As Japan Begins Releasing Water From Fukushima, Should We be Concerned?

Tank farm for contaminated water at the Fukushima nuclear power plant (Tepco)

PUBLISHED AUG 27, 2023 3:46 PM BY EDMOND SANGANYADO

 

Japan’s decision to release water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant has been greeted with horror by the local fishing industry as well as China and several Pacific Island states. China – which together with Hong Kong imports more than US$1.1 billion of seafood from Japan every year – has slapped a ban on all seafood imports from Japan, citing health concerns.

Tokyo has asked for the ban to be lifted immediately. The Japanese prime minister, Fumio Kishida, told reporters on Thursday: “We strongly encourage discussion among experts based on scientific grounds.” Japan has previously criticised China for spreading “scientifically unfounded claims”.

Japan remains steadfast in its assurance that the water is safe. The discharge process, which will take 30 years, was approved by the International Atomic Energy Agency – the intergovernmental organisation that develops safety standards for managing radioactive waste. And seawater samples taken following the water’s release showed radioactivity levels more than seven times lower than the drinking water limit set by the World Health Organization.

Since the world’s highest authority on radioactive waste backs Japan’s plan, should we also dismiss the concerns raised by Pacific nations and local fishermen as merely irrational fear of radioactive materials?

Contaminated water

In 2011, a magnitude 9.0 earthquake off the north-eastern coast of Japan’s main island, Honshu, triggered a tsunami that devastated many coastal areas of the country. Tsunami waves knocked out the Fukushima nuclear power plant’s backup electricity supply and caused meltdowns in three of its reactors. The event is regarded as one of the worst nuclear accidents in history.

Since the accident, water has been used to cool the damaged reactors. But, as the reactor core contains numerous radioactive elements, including ruthenium, uranium, plutonium, strontium, caesium and tritium, the cooling water has become contaminated.

The tainted water is stored in more than 1,000 steel tanks at the power plant. It has been treated to remove most of the radioactive contaminants – but traces of the radioactive isotope tritium remain.

Removing tritium from the water is challenging. Tritium is a radioactive form of hydrogen that forms water molecules with properties similar to regular water.

It does decay over time to form helium (which is less harmful). But tritium has a half-life of slightly over 12 years.

This is relatively quick in comparison to other radioactive contaminants. But it will still take around 100 years for the radioactivity of the tritium within the tanks at Fukushima to drop below 1%.

To safely store the water that will continue to be contaminated over that time (some 100 tonnes of water each day), the plant’s operators will need to construct an additional 2,700 storage tanks. This may be impractical – storage space at Fukushima is fast running out.

Should we be concerned?

Studies have, in the past, explored the health effects of tritium exposure. However, much of this research has focused on organisms such as zebrafish and marine mussels. Research from France, for example, found that tritium – in the form of titrated water – led to DNA damage, altered muscle tissue and changed movement patterns in zebrafish larvae.

Interestingly, the zebrafish were exposed to tritium concentrations similar to those estimated to be in the storage tanks at Fukushima. But the tritium at Fukushima will be significantly diluted before its release, reaching levels almost a million times lower than those that caused health issues in zebrafish larvae.

Marine organisms within the discharge zone will experience consistent exposure to this low concentration over the next 30 years. We cannot definitively rule out potential repercussions from this on marine life. And, importantly, the findings from these studies cannot be universally applied to all animals.

It’s worth noting, however, that organisms can eliminate half of the tritium in their bodies through biological processes in less than two weeks (known as the biological half-life).

But that’s not everything

In theory, it’s also possible that the potential health issues linked to tritium could worsen due to the presence of other chemical contaminants. In China, researchers discovered that exposing zebrafish larvae to both tritium and genistein – a naturally occurring compound produced by some plants that is commonly found in water – led to reduced survival and hatching rates.

The amount of tritium used in this study was over 3,000 times less than that used in the French study. But it still exceeded the levels being discharged into the Pacific Ocean from Fukushima by almost 250 times.

Yet it’s possible that other chemical contaminants present in the ocean near Japan or within the storage tanks could interact with tritium in a similar way, potentially offsetting the benefits of dilution.

Given that we lack precise knowledge of the exact chemical pollutants present in Fukushima’s water storage tanks and their potential combined effects with tritium, it could be unwise to casually brush aside the very real concerns raised by Pacific nations and fishermen.

Edmond Sanganyado is an Assistant Professor in Environmental Forensics at Northumbria University, Newcastle.

This article appears courtesy of The Conversation and may be found in its original form here. 

Japan begins pumping Fukushima nuclear plant water into sea

Japan has begun to pump more than a million metric tons of treated water from the destroyed Fukushima-Daiichi nuclear power plant. The process is expected to take decades to complete.

August 24, 2023

More than a million metric tons of treated water are to be released from the destroyed
plant

Japan began the release of wastewater from the Fukushima nuclear plant on Thursday, facility operator TEPCO said.

The process of pumping treated water into the Pacific Ocean through a special kilometer-long tunnel was started despite opposition from fishermen, environmentalists and China.

An earthquake and tsunami caused core meltdowns at the plant in 2011. Since then, the shut-down reactors have had to be cooled with water that was then stored in tanks.

However, according to TEPCO, capacity is running out.
What else do we know?

The site has been collecting some 100,000 liters (26,500 gallons) of water every day. Around 1.34 million metric tons are now being stored there.

The water is contaminated not only from cooling the damaged reactors, but also with the seepage of groundwater and rain.

Japan has said that it will discharge at most 500,000 liters per day, with the release of the water planned to take some 30 years to complete.

Thursday's discharge, which authorities say is on a small scale, is scheduled to be followed by three more between now and March 31.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has said the release of the water is safe.

The Japanese government and TEPCO say the release is necessary to make room for the plant's decommissioning and to prevent accidental leaks.

