frequency of Appearance Highly Contaminated Fat Greenlings………………………………...86 3-2-2 Determining the Time of Contamination through Autoradiography Experiment………………..87 3-2-3 Study on the Migration Ecology and Habitat History of the Fat Greenling……………………..87 3-2-4 Estimate of Contamination Source by Contamination Model for the Fat Greenling Sample……88 3-2-5 Conclusion and Measures…………………...……………………………………………………89 Chapter 3. Evaluation of Radioactive Cesium Migrating from Seafloor Soil to Marine Organisms based on a Breeding Experiment…………………………………………………….…90 Chapter 4. Radioactive Material Concentrations and Territories of Fish Species……………………93 Chapter 5. Quantitative Evaluation of Contamination Risk from Radioactive Material in Fishery Products…………………………………………………………………………………...96 Chapter 6. Understanding the Mechanism by which Radioactive Cesium is Absorbed into the Soil..100 Box 7 Radioactive Cesium in Bottom Fish.....…………………………………...…………...…...…..102 Part Four. Efforts to Address Unfounded Reputational Damages and Misinformation Present Domestically and Overseas….…………...………………………………………………..103 Chapter 1. Domestic Situation Regarding Unfounded Reputational Damages and Misinformation...103 Chapter 2. Enhanced Provision/Dissemination of Information, Domestically and Internationally….104 3 - 3 - Chapter 3. Response to International Issues………………………………………………………….107 4-3-1 Response to Import Restrictions Imposed by Foreign Countries and Regions……………….107 4-3-2 Response to the Certificates Demanded by Other Countries and Regions……………………112 4-3-3 Examples of Radioactive Material Detected in Fishery Products after Exportation from Japan.114 4-3-4 IAEA Evaluation of Food Monitoring…………………………………………………………..117 Conclusion………………………………………………………………………………………………119 References………………………………………………………………………………………………121 Appendix Radioactive Material Analysis Flowcharts………………………………………………...127 Appendix Table Inspection Results for Radioactive Cesium Concentrations in Fishery Products (March 2011 – January 2015)…………….…………………………………………135 4 - 4 - Tables Table 1 Outline of the Fact-Finding Survey on Sampling……………………………………………...14 Table 2 Inspection Frequency and Target Items (Marine Fish) based on the “Guidelines”……………16 Table 3 Screening Test by Prefectural and Municipal Governments…………………………………...48 Table 4 Inspection Results for Radioactive Strontium in Fishery Products……………………………50 Table 5 No.10 Calculation of Effective Dose in Rockfish (Sebastes cheni)……………………………54 Table 6 No.11 Calculation of Effective Dose in Ishikawa Icefish……………………………………..54 Table 7 CODEX’s Guideline Levels……………………………………………………………………56 Table 8 Radioactive Material Concentrations in Fishery Products for Radionuclides Noted in the CODEX Guidelines….…………………………………………………………………………58 Table 9 Comparison of Radioactive Cesium in Fishery Products Between Two Periods……………...70 Table 10 Comparison of Radioactive Cesium in Fishery Products Between Two Periods (Results of statistical test)…………………………………………………………………………………70 Table 11 Comparison of Radioactive Cesium Concentrations Before and After the Contaminated Water Leakage Controversy……..……………………………………………………………72 Table 12 Comparison of Radioactive Cesium Concentrations Before and After the Controversy over the Leakage of Contaminated Water (Results of statistical test)…….…..……………………73 Table 13 Radioactive Cesium Concentration within Benthos Sampled at the Mouth of the Abukuma River…….……………………….…………………………………………………………….82 Table 14 Results of the Korean Lugworm Breeding Experiment………………………………………91 Table 15 Results of the Still-Water-Tank Breeding Experiment………………………………………..91 Table 16 Probability of Exceeding 100 Bq/kg as of April 1, 2015, based on Model Analysis…………97 Table 17 Import Regulations Imposed by Main Importing Countries and Regions against Japanese Fishery products……….…….………………………………………………..……………...108 Table 18 Sampling Standards………………………………………………………………………….113 Table 19 Results of Import Inspections by Foreign Countries and Regions for Japanese Food and Fishery Products…………….………………………………………………..……………...115 Figures Figure 1 The Fishery Products Monitoring Framework………………………………………………..15 Figure 2 Process of the Enactment and Cancellation of Restrictions and Suspensions on Shipping and Distribution (Marine fish)…….……………………………………………………………….19 Figure 3 Relationships Between the Various Government Organizations……………………………..19 Figure 4 The Cancellation of Restrictions on the Olive Flounder, Miyagi Prefecture [12]…………….21 Figure 5 The Cancellation of Restrictions on the Pacific Cod, Aomori Prefecture [13]……………….21 Figure 6 The Cancellation of Restrictions on the Pacific Cod, Offshore Fukushima Prefecture [14]….21 Figure 7 The State of Distribution Restrictions and Suspensions in Japan (as of March 31, 2015)……22 Figure 8 Nationwide Fishery Products Inspection Results (in total) (Mar. 2011- Jan. 2015)………….27 Figure 9 Nationwide Fishery Products Inspection Results (in total) (by fiscal year)…………………..27 5 - 5 - Figure 10 Inspection Results for Fukushima Prefecture Fishery Products (all) (>100 Bq/kg readings in 3-month periods)………………………..……………………………………………………28 Figure 11 Inspection Results for Fukushima Prefecture Fishery Products (all) (by fiscal year)……….28 Figure 12 Inspection Results for Fukushima Prefecture Marine Fish Species (>100 Bq/kg readings, by 3-month periods) …….…...………………………………………………………………29 Figure 13 Inspection Results for Fukushima Prefecture Marine Fish Species (by fiscal year)………...29 Figure 14 Inspection Results for Fukushima Prefecture Freshwater Species (>100 Bq/kg readings, by 3-month periods) …...………….…………………………………………………………30 Figure 15 Inspection Results for Fukushima Prefecture Freshwater Species (by fiscal year) …………30 Figure 16 Inspection Results for Non-Fukushima Prefecture Fishery Products (all) (>100 Bq/kg readings, by 3-month periods)………….……………………………………………………31