Pages: 173-178

Authors: Masahiko Sawajiri, Shoichi Miyamooto, Kohkoh Yamanouchi, Shoji Wada, Preeyaporn Srimawong, Yuji Nomura, and Takashi Uchida

Abstract

The Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant disaster on March 11, 2011, caused radiation hazards throughout Fukushima Prefecture. Cesium was absorbed by soil and plants and transferred to livestock. Removing radioactive cesium from the bodies of farm animals and humans is essential. It has recently been reported that H2 scavenges reactive oxygen species and suppresses oxidative stress-related diseases. The hypothesis is that “active hydrogen” (hydrogen water) scavenges active oxygen species. We hypothesized that high-energy electrolytic hydrogen water will effectively decontaminate cesium-exposed chickens. A test group of chickens drank high-energy electrolytic hydrogen water, while the control group drank regular water. Cesium contents in the test group were significantly lower than in the controlled one, possibly because more cesium excretion occurred in the test group than the control group. Lower ¹³⁷Cs concentrations were found in test-group tissues than in control-group tissues, showing that high-energy electrolytic hydrogen water increased the rate of elimination of ¹³⁷Cs incorporated into chicken tissue.

Key words: cesium, internal exposure, decontamination, high-energy electrolytic

FULL PAPER IN PDF FORMAT (2.09 MB)