Japan has said almost all radioactive elements from the water have been filtered out before its release.

The only exception is tritium, which is difficult to filter. But many nuclear experts say tritium poses little risk to human health, as it does not accumulate in the body.

"Nuclear power plants worldwide have routinely discharged water containing tritium for over 60 years without harm to people or the environment, most at higher levels than the 22 TBq per year planned for Fukushima," Tony Irwin, an honorary associate professor at the Australian National University, said in a note cited by Reuters news agency.

Chinese criticism

China, which has staunchly opposed the release of the wastewater from the start, has slammed Japan for beginning with the discharge.

"The ocean is the common property of all humanity, and forcibly starting the discharge of Fukushima's nuclear wastewater into the ocean is an extremely selfish and irresponsible act that ignores international public interests," the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

It said Tokyo had failed to prove that its wastewater purification was reliable in the long term and to give sufficient evidence to support its contention that the discharge was harmless.

Beijing has banned food imports from 10 Japanese prefectures, with Hong Kong following suit.

South Korea said in a statement released Tuesday that it did not necessarily approve the wastewater release plan but that the scientific and technical basis for it appeared to be in order.

tj/rc (AFP, Reuters, AP)

Japan: Fukushima water release puts Kishida under pressure

Julian Ryall in Tokyo
August 24, 2023

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's government is facing a wave of criticism at home and abroad after allowing the release of treated radioactive water from Fukushima into the Pacific Ocean.

Many Japanese oppose their government's decision to release treated Fukushima water into the ocean

Kazuhiro Nogi/AFP

To a chorus of criticism at home and abroad, Japan on Thursday started to release treated radioactive water from the Fukushima Dai-Ichi nuclear plant into the Pacific Ocean.

Analysts say the water dump could harm Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's standing with domestic voters and neighboring governments.

Engineers at the power station, which was crippled in the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami, causing three of its six reactors to suffer meltdowns, began discharging water through a pipeline that has been constructed to a distance of about one kilometer (0.6 miles) off the coast.

The Japanese government and Tokyo Electric Power Co (TEPCO), the operator of the facility, have gone to great lengths to convince the Japanese public and the international community that the water is safe.

They point out that the water has been treated to remove virtually all the radioactive contaminants, that it is being greatly diluted and that studies endorsed by the International Atomic Energy Agency show that it poses no threat to human health or the flora and fauna of the Pacific.

However, China has demonstrated its disagreement with this assessment by announcing Thursday it would ban all seafood from Japan in response to the Fukushima water release, which it called "selfish and irresponsible."
Japan divided on Fukushima water dump

The Japanese public is divided on the matter, with environmental groups, opponents of nuclear energy and people living in northeast Japan, particularly fishermen, furious at the decision.

Protesters in Tokyo hold signs reading 'no radiation contaminated water into the sea'

Kim Kyung-Hoon/Reuters

Others, however, are shrugging their shoulders and suggest the government had little choice in the matter.

"Kishida is already dealing with a number of problems in his government, including rising prices and scandals involving his son, who was serving as an aide, and in the party, so this issue is certainly going to add to his problems," said Hiromi Murakami, a professor of political science at the Tokyo campus of Temple University.

"But it goes both ways," she told DW. "Among those opposed to his conservative government, this will be something else to criticize him for, but conservatives see this as progress that is finally being made in a problem that has been lingering for the last decade."

Ken Kato, a businessman from Tokyo, applauded the decision after so many delays.

"I am 100% supportive and this is the only appropriate action," he told DW.

"The IAEA has confirmed that it is of no danger to human health. The most serious issue is the Chinese misinformation campaign that has served to damage the reputations and livelihoods of fishermen in north-east Japan and Japan in general," he added.

Others take issue with that position, however, with Kanako Hosomura, a housewife from Saitama Prefecture, less than 200 kilometers southwest of the nuclear power plant, saying she is fearful of the impact of the water release.

"It is obvious that fish, shellfish, seaweed and other food products from the region are going to be affected over time by this," she told DW.

"I'm not going to buy fish from Fukushima again and I will ask the sushi restaurant where I usually go where they are buying their stocks from. And I definitely will not go to any of the beaches there with my children until I am absolutely sure that it is safe again."

Japan's Fukushima decision may impact fish exports

How is the water being treated?

TEPCO officials have stated that an initial 7,800 tons of water, which has undergone treatment in the Advanced Liquid Processing System (ALPS) to remove all but the relatively harmless radionuclide tritium, will be diluted with seawater and released over the next 17 days.

The water is diluted to reduce tritium levels to one-seventh the standard set by the World Health Organization as being safe to drink, the company said.

Monitored by the IAEA, TEPCO intends to release around 31,200 tons of treated water in the fiscal year to April.

Experts estimate that it will take around 30 years to release the 1.25 million tons of water that is already in storage at the site and all additional rainwater that seeps into the subterranean complex that houses the damaged reactors


What is the international reaction?

The United States said it is satisfied with the safety measures Japan is taking, and Ambassador Rahm Emanuel stated that he will be travelling to Fukushima later this week and intends to visit a sushi restaurant to demonstrate US solidarity. Australia has expressed similar support.

The government of South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol also said it is satisfied that the science supports the decision to discharge the water, but with growing public anger over the move domestically, it has added the condition that it will take Japan to court should radiation be detected above safe levels.

A South Korean protester in front of the Japanese embassy in Seoul

Kim Hong-Ji/Reuters

However, Lee Jae-myung, the head of South Korea's Democratic Party, has called the water release an "act of terror."

Ben Ascione, an assistant professor of international relations at Tokyo's Waseda University, said strong opposition from China was inevitable, but that the water release could negatively affect Japan's "fragile" relations with South Korea.

