“Caddisfly watch,” a biomonitoring program using Stenopsyche larvae to determine radioactive cesium contamination in rivers following the Fukushima nuclear disaster

Daisuke Ueno, Hazuki Mizukawa, Osamu Inanami, Hiromitsu Nagasaka, Nozomi Tatsuta, Yukinori Narazaki, Takeshi Fujino, Izumi Watanabe, Yutaka Kameda, Kunihiko Nakai

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

4 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The “Caddisfly Watch” program proposes the use of larvae of the caddisfly genus Stenopsyche (Trichoptera: Stenopsychidae) to monitor the radioactive cesium (137Cs) pollution, including that of suspended solids, in river environments, as a simple method was essential for this following the Fukushima nuclear disaster in March 2011. A variety of aquatic organisms were collected from rivers in Japan in 2012 and their levels of radioactive Cs measured. Amongst all the organisms collected, the highest concentrations of 137Cs were observed in caddisfly larvae. These larvae occur at a high density and can be collected at regular intervals in most rivers throughout Japan. It is proposed that caddisfly larvae can be used as bioindicators of radioactive Cs contamination in rivers, as their temporal and spatial changes are easily assessed.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)29-35
Number of pages7
JournalLandscape and Ecological Engineering
Volume14
Issue number1
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2018 Jan 1

Keywords

  • Aquatic insect
  • Bioaccumulation
  • Bioindicator
  • Trichoptera

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of '“Caddisfly watch,” a biomonitoring program using Stenopsyche larvae to determine radioactive cesium contamination in rivers following the Fukushima nuclear disaster'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this