Spatiotemporal variation and transport of 137Cs in the Beibu Gulf

Fule Zhang; Dekun Huang; Jinwen Liu; Qiangqiang Zhong; Guangcheng Chen; Jinzhou Du; Jiwei Zhang; Tao Yu

doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2024.117505

Spatiotemporal variation and transport of ¹³⁷Cs in the Beibu Gulf

Mar Pollut Bull. 2025 Jan 2:212:117505. doi: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2024.117505. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Fule Zhang¹, Dekun Huang², Jinwen Liu³, Qiangqiang Zhong¹, Guangcheng Chen¹, Jinzhou Du⁴, Jiwei Zhang³, Tao Yu⁵

Affiliations

¹ Third Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, Xiamen 361005, China; Observation and Research Station of Coastal Wetland Ecosystem in Beibu Gulf, Ministry of Natural Resources, Beihai 536015, China.
² Third Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, Xiamen 361005, China; Observation and Research Station of Coastal Wetland Ecosystem in Beibu Gulf, Ministry of Natural Resources, Beihai 536015, China. Electronic address: dkhuang@tio.org.cn.
³ Third Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, Xiamen 361005, China.
⁴ State Key Laboratory of Estuarine and Coastal Research, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, China.
⁵ Third Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, Xiamen 361005, China; Observation and Research Station of Coastal Wetland Ecosystem in Beibu Gulf, Ministry of Natural Resources, Beihai 536015, China. Electronic address: yutao@tio.org.cn.

PMID: 39752815
DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2024.117505

Abstract

The temporal variation and transport of ¹³⁷Cs in the Beibu Gulf (BG) are still poorly understood. Here we measured ¹³⁷Cs concentrations in the BG water column and surface sediments during 2022. We found that ¹³⁷Cs in the BG water column was controlled by the movement and mixing of local water masses. In surface sediments, there was no correlation between the ¹³⁷Cs concentration and particle size, but there was a positive correlation with the total organic carbon. Historical data revealed that ¹³⁷Cs in the BG surface water has increased since 2015 and peaked from 2018 to 2019, which may be a consequence of the arrival of Fukushima-derived ¹³⁷Cs into the BG via the northern slope current in the South China Sea. However, more observational data are required in this regard. This result highlights the necessity of conducting long-term monitoring of ¹³⁷Cs in the Northwest Pacific marginal seas.

Keywords: (137)Cs; Beibu gulf; Seawater; Sediment; Spatiotemporal variation.