Japan to begin draining treated radioactive water into the sea

Amid domestic and international opposition, Japan’s Fukushima nuclear power plant will begin releasing more than 1 million metric tons of treated radioactive water into the Pacific Ocean tomorrow.

Though declared safe for release by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) last month, Local fishermen, environmentalists and neighboring countries are skeptical of the treated wastewater’s impact on marine life and subsequently on humans.

The seafood industry is concerned about the reputational harm the Japanese government’s move has started to cause.

The biggest importers of Japan’s seafood, China and South Korea, have already banned fish imports from around the Fukushima area.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida insists releasing the water is an important step towards decommissioning the Fukushima nuclear plant, which was destroyed in the massive earthquake and tsunami of 2011.

According to the Japanese government estimates, it could take over 30 years to drain the water, which could fill about 500 Olympic-sized swimming pools.

The issue
The problem chemical in the treated-radioactive water is the cancer-causing tritium, which Japan says has been diluted to 190 becquerels of tritium per liter. According to the Tokyo Electric Power Company, it is well below the World Health Organization’s safety limit of 10,000 becquerels per liter for drinking water.