Hirofumi Tsukada

Profile

Ph.D. in Agricultural Science. My area of expertise is Environmental Radioecology. My research focuses on the behavior and transfer of radionuclides in the terrestrial environment utilizing their speciation.

Main Focus of Research

• Elucidation of radionuclide transfer from soil to crop
• Elucidation of dynamics of radiocaesium in reservoirs
• Evaluation of radiocaesium and ⁹⁰Sr activity concentrations in agricultural crops collected from Fukushima Prefecture and radiation dose estimation from foods

Fields of Research

Environmental Radioecology, Analysis of trace elements, Health Physics

Keywords

Radionuclide, Radiocaesium, ⁹⁰Sr, Speciation of radionuclides, Soil, Crops, Agricultural water, Reservoir bottom sediment

Research Overview

Radionuclides released into the environment transfer through various processes, being affected according with the existence forms. Therefore, to grasp the behavior of radionuclides, it is necessary to study on speciation as well as transferring amount.

I have so far conducted research in the field of Environmental Radioecology, with the focus on dynamics of radionuclides mainly in the terrestrial environment. In the current research, I work to clarify the existence forms of radionuclides (mainly radiocaesium and ⁹⁰Sr) in the terrestrial environment, elucidating and analyzing their dynamics in soil-plant system, land water and their related factors.

A few words

Environmental Radioecology is a comprehensive academic field that combines various research fields such as analytical chemistry, geochemistry, environmental chemistry, and biology, etc. With my experience and knowledge, I have been engaged in the following activities after the TEPCO Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station accident.

Immediately after the accident from March to July 2011, in cooperation with several researchers, I continued to post and update “Information on the nuclear accident” in a website of Japanese Society of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition. At that time, much confused information on the radionuclides dynamics were spreading around but our information at the website was used many times as information based on academically correct knowledge. The information we updated was finally published in Japanese Journal of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition 82 (2011) 408-418. In addition, as a commentary for the general public, I disseminated information on the dynamics of radiocaesium in soil and its transfer in soil-plant system.

In 2012 to 2013, I joined Fukushima Future Center for Regional Revitalization at Fukushima University. Since 2014, I have belonged to IER to conduct studies in Fukushima Prefecture as my research fields. I am aiming to face the challenges of Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station accident by elucidating the dynamics of radionuclides in the environment. As a citizen of Fukushima, being closely related to the future of this place, I hope to disseminate scientific and universally correct data from Fukushima.

Personal Interest

Walking in the town

Curriculum vitae

1983

Hokkaido University, School of Fishery Sciences

1984

The Institute of Public Health

1984-1986

Japan Chemical Analysis Center

1987-1989

Power Reactor and Nuclear Fuel Development Corporation

1990-1991

Japan Chemical Analysis Center

1992-2013

Institute for Environmental Sciences

2001

Ph.D. in Agricultural Science, Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Tohoku University

2012-2013

Fukushima Future Center for Regional Revitalization, Fukushima University

2014-

Institute of Environmental Radioactivity, Fukushima University

2018-2019

Director of Institute of Environmental Radioactivity, Fukushima University

2019-

Head of Environmental Dynamics Division, Fukushima Prefectural Centre for Environmental Creation

Awards

2013

The 58th Japanese Society of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition Award

2013

Japanese Journal of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition Award

2014

Poster Award of 20th World Congress of Soil Science

2015

ICOBTE 2015 Fukuoka, The Poster Award