Japanese concerns controversial move to dump treated wastewater from the Fukushima nuclear power plant (PLTN) into the Pacific Ocean has sparked criticism, both at home and abroad.
Since the 2011 tsunami that damaged the plant, more than one million tons of treated wastewater has accumulated there. Japan said it would remove them from August 24.
Despite the backing of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) —the UN’s nuclear watchdog — the plan sparked controversy in Japan as people worry about the impact of contamination.
People from the fishing industry in Japan and beyond are also concerned about their livelihoods, as consumers may avoid buying seafood.
Meanwhile, in South Korea, there are also many citizens who oppose it even though the government has stated that it has no objections to the plan.
So what is Japan’s plan and how exact is this wastewater being channel into the sea?
How does Japan deal with this nuclear waste water Since the tsunami hit power company.
Tepco has been pump water to cool the fuel rods of the Fukushima nuclear reactor This means that the factory produces contaminate water every day, which is store in large tanks.
More than 1,000 tanks have been fill And Japan says it needs the land occupied by the tanks to build a new facility aimed at safely decommissioning the plant.
They were also worrie that the tanks could collapse in the event of a natural disaster.
Discharging treated wastewater overboard is a common practice at nuclear power plants, although critics point out that the amount of waste generated at Fukushima is unprecedented and unprecedented.
Tepco filters water from the Fukushima nuclear plant through its Advanced Liquid Processing System (ALPS), which reduces most of the radioactive substances to acceptable safety standards, in addition to tritium and carbon-14.
Tritium and carbon-14 are radioactive from hydrogen and carbon, which are difficult to separate from water. Are find in nature water. Even in humans because they are formed in the earth’s atmosphere. And can enter the water cycle.
Both emit very low levels of radiation, but can be risky if consumed in large quantities.
The water that has been filtered through other treatments is then mixed with seawater to reduce. The concentration of any remaining substances. Before being release into the sea through a 1km underground tunnel.
TEPCO will monitor the radioactivity of the treated water at various stages, as well as seawater at the disposal site.
According to Tepco, an emergency valve system will ensure that no pure wastewater accidentally leaks out.
Officers can also turn off disposal manually quickly in the event of a tsunami or earthquake.
The Japanese government says the final level of tritium. About 1.500 becquerel per liter is much safer than the levels required. By regulators for the disposal of nuclear waste or by the World Health Organization (WHO) for drinking water. Tepco says the carbon-14 grade will also meet the standard.
TEPCO and the Japanese government. Have conducted studies showing that the discharged waste poses little risk to humans and marine life. Many scientists also support the plan.
“The released water would be a drop in the ocean. Both in terms of volume and radioactivity. Said molecular pathologist Gerry Thomas. Who worked with Japanese scientists on the radiation research and advised the IAEA on the Fukushima report.
“There is no evidence that very low levels of this radioisotope are harmful to health,” he continued.
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