Distribution of 137Cs and 239,240Pu in the surface waters of the East Sea (Sea of Japan)

Surface and subsurface water samples for 137Cs and 239,240Pu analysis were collected in the East Sea (Sea of Japan) during August 1993. The 137Cs levels of the surface waters are quite homogeneous in the East Sea (average = 3.1±0.2 mBq kg−1). The 239,240Pu levels vary from 6 to 10 μBq kg−1 in the surface. 239,240Pu to 137Cs ratios in the surface water are within 0.002 to 0.003. The East Sea may be regarded as a part of the North Pacific Ocean in terms of 137Cs dispersal in the surface, where the 137Cs contents of the surface seawater seem to be controlled primarily by the atmospheric input. However, since our sampling was made just two months prior to the widely publicized Russian dumping incident on the 17th October 1993, our measurements may provide background data to assess the immediate impact of the Russian dumping on the levels of 137Cs and 239,240Pu in the East Sea.