"China's position has been steadfast and this is not going to change the relationship too much, but the situation with Seoul is more complicated," he said.

"Japan, South Korea and the US have just had a very important trilateral summit at Camp David and there have been triumphant claims that this is a completely new era of relations. My reading is that it is a lot more fragile than that triumphalism would have us believe," he added.

"This is going to continue to be another thorn in the side of the relationship and an issue where tensions are going to continue to flare," he said.

Japan resumes trial to extract nuclear fuel debris from Fukushima plant

Operation to retrieve less than 3 grams of nuclear fuel debris was halted last month

Riyaz ul Khaliq |10.09.2024 - 


ISTANBUL

Japan has resumed a trial operation to extract nuclear fuel debris from the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant, for the first time since the 2011 earthquake and tsunami disaster.

The trial, which aims to extract a small amount of the highly radioactive material, was paused last month when the operator, Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings or TEPCO, encountered problems during the retrieval process.

The operator had faced an issue in the installation of the robotic removal device -- a telescopic device equipped with a gripper tool.

After confirming that the devices are now correctly installed, the TEPCO “passed the device through an isolation valve, intended to block radioactive material, in the morning (of Tuesday),” the Tokyo-based Kyodo News reported.

The device extends up to 22 meters (72 feet) and the operator is aiming to collect less than 3 grams of debris which can take the device at least two weeks to reach its target.

There are estimated 880 tons of fuel debris remaining in the Nos. 1, 2, and 3 reactors of the crippled nuclear plant.

The Fukushima nuclear plant was damaged when a magnitude 9 earthquake, followed by a tsunami, struck Japan in 2011.

Last month also marked one year since Japan began releasing treated nuclear water from the Fukushima plant.

Robot begins mission to retrieve melted fuel from Fukushima nuclear plant

10 September 2024

Japan Nuclear Fukushima. Picture: PA

Highly radioactive fuel and other materials in the reactors melted when a massive earthquake and tsunami in 2011 damaged the plant’s cooling systems.

An extendable robot has begun a two-week mission to retrieve the first sample of melted fuel debris from inside one of three damaged reactors at Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.

Highly radioactive fuel and other materials in the reactors melted when a massive earthquake and tsunami in 2011 damaged the plant’s cooling systems.

The plant’s operator, Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings (Tepco), has previously used small robots to examine the inside of the reactors, but this is the first time it will have collected a sample of the melted debris in what will mark the start of the most challenging part of the plant’s decades-long decommissioning.

The mission was initially scheduled to begin on August 22 but was suspended when workers noticed that five 5ft (1.5m) pipes to be used to push the robot into the reactor had been arranged in the wrong order, Tepco said.

The equipment was reassembled in the right order for Tuesday’s attempt, the company added.

Tepco executives observe officials making final checks for the robot’s mission at Fukjushima Daiichi nuclear power plant (Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings/AP)

Once inside the reactor vessel, the robot is operated remotely from a safer location.

The robot, nicknamed “Telesco”, can extend up to about 72ft (22m), including the pipes pushing it from behind, to reach the melted fuel mound, where it will use tongs to collect a fragment weighing less than 0.1oz (3g). It is expected to take about two weeks to obtain the fragment.

An estimated 880 tons of fatally radioactive molten fuel remains in the three reactors.

Chief government spokesman Yoshimasa Hayashi noted that the mission marks the start of the most difficult phase of the Fukushima Daiichi clean-up.

“The government will firmly and responsibly tackle the decommissioning until the very end,” he said.

The government and Tepco have set a 30- to 40-year target for the clean-up, despite criticism that it is unrealistic.

No specific plans for the full removal of the melted fuel debris or its storage have been decided.

By Press Association

Peaches from Japan's Fukushima region sold at Harrods

Agence France-Presse
September 10, 2024 

Before the 2011 nuclear meltdown, Fukushima prided itself as a 'fruit kingdom' (STR)

Peaches from Fukushima can now be bought at London's luxury department store Harrods in a Japanese push to ease fears about produce grown in the region hit by nuclear disaster.

A box of three large, juicy white peaches costs 80 pounds ($100) -- the first time the fruit is available at a shop in Europe, after sales at temporary events.

Before the 2011 atomic meltdown, Fukushima prided itself as a "fruit kingdom", famous in Japan for its delicious offerings, including peaches, grapes, pears and cherries.


But after an earthquake-triggered tsunami unleashed the worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl, consumers feared eating them could harm their health and sales plunged.

Although the areas surrounding the stricken Fukushima Daiichi power station were evacuated over radiation fears, farms in the rest of the region were not contaminated.

And before being sent to stores, all farm and fishery products from the northeastern Japanese prefecture now undergoes strict radiation inspection.

Harrods began selling the peaches on Saturday, part of a reputation-building initiative by Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO), the operator of the Fukushima plant.

The company has previously staged campaigns in the United States, Thailand and other major economies to promote rice, farm products and seafood from Fukushima.

"The primary purpose of those activities is to erase fears in foreign markets of Fukushima produce," a TEPCO spokesman told AFP on Tuesday.

An association of Fukushima residents in London hailed the news as a "major step forward" in a Facebook post.

"Many people asked us at Japan festivals, 'where can we buy these?'" it said.

"Please enjoy the taste of these peaches that Fukushima proudly presents to the rest of the world."

Fukushima debris removal delayed by another year

The work to remove radioactive debris from the Fukushima plant could 

now start as late as March 2024. PHOTO: REUTERS

TOKYO (AFP) - Work to remove nuclear debris from the devastated Fukushima power station in Japan has been delayed again to ensure the safety of the multi-decade project, according to plant operator Tepco.

Tokyo Electric Power (Tepco) had planned to begin extracting radioactive debris from one of the reactors this year - already later than the original 2021 start date.

