On Thursday, Japan began dumping more than 1.3 million cubic meters of water into the sea from the Fukushima nuclear power plant, which was destroyed by an earthquake and tsunami in 2011.
Both Tokyo and international experts claim that the operation does not pose any danger because the water has been treated and the process will be gradual. However, some neighboring countries, notably China, have already expressed concern and condemned the decision.
Why dump in the ocean?
The factory in Fukushima Daiichi produces an average of more than 100,000 liters of polluted water per day. This is rainwater, originating from underground layers or from injections needed to cool the reactors.
The water is treated, filtered and then stored in the housing itself, but the available space is almost saturated.
Since 2011, operator TEPCO (Tokyo Electric Power Company) has collected more than 1.3 million tons (equivalent to the capacity of nearly 540 Olympic swimming pools) of water in giant reservoirs.
After years of thinking about what to do with the plant’s water, in 2021 Japan opted for the solution of dumping the water into the sea using a submarine built specifically for the operation.
The procedure, which involves depositing up to 500,000 liters per day, is overseen by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and will continue until 2050. The IAEA approved the plan in July..
Is there no danger?
The water is treated through a filtering process called “Advanced Liquid Treatment System” (ALPS).
The system makes it possible to eliminate most radioactive substances, with the exception of tritium, which requires a different type of technology.
Tritium is a radioisotope that occurs naturally in seawater and has few radiological consequences. If inhaled or ingested, it could pose a risk, but only very high doses could be considered harmful to human health, experts say.
TEPCO is considering diluting the water with tritium to bring the radioactivity level well below the hazard limit.
The IAEA said Thursday that analyzes of a water sample from the first discharge showed tritium concentrations were “well below” the operational limit of 1,500 becquerels (Bq) per liter.
This level is 40 times lower than Japanese standards for treated water and international standards (60,000 Bq/litre), as well as seven times lower than the maximum limit set by the World Health Organization (WHO) for drinking water (10,000 Bq/litre). .
For decades, nuclear power plants and nuclear waste disposal have regularly released tritium into the water, Tony Hooker, a radiation specialist at the University of Adelaide (Australia), told AFP. “We have not identified any environmental or health impacts,” he said.
Who is concerned and why?
However, the Japanese government’s plan has raised concerns. The NGO Greenpeace accused the authorities of downplaying the radiation risks.
Japanese fishermen also fear that this will affect the quality of their fish.
China decided to suspend all seafood imports from Japan from Thursday, criticizing Tokyo’s plan for being “extremely selfish and irresponsible”.
Beijing had already halted all food imports from 10 of Japan’s 47 provinces in July. The Hong Kong and Macau areas adopted the same initiative.
South Korea has not criticized Japan’s plan, but the opposition and the public are concerned. Protests were organized in the country and some citizens anxiously collected sea salt for fear of future contamination.
To reassure public opinion, the Japanese authorities organized visits to the Fukushima factory, technical information sessions and live broadcasts on YouTube of a test they conducted, where they had fish swimming in pools of treated and diluted water.
Source: DN
