Katsuko Saruhashi facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Katsuko Saruhashi
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| Born | March 22, 1920 Tokyo, Japan
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| Died | September 29, 2007 (aged 87) Tokyo, Japan
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| Nationality | Japanese |
| Alma mater | Imperial Women's College of Science (predecessor of Toho University) University of Tokyo |
| Known for | Discovery of the dangers of radioactive fallout in seawater and the atmosphere |
| Awards | Avon Special Prize for Women (1981) Miyake Prize for Geochemistry (1985) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Geochemistry |
| Institutions | Meteorological Research Institute Japan Meteorological Agency |
| Influenced | The mentorship and status of many Japanese women scientists by her establishment of the Saruhashi Prize and her many firsts |
Katsuko Saruhashi (猿橋 勝子, Saruhashi Katsuko, March 22, 1920 – September 29, 2007) was a brilliant Japanese scientist. She was a geochemist, which means she studied the chemistry of Earth's oceans, rocks, and atmosphere. Katsuko created special tools to measure carbon dioxide (CO2) levels in seawater. She also showed how dangerous radioactive fallout could be and how far it could travel. She even researched peaceful ways to use nuclear power.
Besides her scientific work, Katsuko was a champion for women in science. She helped create the Society of Japanese Women Scientists. She also started the Saruhashi Prize, which is given every year to a female scientist who inspires others.
Katsuko Saruhashi was the first woman to achieve many things in Japan. She was the first woman elected to the Science Council of Japan. She was also the first woman to earn a doctorate in chemistry from the famous University of Tokyo. And she was the first woman to win the Miyake Prize for Geochemistry.
Katsuko Saruhashi passed away on September 29, 2007, from pneumonia in Tokyo. She was 87 years old. People remember her not only for her amazing science but also for promoting women in science and working for world peace.
Contents
Education and Early Career
Katsuko Saruhashi was born in Tokyo in 1920. From a young age, she was curious about the world around her. She especially wanted to know what made it rain, after watching raindrops on a window during primary school. Her parents, Kuniharu and Kuno Saruhashi, believed in the importance of education. They supported her, especially after World War 2, when many women found it hard to support themselves. Katsuko and her mother realized that women needed more technical skills to be financially independent.
At 21, Katsuko left her job at an insurance company. She went to the Imperial Women's College of Science, which is now called Toho University. There, she earned a degree in chemistry in 1943.
After graduating, Saruhashi joined the Meteorological Research Institute. She worked with her mentor, Miyake Yasuo, and her science career truly began. She continued her studies and earned her PhD in chemistry from the University of Tokyo in 1957. She was the first woman ever to get a PhD in science from that university. Her main research for her PhD was about how carbon-related substances behave in natural water.
Scientific Discoveries
Katsuko Saruhashi made many important discoveries in geochemistry and oceanography. She often worked with other scientists, like Teruko Kanzawa.
Measuring Rainfall pH
From 1973 to 1978, Saruhashi and Teruko Kanzawa measured the pH of every rainfall event in Tokyo. pH tells us how acidic or basic something is. They found the average pH was about 4.52. This was an increase from earlier measurements in 1939, which were around 4.1. This showed how conditions in the atmosphere were changing over time.
Studying Nuclear Fallout
One of Saruhashi's most important contributions was her research on nuclear testing in the Pacific Ocean. The Japanese government asked her and Yasuo Miyake to study the long-term effects of these tests.
Saruhashi developed a new way to measure radioactive fallout. She focused on substances like caesium-137 and strontium-90 in seawater. Her studies showed that the Western North Pacific had much higher amounts of these radioactive materials than the Atlantic or Northeast Pacific. She concluded that this was directly caused by the nuclear tests happening in the Pacific.
American scientists at first questioned her methods. However, a six-month exchange program proved her techniques were accurate. Saruhashi's findings helped show the dangers of above-ground nuclear testing. Her work provided strong reasons for banning such tests.
Saruhashi's Table
In 1955, Katsuko Saruhashi created a special table. It helped oceanographers figure out the makeup of three carbonic acid substances in water. They could do this by knowing the water's temperature, pH, and saltiness. This table was a valuable tool for studying the chemistry of the oceans.
Ocean Carbon Dioxide Absorption
Saruhashi also made big discoveries about how carbon dioxide behaves in the oceans. Before her work, many thought that oceans could naturally absorb a lot of CO2. This would help reduce global warming.
However, Saruhashi and Miyake showed that this idea was not true. Their research found that the Pacific Ocean actually releases twice as much CO2 as it absorbs. This was a very important finding. It meant that oceans might not be able to solve the problem of too much carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
Awards and Honors
Katsuko Saruhashi received many awards and honors for her scientific work and her efforts to support women.
- 1958 - She established the Society of Japanese Women Scientists. This group helps promote women in science and works for world peace.
- 1979 - She was named executive director of the Geochemical Laboratory.
- 1980 - She became the first woman elected to the Science Council of Japan.
- 1981 - She won the Avon Special Prize for Women. This award recognized her research on peaceful uses of nuclear power and her work to raise the status of women scientists.
- 1981 - She established the Saruhashi Prize. This award is given yearly to a female scientist in Japan who inspires younger women scientists.
- 1985 - She was the first woman to win the Miyake Prize for geochemistry.
- 1993 - She won the Tanaka Prize from the Society of Sea Water Sciences.
Saruhashi was also an honorary member of the Geochemical Society of Japan and the Oceanographical Society of Japan. On March 22, 2018, Google honored her with a special Google Doodle on what would have been her 98th birthday.
Influence on Women in Science
Katsuko Saruhashi spent much of her career fighting for equal opportunities in science. She strongly supported women in scientific fields. She understood why there were fewer women in science. She said, "the lack of equal opportunity is one. There is also the attitude of society, of parents and teachers. And there is little recognition of the contributions of women scientists."
She worked hard to create funding and community for women scientists. In 1958, she founded the Society of Japanese Women Scientists. In 1967, she attended the second International Conference of Women Engineers and Scientists. There, she spoke about the importance of fisheries for food problems.
In 1981, she created the Saruhashi Prize. This award gives money to a Japanese woman scientist (50 years old or younger) who has made important contributions in the physical sciences. The award also helps women who want to work on projects overseas. Katsuko wanted to give even larger amounts, even contributing her own money and getting help from friends.
See also
