Earth Science News
DISASTER MANAGEMENT
Fukushima's water release: what we know
Fukushima's water release: what we know
By Simon STURDEE
Tokyo (AFP) Aug 22, 2023

Japan has announced plans to release wastewater from the stricken Fukushima-Daiichi nuclear plant into the ocean starting Thursday.

Here is what we know about the release, how the water has been treated and concerns around the safety of the exercise.

- Why the release? -

Around 100,000 litres (26,500 gallons) of contaminated water -- from cooling the crippled plant's reactors as well as groundwater and rain seeping in -- is collected at the site in northeast Japan every day.

Some 1.34 million tonnes -- equivalent to almost 540 Olympic pools -- are now stored in around a thousand steel containers at the seaside site, and now there is no more space, authorities say.

Japan decided in 2021, after years of discussion, that it would release at most around 500,000 litres per day into the sea via a pipe one kilometre (0.6 miles) long.

- What has been done to the water? -

Plant operator TEPCO says that a special filtering system called ALPS has removed all radioactive elements -- including caesium and strontium -- except tritium.

TEPCO has said it has diluted the water to reduce radioactivity levels to 1,500 becquerels per litre (Bq/L), far below the national safety standard of 60,000 Bq/L.

- Is that safe? -

Tony Hooker, nuclear expert from the University of Adelaide, said that the level of tritium is well below the World Health Organization drinking water limit of 10,000 Bq/L.

"Tritium is regularly released from nuclear power facilities into waterways worldwide," Hooker told AFP.

"For decades (there have been) no evidential detrimental environmental or health effects," he said.

UN atomic watchdog the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has said the release meets international standards and "will not cause any harm to the environment".

- Does everyone agree? -

No. Greenpeace said Tuesday that the technology used to filter the water is flawed and that the IAEA "completely ignored the highly radioactive fuel debris that melted down which continues every day to contaminate ground water".

"(Releasing) this into the sea will impact the whole planet. Japan would intentionally be spreading radioactive elements," Yukio Kanno, a Fukushima resident, said at a recent Greenpeace-organised protest.

China has accused Japan of treating the Pacific like a "sewer". Beijing in July banned food imports from 10 Japanese prefectures and imposed stringent radiation tests on food from the rest of the country.

While Seoul's government has not expressed objections, many South Koreans are alarmed and have been staging demonstrations -- and even panic-buying sea salt.

The release -- which will take decades to complete -- has also hit opposition in Japan itself, in particular from a fishing industry that fears its exports could plummet as consumers and governments shun Japanese seafood.

- What has Japan done to soothe concerns? -

The government has spent months trying to win over sceptics at home and abroad, with everything from study tours of Fukushima to video live-streams of fish living in the wastewater.

Tokyo has also sought to counter disinformation being peddled online about the release, such as manipulated or old photos and claims -- denied by Japan -- that it bribed the IAEA.

- What else needs to be done? -

The far more dangerous task remains removing radioactive debris and highly dangerous nuclear fuel from the three reactors that went into meltdown in 2011.

TEPCO plans to use robots to remove the fuel but there are fears that radiation levels are so high that they could even disable the remote-controlled machines.

The whole gargantuan process is expected to take 30 to 40 years and cost around eight trillion yen ($55 billion).

burs-stu/aha

Related Links
Bringing Order To A World Of Disasters
A world of storm and tempest
When the Earth Quakes

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters
Tweet

RELATED CONTENT
The following news reports may link to other Space Media Network websites.
DISASTER MANAGEMENT
Japan PM to visit Fukushima plant before water release
Tokyo (AFP) Aug 19, 2023
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said he will visit the Fukushima nuclear plant on Sunday, ahead of the discharge of treated water which is scheduled to begin by the end of summer. Tokyo's plan to release treated water from the tsunami-hit nuclear plant into the sea over the next few decades has raised concerns in neighbouring countries, prompting China to ban some food imports and sparking protests in South Korea. Kishida, who was in Washington for a trilateral summit with US President Joe ... read more

DISASTER MANAGEMENT
Eight dead after Moscow sewer floods during tour

Fukushima's water release: what we know

700 Syrians caught trying to enter Lebanon in a week: army

Japan to start releasing Fukushima water on Thursday

DISASTER MANAGEMENT
MIT engineers use kirigami to make ultrastrong, lightweight structures

China's new rules on AI-generated content

Taiwan's antique jade dealers see trade losing lustre

Invisible tagging system enhances 3D object tracking

DISASTER MANAGEMENT
Uruguay declares end to water crisis

China's sushi fans flounder over Fukushima water release

Parched Egypt struggles to contain water loss

Greenpeace slams Poland's new river protection law

DISASTER MANAGEMENT
Mountaineers urged to delay Mont Blanc climbs amid Alps heatwave

UC Irvine scientists say deepening Arctic snowpack drives greenhouse gas emissions

Hot spell pushes 'zero-degree' line to record height in Switzerland

Could artificially dimming the sun prevent ice melt

DISASTER MANAGEMENT
French grape-pickers wilt as 'heat dome' temperatures top 40C

High heat can serve up food insecurity within days

New UCF project examines key role soils play in keeping the planet cool

Hong Kong to curb some Japan food imports over Fukushima water release

DISASTER MANAGEMENT
California cleans up after record rainfall from Hilary

Around 100,000 people evacuated due to floods in Pakistan

North Korea's Kim slams 'irresponsible' premier over flood damage

Listening to nanoscale earthquakes

DISASTER MANAGEMENT
African Union suspends Niger over coup as 12 troops die in new attack

China says Xi to pay state visit to S. Africa, attend BRICS summit next week

ECOWAS to finalize Niger deployment plans this week

Niger scraps jail sentence for head of group supporting military

DISASTER MANAGEMENT
Just 5000 steps can save your life

A climate-orchestrated early human love story

Indigenous groups call for bold steps at Amazon summit

Workers less productiv, make more typos in afternoon and especially on Fridays

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters




The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.