Chizuko Mizuniwa

New Decontamination Methods for Parks and Other Areas in Which Radionuclides Have Accumulated

Activities to remove radionuclides in the wake of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident were unprecedented in nature and required the utmost urgency. The methods employed generally involved pulling plants out by the roots. Arguably, however, such drastic measures were unavoidable to achieve the paramount objective of reducing radiation dosage, thus avoiding irradiation of residents and ensuring safety. However, pulling plants out by the roots can have extremely harmful consequences. Not least of these is the volume of waste (trunks, branches, leaves, roots, soil, etc.) generated and the way in which the waste is disposed. In addition, the land is stripped bare by the decontamination process, compromising the various functional benefits the plants had previously provided to the community. Our approach to decontaminating trees and wooded areas is aimed at improving the effectiveness and efficiency of the decontamination process by utilizing current landscape architecture knowledge and techniques.