But the company said Thursday (Aug 25) it needed an "additional preparation period" of up to 18 months, meaning the work could now start as late as March 2024.

Tepco said in a statement that this was necessary "to improve the safety and ensure the success" of surveying inside the reactors and retrieving the debris.

"The timeframe has been adjusted, so that the work will commence in the latter half of fiscal 2023", which ends March 2024, it said.

Engineers are fine-tuning a robotic arm specially designed for the work, including adjusting its speed and precision, Tepco said.

A deadly tsunami on March 11, 2011 caused a meltdown at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant in north-eastern Japan, the world's worst nuclear accident since Chernobyl.

Tepco, the government and a coalition of engineering firms are working to decommission the damaged reactors in a project that is estimated to take as long as 40 years.

Robot issue delays fuel removal from Fukushima nuclear plant

CGTN

Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Okuma town, Fukushima prefecture, north of Tokyo, February 13, 2021. /AP

The operator of the wrecked Fukushima nuclear power plant said Thursday it is further postponing the start of the removal of highly radioactive melted fuel from its damaged reactors because of delays in the development of a remote-controlled robotic arm.

Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) had originally planned to begin removing melted fuel from the Unit 2 reactor at the Fukushima Daiichi plant last year, 10 years after the disaster triggered by a massive earthquake and tsunami on March 11, 2011.

That plan was postponed until later this year, and now will be delayed further until about autumn next year because of additional work needed to improve the performance of the robotic arm, TEPCO said.

The giant arm, jointly developed by Veolia Nuclear Solutions of Britain and Japan's Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, has been transported to Japan and is being adjusted at a testing facility south of the Fukushima plant.

The delay won't affect the overall decommissioning at the plant, which is expected to take 30 to 40 years, TEPCO said. Experts have said the completion target is too optimistic.

During the accident, an estimated 880 tons (about 72.6 tonnes) of highly radioactive nuclear fuel in the three damaged reactors melted and fell to the bottom of their primary containment vessels, where it hardened, most likely mixed with broken parts of the reactor and the concrete foundation. Its removal is by far the toughest challenge of the decommissioning process.

TEPCO has made progress in assessing the condition of the fuel in the reactors in recent years by sending remote-controlled robots inside the primary containment vessels. But data and images provided by the probes are still partial, and experts say it's too early to imagine when or how the cleanup will end.

The continuing need to cool the fuel remaining in the reactors has resulted in massive amounts of treated but still radioactive used cooling water that is being stored in about 1,000 tanks on the grounds of the plant.

The government has announced a plan to start releasing the stored water into the sea after further treatment and dilution in the spring of 2023, a plan that has been fiercely opposed by local residents, the fishing community and neighboring countries.

Source(s): AP

Japan to get crucial UN verdict for Fukushima water release

Japan is set to receive a report from a United Nations nuclear watchdog on Tuesday approving its plan to release treated radioactive water from the tsunami-wrecked Fukushima plant

Reuters Tokyo Published 04.07.23


Japan is set to receive a report from a UN nuclear watchdog on Tuesday approving its plan to release treated radioactive water from the tsunami-wrecked Fukushima plant into the ocean despite fierce resistance from Beijing and some local opposition.

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Rafael Grossi begins a four-day visit to Japan on Tuesday, when he will meet with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and deliver the results of the agency's final two-year safety review.

Japan has not specified a date to start the water release, which will take 30 to 40 years to complete, pending the IAEA's review and official approval from the national nuclear regulatory body for Tokyo Electric Power (Tepco). The nuclear regulator's final word could come as early as this week.

Some Japanese fishing unions have opposed the government's plan, conceived in 2021, saying it would undo work to repair their reputations after several countries banned some Japanese food products following the 2011 disaster.

Some neighbouring countries have over the years also complained about the threat to the marine environment and public health, with Beijing emerging as the biggest critic of the plan.

Through its embassy in Japan, Beijing on Tuesday said the IAEA's report cannot be a "pass" for the water release and called for the plan's suspension.

Japan maintains the process is safe as it has treated the water - enough to fill 500 Olympic-sized swimming pools - used to cool the fuel rods of the Fukushima plant after it was damaged by the earthquake and tsunami in 2011.

The water has been filtered to remove most radioactive elements except for tritium, an isotope of hydrogen that is difficult to separate from water. The treated water will be diluted to well below internationally approved levels of tritium before being released into the Pacific Ocean.

In a presentation given to foreign journalists in China last month, Japanese officials said the tritium levels in the water it plans to release are lower than that found in waste water regularly released by nuclear plants around the world, including in China.

The officials said that they had made multiple and repeated attempts to explain the science behind Tokyo's stance to Beijing, but that its offers had been ignored.

China on Tuesday said Japan's comparison of the tritium levels in the treated water and waste water was "completely confusing concepts and misleading public opinion."

IAEA's Grossi will visit the Fukushima plant on Wednesday. After his Japan trip, he is also due to visit South Korea, where consumers have been snapping up sea salt
and other items ahead of the water release.

He is also expected to visit New Zealand and the Cook Islands in a bid to ease concerns over the plan, according to media reports.

IAEA must not endorse Japan's wrongdoings in nuclear-contaminated water disposal: Spokesperson

Xinhua, July 4, 2023

China on Monday urged the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to come to a responsible conclusion on the ocean discharge of contaminated water from Fukushima, Japan.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin made the remarks at a regular press briefing when answering a query concerning that IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi will visit Japan starting Tuesday and deliver a report on the safety of discharge of tainted water from the Fukushima nuclear plant, which may give backing for Japan to proceed with the discharge.

Wang said China's opposition to Japan's efforts of pushing through the discharge plan of nuclear-contaminated water into the ocean is consistent, stressing that it is neither ethical nor lawful to spill the risk of nuclear pollution to the rest of the world.

