Relationship between 137Cs concentration and potassium content in stem wood of Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica)

To utilize forest resources in areas affected by fallout from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident, it is important to understand the mechanisms of 137Cs movement through the stem wood of contaminated trees. Understanding the mechanism of absorption and migration of 137Cs to stem wood is necessary for clues to the future prediction of the transition of 137Cs to xylem. In the present study, radial variations in 137Cs concentration were investigated in Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica D. Don) trees collected 1 year and 10 months after the accident. Additionally, the relationship between 137Cs concentration and potassium (K) content was established. Trees with a higher moisture content and lower lightness value in heartwood tended to have a higher 137Cs concentration in the heartwood. In these trees, 137Cs concentration peaked at the heartwood–sapwood boundary and gradually decreased toward the pith. By contrast, K content within the heartwood remained nearly constant along the radial direction. The heartwood-to-sapwood ratio of 137Cs concentration was significantly positively correlated with that of K content. Based on these results, we suggest that 137Cs movement from sapwood to heartwood might be related to the K content ratio of heartwood and sapwood.