Japan’s proposal to release treated wastewater from the Fukushima nuclear plant has generated anxiety and anger both domestically and internationally.
Following the devastating 2011 tsunami that severely damaged the plant, over a million tonnes of treated wastewater has accumulated there. Japan now plans to discharge this water into the Pacific Ocean.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the UN nuclear watchdog, has recently published a report endorsing Japan’s plan. However, since its announcement two years ago, the proposal has faced significant controversy within Japan, with local communities expressing concerns about potential contamination.
The fishing and seafood industries in Japan and the surrounding region have also raised apprehensions about the potential impact on their livelihoods, fearing consumer reluctance to purchase seafood products.
Furthermore, Japan’s neighboring countries, particularly China, have strongly opposed the plan, accusing Japan of disregarding the ocean as a mere “private sewer.” China criticized the IAEA report on Tuesday, claiming that its conclusions were biased and one-sided.
Since the Fukushima disaster, the power plant operator Tepco has been using water to cool down the fuel rods in the nuclear reactors. As a result, contaminated water is produced daily and stored in large tanks.
Over 1,000 tanks have been filled with this water, and Japan recognizes that this is not a sustainable long-term solution. Therefore, it intends to gradually release the treated water into the Pacific Ocean over a period of 30 years, asserting its safety for discharge.
While releasing treated wastewater into the ocean is a common practice for nuclear plants, this situation involves the by-products of an accident, making it distinct from regular nuclear waste.
Tepco employs the Advanced Liquid Processing System (ALPS) to filter the Fukushima water, effectively reducing most radioactive substances to acceptable safety standards, except for tritium and carbon-14.
Tritium and carbon-14 are radioactive forms of hydrogen and carbon, respectively, and are challenging to separate from water. They naturally occur in the environment, water sources, and even within human bodies, as they are produced in the Earth’s atmosphere and become part of the water cycle.
While both emit low levels of radiation, consuming them in large quantities can pose risks.
After filtration, the water undergoes further treatment and is diluted with seawater to lower the concentrations of remaining substances before being discharged into the ocean. Tepco has implemented valve systems to ensure there are no accidental releases of undiluted wastewater.
According to the Japanese government, the final level of tritium in the discharged water, approximately 1,500 becquerels per liter, is significantly below the regulatory requirements for nuclear waste discharge and the World Health Organization’s standards for drinking water. Tepco has also indicated that the carbon-14 level would meet applicable standards.
Tepco and the Japanese government have conducted studies to demonstrate that the discharged water will pose minimal risks to both humans and marine life.