China urges Japan to face up to the legitimate concern of the international community and people in Japan, stop forcibly proceeding with its ocean discharge plan, dispose of the nuclear-contaminated water in a science-based, safe and transparent manner and place itself under the strict monitoring of the international community, the spokesperson said.

China believes that the IAEA should come to a conclusion on the ocean discharge of contaminated water from Fukushima that is responsible and can stand up to the test of history and science, and must not endorse Japan's wrongdoings in the disposal of nuclear-contaminated water, Wang said.

"It is for the maritime environment that we all share, the life and health of all human beings and the only planet that we call home," the spokesperson said.

Explainer-How Japan plans to release Fukushima water into the ocean

Updated July 3, 2023

TOKYO (Reuters) -Japan is set to begin pumping out more than a million tonnes of treated water from the destroyed Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant this summer, a process that will take decades to complete.

The water was distilled after being contaminated from contact with fuel rods at the reactor, destroyed in a 2011 earthquake. Tanks on the site now hold about 1.3 million tonnes of radioactive water - enough to fill 500 Olympic-sized swimming pools. Here is how Tokyo Electric Power Company (Tepco) plans to deal with the water:

WATER RELEASE

Tepco has been filtering the contaminated water to remove isotopes, leaving only tritium, a radioactive isotope of hydrogen that is hard to separate from water. Tepco will dilute the water until tritium levels fall below regulatory limits before pumping it into the ocean from the coastal site.

Water containing tritium is routinely released from nuclear plants around the world, and regulatory authorities support dealing with the Fukushima water in this way.

Tritium is considered to be relatively harmless because it does not emit enough energy to penetrate human skin. But when ingested it can raise cancer risks, a Scientific American article said in 2014.

The water disposal will take decades to complete, with a rolling filtering and dilution process, alongside the planned decommissioning of the plant.

REACTION TO OCEAN RELEASE

Tepco has been engaging with fishing communities and other stakeholders and is promoting agriculture, fishery and forest products in stores and restaurants to reduce any reputational harm to produce from the area.

Fishing unions in Fukushima have urged the government for years not to release the water, arguing it would undo work to restore the damaged reputation of their fisheries.

Neighbouring countries have also expressed concern. China has been the most vocal, calling Japan's plan irresponsible, unpopular and unilateral.

(Reporting by Tokyo Newsroom. Editing by Gerry Doyle)

Op-Ed: Releasing Fukushima's Radioactive Water Won't Cause Harm

Tank storage for water contaminated with radioactive tritium at Fukushima Daiichi (Tepco file image)

PUBLISHED MAR 5, 2023 9:38 PM BY NIGEL MARKS, BRENDAN KENNEDY AND TONY IRWIN

 

Japanese authorities are preparing to release treated radioactive wastewater into the Pacific Ocean, nearly 12 years after the Fukushima nuclear disaster. This will relieve pressure on more than 1,000 storage tanks, creating much-needed space for other vital remediation works. But the plan has attracted controversy.

At first glance, releasing radioactive water into the ocean does sound like a terrible idea. Greenpeace feared the radioactivity released might change human DNA, China and South Korea expressed disquiet, while Pacific Island nations were concerned about further nuclear contamination of the Blue Pacific. One academic publication claimed the total global social welfare cost could exceed US$200 billion.

But the Japanese government, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and independent scientists have declared the planned release to be reasonable and safe.

Based on our collective professional experience in nuclear science and nuclear power, we have reached the same conclusion. Our assessment is based on the type of radioactivity to be released, the amount of radioactivity already present in the ocean, and the high level of independent oversight from the IAEA.

How much water is there, and what’s in it?

The storage tanks at Fukushima contain 1.3 million tonnes of water, equivalent to around 500 Olympic-sized swimming pools.

Contaminated water is produced daily by ongoing reactor cooling. Contaminated groundwater also collects in the basements of the damaged reactor buildings.

The water is being cleaned by a technology called ALPS, or Advanced Liquid Processing System. This removes the vast majority of the problematic elements.

The ALPS treatment can be repeated until concentrations are below regulatory limits. Independent monitoring by the IAEA will ensure all requirements are met before discharge.

The main radioactive contaminant remaining after treatment is tritium, a radioactive form of hydrogen (H) that is difficult to remove from water (H?O). There is no technology to remove trace levels of tritium from this volume of water.

Tritium has a half-life of 12.3 years, meaning 100 years passes before the radioactivity is negligible. It is unrealistic to store the water for such a long time as the volumes are too great. Extended storage also increases the risk of accidental uncontrolled release.

Like all radioactive elements, international standards exist for safe levels of tritium. For liquids, these are measured in Bq per litre, where one Bq (becquerel) is defined as one radioactive decay per second. At the point of release, the Japanese authorities have chosen a conservative concentration limit of 1,500Bq per litre, seven times smaller than the World Health Organization’s recommended limit of 10,000Bq per litre for drinking water.

Why is it acceptable to release tritium into the ocean?

One surprising thing about radiation is how common it is. Almost everything is radioactive to some degree, including air, water, plants, basements and granite benchtops. Even a long-haul airline flight supplies a few chest X-rays worth of radiation to everyone on board.

In the case of tritium, natural processes in the atmosphere generate 50-70 peta-becquerels (PBq) of tritium every year. This number is difficult to grasp, so it’s helpful to think of it as grams of pure tritium. Using the conversion factor of 1PBq = 2.79g, we see that 150-200g of tritium is created naturally each year.

Looking at the Pacific Ocean, around 8.4kg (3,000PBq) of tritium is already in the water. By comparison, the total amount of tritium in the Fukushima wastewater is vastly smaller, at around 3g (1PBq).

Japanese authorities are not planning to release the water all at once. Instead, just 0.06g (22TBq) of tritium is scheduled for release each year. Compared with the radioactivity already present in the Pacific, the planned annual release is a literal drop in the ocean.

