Radiocesium concentration ratios and radiation dose to wild rodents in Fukushima Prefecture

Radiocesium was dispersed from the Fukushima Dai-ichi disaster in March 2011, causing comparatively high radioactive contamination in nearby environments. Radionuclide concentrations in wild rodents (Apodemus argenteus, and Apodemus speciosus) within these areas were monitored from 2012 to 2016. However, whole-organism to soil transfer parameters (i.e., concentration ratio, CRwo-soil) for wild rodents at Fukushima were not determined and hence were lacking from the international transfer databases. We augmented the 2012–2016 data by collecting soil activity concentrations (Bq kg−1, dry mass) from five rodent sampling sites in Fukushima Prefecture, and developed corresponding CRwo-soil values for radiocesium (134Cs and 137Cs) based on rodent radioactivity concentrations (Bq kg−1, fresh mass). The CRwo-soil were added to the Wildlife Transfer Database (WTD; http://www.wildlifetransferdatabase.org/), supporting the development of the International Commission on Radiological Protection's (ICRP) environmental protection framework, and increasing the WTD from 84 to 477 entries for cesium and Muridae (‘Reference Rat’). Significant variation occurred in CRwo-soil values between study sites within Fukushima Prefecture. The geometric mean CRwo-soil, in this paper, was higher than that reported for Muridae species for Chernobyl. Radiocaesium absorbed dose rates were also estimated for wild rodents inhabiting the five Fukushima study sites and ranged from 1.3 to 33 μGy h−1. Absorbed dose rates decreased by a factor of two from 2012 to 2016. Dose rates in highly contaminated areas were within the ICRP derived consideration reference level for Reference Rat (0.1–1 mGy d−1), suggesting the possible occurrence of deleterious effects and need for radiological effect studies in the Fukushima area. •First published CRwo-soil values for wild rodents in the Fukushima area.•CRwo-soil values comprise 80% of the data available for ICRP Reference Rat-Cs.•GM CRwo-soil, in this study, was higher than CRwo-soil reported for Chernobyl.•Absorbed dose rates ranged from 1.3 to 33 μGy h−1 for wild rodents in Fukushima.•Estimated absorbed dose rates for wild rodents decreased 50% from 2012 to 2016.