Can seafood and sea salt be eaten with peace of mind?, Japan Discharges Nuclear Wastewater and Fishery Resources into the Pacific | Japan | Discharges
At around 12:00 on August 24th Beijing time, Japan officially began discharging the contaminated water from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the Pacific Ocean. So, what impact does the discharge of nuclear wastewater have on us? Can seafood still be eaten in the future? What should I pay attention to when traveling to Japan? At around 19:00 on the evening of the 24th, Professor Chen Xinjun, Dean of the School of Marine Science at Shanghai Ocean University, who is engaged in research on fishery resources, was interviewed by a reporter from Liberation Daily and Shangguan News.
More than 30000 tons of nuclear wastewater will be discharged this year
It is reported that Tokyo Electric Power Company plans to add about 1200 tons of seawater to each ton of nuclear contaminated water for dilution. After confirming that the concentration has decreased to the so-called "expected standard," the discharge of nuclear contaminated water will officially begin. According to the plan, a total of 31200 tons of nuclear contaminated water will be discharged in four stages within 2023, with the first batch planned to discharge approximately 7800 tons. The discharge will continue for 17 consecutive days starting from August 24th.
TEPCO and the Japanese Ministry of Environment and other departments have stated that they will install detection equipment in the waters surrounding the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. In the event of abnormal radiation data, earthquakes with a seismic intensity of 5 or above, and tsunamis, emissions will be suspended.
The Daily News of Japan predicts that it will take 30 to 40 years to completely discharge all of these nuclear contaminated water.
Nuclear wastewater ≠ Nuclear wastewater
Nuclear wastewater, as the name suggests, is wastewater containing radioactivity. Such as highly radioactive wastewater generated in nuclear leakage accidents, or cooling water in direct contact with nuclear fuel. Experts indicate that nuclear wastewater is not equivalent to nuclear wastewater. Nuclear wastewater poses greater risks, containing 64 types of nuclear radioactive substances, including tritium.
Japanese scholars have pointed out that the ocean around Fukushima is not only a fishing ground for local fishermen to survive, but also a part of the Pacific and even the global ocean. The discharge of nuclear wastewater into the ocean will affect global fish migration, ocean fishing, human health, ecological security, and other aspects. Therefore, this issue is not only a domestic problem in Japan, but also an international issue involving global marine ecology and environmental security.
Professor Chen Xinjun, Dean of the School of Ocean Science at Shanghai Ocean University, stated that Japan's discharge of nuclear contaminated water from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant into the Pacific Ocean has irreversible consequences, uncertainty, and unpredictability.
Professor Chen Xinjun explained that the nuclear element pollution generated by different levels of nuclear accidents is different. The accident level at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant is quite high, so the pollution level of the nuclear wastewater it produces cannot be underestimated. Although the emission site is in Japan, the current impact may be concentrated in the Pacific waters of Japan, but over time, the entire Pacific region will be affected.
Can seafood still be eaten
So, can sea salt and seafood still be eaten?
Professor Chen Xinjun emphasized that the decay period of different nuclear radioactive elements is different. Some radioactive elements decay quickly, so their impact on biology will gradually disappear; But some radioactive elements have a long decay period, and some even take thousands of years to complete, so the impact of these radioactive elements will have a long-term impact through the food chain.
Professor Chen Xinjun, who is engaged in fishery resource research, introduced that currently, relevant units in China have been collecting fishery resource data before the discharge, and will continue to collect relevant data after the discharge of nuclear wastewater in Japan for comparative research between the two. At present, there is some research on the impact of cesium on marine fisheries, but there is almost no research on the impact of elements such as tritium on marine fishery resources.
"However, citizens should not worry too much. Seafood circulating in the Chinese market must undergo strict testing and be safe," Professor Chen Xinjun emphasized. At present, China has completely suspended the import of Japanese aquatic products, and aquatic products closer to the pollution source will also be strictly controlled; At the same time, relevant national departments will strengthen monitoring and regulation of aquatic products caught in the high seas, strengthen international cooperation with relevant coastal countries, and conduct long-term tracking research on the safety of marine ecology and marine life.