The current levels of tritium radioactivity in the Pacific are not of concern, and so the small amount to be added by the Fukushima water won’t cause any harm.

What’s more, tritium only makes a tiny contribution to the total radioactivity of the oceans. Ocean radioactivity is mostly due to potassium, an element essential for life and present in all cells. In the Pacific Ocean there is 7.4 million PBq of radioactivity from potassium, more than 1,000 times greater than the amount due to tritium.

How do other countries manage the discharge of tritium?

All nuclear power plants produce some tritium, which is routinely discharged into the ocean and other waterways. The amount generated depends on the type of reactor.

Boiling water reactors, such as at Fukushima, produce relatively low quantities. When Fukushima was operating, the tritium discharge limit was set at 22TBq per year. That figure is far below a level that could cause harm, but is reasonably achievable for this type of power plant.

In contrast, the UK Heysham nuclear power plant has a limit of 1300TBq per year because this type of gas-cooled reactor produces a lot of tritium. Heysham has been discharging tritium for 40 years without harm to people or the environment.

Annual tritium discharge at nearby nuclear power plants far exceeds what is proposed for Fukushima. The Fuqing plant in China discharged 52TBq in 2020, while the Kori plant in South Korea discharged 50TBq in 2018.

Each of these power plants releases more than twice the amount to be released from Fukushima.

Are there other reasons for not releasing the water?

Objections to the planned release have been the subject of widespread media coverage. TIME magazine recently explained how Pacific Island nations have been grappling for decades with the legacy of Cold War nuclear testing. The Guardian ran an opinion piece from Pacific activists, who argued if the waste was safe, then “dump it in Tokyo, test it in Paris, and store it in Washington, but keep our Pacific nuclear-free”.

But the Pacific has always contained radioactivity, from potassium in particular. The extra radioactivity to be added from the Fukushima water will make the most miniscule of differences.

Striking a different tone, The Pacific Island Forum commissioned a panel of experts to provide independent technical advice and guidance, and help address concerns on the wastewater. The panel was critical of the quantity and quality of data from the Japanese authorities, and advised that Japan should defer the impending discharge.

While we are sympathetic to the view that the scientific data could be improved, our assessment is the panel is unfairly critical of ocean release.

The main thing missing from the report is a sense of perspective. The public seminar from the expert panel, available on YouTube, presents only a portion of the context we provide above. Existing tritium in the ocean isn’t discussed, and the dominance of potassium is glossed over.

The most reasonable comments regard the performance of ALPS. This is largely in the context of strontium-90 and cesium-137, both of which are legitimate isotopes of concern.

However, the panel implies that the authorities don’t know what is in the tanks, and that ALPS doesn’t work properly. There actually is a lot of public information on both topics. Perhaps it could be repackaged in a clearer way for others to understand. But the inferences made by the panel give the wrong impression.

The most important thing the panel overlooks is that the contaminated water can be repeatedly passed through ALPS until it is safe for release. For some tanks a single pass will suffice, while for others additional cycles are required.

The big picture

The earthquake was the primary environmental disaster, and the planet will be dealing with the consequences for decades. In our view, the release of Fukushima wastewater does not add to the disaster.

It’s easy to understand why people are concerned about the prospect of radioactive liquid waste being released into the ocean. But the water is not dangerous. The nastiest elements have been removed, and what remains is modest compared with natural radioactivity.

We hope science will prevail and Japan will be allowed to continue the recovery process.

Nigel Marks is an Associate Professor of Physics at Curtin University.

Brendan Kennedy is a Professor of Chemistry at University of Sydney.

Tony Irwin is an Honorary Associate Professor in Nuclear Reactors and Nuclear Fuel Cycle at Australian National University.

This article appears courtesy of The Conversation and may be found in its original form here.

The opinions expressed herein are the author's and not necessarily those of The Maritime Executive.

Fukushima nuclear plant water release within weeks raises worries about setbacks to businesses

2 / 22
Family members enjoy at the Usuiso beach in Iwaki, northeastern Japan, Thursday, July 6, 2023. 

(AP Photo/Hiro Komae)

MARI YAMAGUCHI
Updated Mon, July 24, 2023

IWAKI, Japan (AP) — Beach season has started across Japan, which means seafood for holiday makers and good times for business owners. But in Fukushima, that may end soon.

Within weeks, the tsunami-hit Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant is expected to start releasing treated radioactive wastewater into the sea, a highly contested plan still facing fierce protests in and outside Japan.

The residents worry that the water discharge 12 years after the nuclear disaster could deal another setback to Fukushima’s image and hurt their businesses and livelihoods.

"Without a healthy ocean, I cannot make a living.” said Yukinaga Suzuki, a 70-year-old innkeeper at Usuiso beach in Iwaki about 50 kilometers (30 miles) south of the plant. And the government has yet to announce when the water release will begin.

It's not yet clear whether, or how, damaging the release will be. But residents say they feel "shikataganai” — meaning helpless.

Suzuki has requested officials to hold the plan at least until the swimming season ends in mid-August.

“If you ask me what I think about the water release, I’m against it. But there is nothing I can do to stop it as the government has one-sidedly crafted the plan and will release it anyway,” he said. “Releasing the water just as people are swimming at sea is totally out of line, even if there is no harm.”

The beach, he said, will be in the path of treated water traveling south on the Oyashio current from off the coast of Fukushima Daiichi.

The government and the operator, Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, or TEPCO, have struggled to manage the massive amount of contaminated water accumulating since the 2011 nuclear disaster, and announced plans to release it to the ocean during the summer.

They say the plan is to treat the water, dilute it with more than a hundred times the seawater and then release it into the Pacific Ocean through an undersea tunnel. Doing so, they said, is safer than national and international standards require.

