Japan's nuclear contaminated water discharge into the sea has raised concerns among American experts: harmful radioactive elements may cross the entire Pacific Ocean | Fukushima | United States
Activists participate in protests outside the official residence of the Japanese Prime Minister
On August 23, according to a report on the website of National Geographic magazine in the United States, the Japanese government claims that the discharge of contaminated water from Fukushima is safe. However, American scientists are concerned that harmful radioactive elements in the contaminated water may cross the entire Pacific Ocean, threatening the health of several generations and affecting the entire North American ecosystem.
Robert Richmond, director of the Kevalo Marine Laboratory at the University of Hawaii, Manoa, said, "This is a cross-border, intergenerational event, and anything released into the ocean near Fukushima will not stay in one place." Richmond said that research results showed that after the Fukushima nuclear accident, radioactive elements and debris released from the accident were quickly detected 5500 miles off the coast of California. This discharge may allow radioactive elements from Fukushima nuclear contaminated water to spread back into the ocean, which will be carried by ocean currents and even cross the Kuroshio in the Pacific Ocean.
Richmond also stated that long-distance migrating marine animals can spread these elements. Equally concerning are the carriers of phytoplankton and freely floating organisms, which are the foundation of all marine food chains and can capture radioactive elements from nuclear contaminated water. When ingested, these radioactive elements may accumulate in various invertebrates, fish, marine mammals, and humans.
Richmond is one of the scientists appointed by the Pacific Island Forum to evaluate Japan's nuclear contaminated water discharge plan. Richmond said that he and other scientific advisory colleagues have recently published commentary articles, stating that there is still insufficient understanding of the potential impact of nuclear contaminated water on the environment and human health, and calling on Japan to delay emissions.
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