Suzuki is among those who are not fully convinced by the government’s awareness campaign that critics say only highlights safety. “We don’t know if it's safe yet,” Suzuki said. “We just can’t tell until much later.”

The Usuiso area used to have more than a dozen family-run inns before the disaster. Now, Suzuki’s half-century old Suzukame, which he inherited from his parents 30 years ago, is the only one still in business after surviving the tsunami. He heads a safety committee for the area and operates its only beach house.

Suzuki says his inn guests won’t mention the water issue if they cancel their reservations and he would only have to guess. “I serve fresh local fish to my guests, and the beach house is for visitors to rest and chill out. The ocean is the source of my livelihood."

The March 11, 2011, earthquake and tsunami destroyed the Fukushima Daiichi plant’s cooling systems, causing three reactors to melt and contaminating their cooling water, which has since leaked continuously. The water is collected, filtered and stored in some 1,000 tanks, which will reach their capacity in early 2024.

The government and TEPCO say the water must be removed to make room for the plant’s decommissioning, and to prevent accidental leaks from the tanks because much of the water is still contaminated and needs retreatment.

Katsumasa Okawa, who runs a seafood business in Iwaki, says those tanks containing contaminated water bother him more than the treated water release. He wants to have them removed as soon as possible, especially after seeing “immense” tanks occupying much of the plant complex during his visit few years ago.

An accidental leak would be “an ultimate strikeout ... It will cause actual damage, not reputation,” Okawa says. “I think the treated water release is unavoidable.” It’s eerie, he adds, to have to live near the damaged plant for decades.

Fukushima’s badly hit fisheries community, tourism and the economy are still recovering. The government has allocated 80 billion yen ($573 million) to support still-feeble fisheries and seafood processing and combat potential reputation damage from the water release.

His wife evacuated to her parents’ home in Yokohama, near Tokyo with their four children, but Okawa stayed in Iwaki to work on reopening the store. In July, 2011, Okawa resumed sale of fresh fish — but none from Fukushima.

Local fishing was returning to normal operation in 2021 when the government announced the water release plan.

Fukushima’s local catch today is still about one-fifth of its pre-disaster levels due to a decline in the fishing population and smaller catch sizes.

Japanese fishing organizations strongly opposed Fukushima's water release, as they worry about further damage to the reputation of their seafood as they struggle to recover. Groups in South Korea and China have also raised concerns, turning it a political and diplomatic issue. Hong Kong has vowed to ban the import of aquatic products from Fukushima and other Japanese prefectures if Tokyo discharges treated radioactive wastewater into the sea.

China plans to step up import restrictions and Hong Kong restaurants began switching menus to exclude Japanese seafood. Agricultural Minister Tetsuro Nomura acknowledged some fishery exports from Japan have been suspended at Chinese customs, and that Japan was urging Beijing to honor science.

“Our plan is scientific and safe, and it is most important to firmly convey that and gain understanding,” TEPCO official Tomohiko Mayuzumi told The Associated Press during its plant visit. Still, people have concerns and so a final decision on the timing of the release will be a “a political decision by the government,” he said.

Japan sought support from the International Atomic Energy Agency for transparency and credibility. IAEA’s final report, released this month and handed directly to Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, concluded that the method meets international standards and its environmental and health impacts would be negligible. IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi said radioactivity in the water would be almost undetectable and there is no cross-border impact.

Scientists generally agree that environmental impact from the treated water would be negligible, but some call for more attention on dozens of low-dose radionuclides that remain in the water, saying data on their long-term effect on the environment and marine life is insufficient.

Radioactivity of the treated water is so low that once it hits the ocean it will quickly disperse and become almost undetectable, which makes pre-release sampling of the water important for data analysis, said University of Tokyo environmental chemistry professor Katsumi Shozugawa.

He said the release can be safely carried out and trusted “only if TEPCO strictly follows the procedures as planned.” Diligent sampling of the water, transparency and broader cross-checks — not just limited to IAEA and two labs commissioned by TEPCO and the government — is key to gaining trust, Shozugawa said.

Japanese officials characterize the treated water as a tritium issue, but it also contains dozens of other radionuclides that leaked from the damaged fuel. Though they are filtered to legally releasable levels and their environmental impact deemed minimal, they still require close scrutiny, experts say.

TEPCO and government officials say tritium is the only radionuclide inseparable from water and is being diluted to contain only a fraction of the national discharge cap, while experts say heavy dilution is needed to also sufficiently lower concentration of other radionuclides.

“If you ask their impact on the environment, honestly, we can only say we don’t know,” Shozugawa, referring to dozens of radionuclides whose leakage is not anticipated at normal reactors, he says. “But it is true that the lower the concentration, the smaller the environmental impact,” and the plan is presumably safe, he said.

The treated water is a less challenging task at the plant compared to the deadly radioactive melted debris that remain in the reactors, or the continuous, tiny leaks of radioactivity to the outside.

Shozugawa, who has been regularly measuring radioactivity of groundwater samples, fish and plants near Fukushima Daiichi plant since the disaster, says his 12 years of sampling work shows small amounts of radioactivity from the Fukushima Daiichi has continuously leaked into groundwater and the port at the plant. He says its potential impact on the ecosystem also requires closer attention than the controlled release of the treated water.

TEPCO denies new leaks from the reactors and attributes high cesium in fish sometimes caught inside the port to sediment contamination from initial leaks and a rainwater drainage.

A local fisheries cooperative executive Takayuki Yanai told a recent online event that forcing the water release without public support only triggers reputational damage and hurts Fukushima fisheries. "We don't need additional burden to our recovery.”

“Public understanding is lacking because of distrust to the government and TEPCO,” he said. “The sense of safety only comes from trust."

GOOD NEWS

China-Japan accord on monitoring of Fukushima water releases

Friday, 20 September 2024

China looks set to start lifting its ban on the import of Japanese fishery products after reaching an agreement with Japan for the independent monitoring of the discharge of treated water from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant by China and other countries.

Workers take samples of the diluted water before the second discharge began (Image: Tepco)

At the Fukushima Daiichi site, contaminated water - in part used to cool melted nuclear fuel - is treated by the Advanced Liquid Processing System (ALPS), which removes most of the radioactive contamination, with the exception of tritium. This treated water is currently stored in tanks on site.

Japan announced in April 2021 it planned to discharge ALPS-treated water into the sea over a period of about 30 years. It started to discharge the water on 24 August last year and has so far completed the release of eight batches, a total of 62,400 cubic metres of water.

"As one of the most important stakeholders, China is firmly opposed to this irresponsible move," China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. "At the same time, China has urged Japan to seriously address concerns in and outside Japan, to earnestly fulfill its obligations, to give full cooperation in the establishment of an independent and effective long-term international monitoring arrangement in which stakeholders can participate substantively, and to accept independent sampling and monitoring by China."

Japan and China have now reached an agreement that allows stakeholders, including China, to conduct independent sampling, monitoring and inter-laboratory comparisons at key stages of the discharge process, which is currently being monitored by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

"Taking into account the interests of all stakeholder countries, including China, Japan welcomes the expansion of long-term and international monitoring at key stages of the ocean release under the IAEA framework, and will ensure that all stakeholder countries, including China, effectively participate in this monitoring and that independent sampling and inter-laboratory comparisons are conducted by the participating countries," said Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

"China states that it has taken temporary emergency precautions against aquatic products of Japanese origin according to relevant Chinese laws and regulations and WTO rules," the Chinese ministry said. "After China participates substantively in the long-term international monitoring within the IAEA framework and the independent sampling and other monitoring activities by participating countries are carried out, China will begin to adjust the relevant measures based on scientific evidence and gradually resume imports of Japanese aquatic products that meet the regulation requirements and standards."

The agreement was welcomed by IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi, who said: "I wish to commend the government of Japan for its continued engagement with the IAEA, and the government of China for the constructive consultations held with the Agency in support of this bilateral process that comes to a positive conclusion today."

The agreement, Grossi said, "has built on our existing sampling and monitoring activities in compliance with the IAEA statutory functions". He said the IAEA will coordinate with Japan and other stakeholders, including China, to ensure that the additional measures are implemented appropriately under the framework of the IAEA, "maintaining the integrity of the process with full transparency to ensure that water discharge levels are, and will continue to be, in strict compliance and consistent with international safety standards".

Japan and China have agreed to "continue constructive dialogue from a scientific perspective, in a responsible manner towards the ecological environment and people's health, and to appropriately address concerns regarding the ocean release of ALPS-treated water."

IAEA experts stationed at the Fukushima Daiichi plant have taken samples from the batches of diluted water, after they were prepared for discharge. The IAEA's independent on-site analysis has confirmed that the tritium concentration in the diluted water that has so far been discharged is far below the operational limit of 1500 Bq/litre. The IAEA says it will have a presence on site for as long as the treated water is released.

China to ‘gradually resume’ seafood imports

 from Japan after Fukushima ban


By AFP
September 20, 2024

A team of experts from the International Atomic Energy Agency with scientists from China, South Korea and Canada observe baskets of fish to be taken as samples at Hisanohama Port in Iwaki, Japan's Fukushima Prefecture, in October 2023 - Copyright POOL/AFP/File Eugene Hoshiko

China said Friday that it would “gradually resume” importing seafood from Japan after imposing a blanket ban in August last year over the release of water from the disabled Fukushima nuclear plant.

“China will begin to adjust the relevant measures based on scientific evidence and gradually resume imports of Japanese aquatic products that meet the regulation requirements and standards,” a foreign ministry statement said.

Chinese and Japanese officials recently conducted “multiple rounds of consultations” on the discharge of water from the stricken Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station, the ministry said.

It said Japan had committed to “fulfilling its obligations under international law, doing its utmost to avoid leaving (a) negative impact on human health and the environment, and conducting continuous evaluations of the impact on the marine environment and marine ecosystems”.

In 2011, three reactors at the Fukushima-Daiichi facility in northeastern Japan went into meltdown following a massive earthquake and tsunami that killed around 18,000 people.

Since then, plant operator TEPCO collected water contaminated as it cooled the wrecked reactors, along with groundwater and rain that has seeped in.


– Fierce backlash –


Japan in late August 2023 began discharging treated contaminated water from the Fukushima plant into the Pacific Ocean in an operation it insists is safe, a view backed by the UN atomic agency.

The release, however, generated a fierce backlash from China, which branded it “selfish” and banned all Japanese seafood imports.

China’s foreign ministry said in its statement Friday that Tokyo welcomed the establishment of a “long-term international monitoring arrangement within the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) framework covering key stages in the discharge of the nuclear-contaminated water”.

“Both sides agree to continue to have constructive, science-based dialogue with a great sense of responsibility for the ecosystem, the environment, and human life and health,” it added.

Around the same time as the announcement, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Tokyo had “informed the Chinese side of its readiness to carry out additional monitoring of the… treated water, while the Chinese side has decided to… steadily restore imports of Japanese fishery products that meet certain standards”.

Despite the gradual resumption of seafood imports, a spokeswoman for Beijing’s foreign ministry said China still “resolutely opposes” Japan’s discharge of water from Fukushima.

“First of all, China resolutely opposes the Japanese side’s arbitrary discharge (of contaminated water) into the sea,” spokeswoman Mao Ning told a regular press conference, adding: “This position has not changed.”

China imported over $500 million worth of seafood from Japan in 2022, according to customs data.