Start trial operation from now on! How significant is the impact?, Japan stubbornly promotes the discharge of "nuclear" water into the sea | radiation | Japan

According to Kyodo News Agency on the 12th, Tokyo Electric Power Company began trial operation of the nuclear contaminated water discharge equipment at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant on the same day.

It is reported that the trial operation will last for about two weeks, during which fresh water without radioactive substances will be mixed with seawater to test whether a fixed amount of water can be discharged into the sea, and to confirm whether the discharge operation can be stopped in emergency situations by manipulating the device.

Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs: Japan should not make the international community bear the cost of ocean pollution and damage out of self-interest

Regarding the trial operation of Japan's nuclear contaminated water discharge facilities, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin stated on the 12th that Japan should not act out of self-interest, but should let the international community bear the cost of the entire ocean being polluted and damaged. This is an extremely selfish and irresponsible behavior.

The Japanese approach, which is for their own selfish interests and harms the common interests of all mankind, cannot convince the people at home and abroad. It will only make Japan feel ashamed, harm the people of neighboring countries and Pacific island countries, and further undermine Japan's trust in the international community.

The South Korean government has taken measures to strengthen radiation testing of aquatic products

As the date for the discharge of contaminated water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant in Japan approaches, the South Korean government has decided to strengthen radiation testing of aquatic products and inspect the seawater loaded on ships.

△ South Korean Ministry of Marine Products

On the 12th, the South Korean Ministry of Marine and Fisheries announced that radiation testing is currently being conducted on aquatic products produced in some areas, such as aquaculture farms, and the results can be obtained in just 3 hours. In addition, the South Korean Ministry of Marine and Fisheries plans to increase the number of radiation tests for aquatic products from over 5000 last year to 8000, and select ten products from the centralized radiation test application, with test results publicly available on a weekly basis.

Starting from June, the South Korean government will conduct a comprehensive investigation into the origin labeling of Japanese seafood, and from July, the number of origin labeling items for restaurants will be expanded from 15 to 20.

Japan's nuclear emissions into the sea continue to be opposed both domestically and internationally

In April 2021, the Japanese government officially decided to filter and dilute millions of tons of contaminated water from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant before discharging it into the sea.

In August 2022, Tokyo Electric Power Company announced that the construction of the marine discharge facility for nuclear contaminated water at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant has officially begun. The plan is to establish an underwater tunnel of about 1 kilometer near the No. 5 nuclear reactor of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, which will pump the contaminated water into the tunnel and release it 12 meters below sea level.

Despite strong opposition from Japanese fishing groups and some local officials, as well as strong opposition and questioning from neighboring countries such as China and South Korea, the Japanese government still ignores the opposition. In January 2023, the Japanese government set the discharge time for Fukushima nuclear contaminated water as "this spring and summer".

International environmental agency nuclear expert Sean Bernie said that the Japanese government's decision means that radioactive materials will be artificially discharged into the Pacific Ocean and cause pollution in the coming decades. According to the relevant provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, the Japanese government needs to assess the impact of these pollutants, but unfortunately, it has chosen not to do so.

■ Lack of third-party supervision Japan still insists on going its own way

The Japanese government has repeatedly entangled itself with the term "nuclear contaminated water", claiming that the water to be discharged is purified through a "multi nuclide treatment system" and is safe, even to the point of being drinkable.

The outside world is questioning whether the so-called "water treatment" is really safe? Why does Japan not directly drink or reuse treated Fukushima nuclear contaminated water, but insists on discharging it into the sea?

Professor Kenichi Oshima from Ryukyu University in Japan once pointed out that there are over 1000 water storage tanks storing nuclear contaminated water at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. Tokyo Electric Power Company only selected a small portion for testing, and all testing work was completed independently without any third-party verification.

The American journal Science also pointed out in an article that Tokyo Electric Power Company's statement cannot be supported by sufficient data and is not trustworthy.

Japanese media figure Ryuyi Kono stated that experts from other institutions also wanted to participate and had made requests to TEPCO, but Tokyo Electric Power Company basically refused.

The cost of discharging "nuclear" into the sea is low, but the harm is far-reaching

The public opinion strongly opposes the Japanese government's plan to discharge pollutants into the sea. One reason is that there are other ways to dispose of nuclear contaminated water, and other methods may be more effective and reduce pollution.

The Japanese government has previously proposed five solutions for dealing with nuclear contaminated water - discharging it into the sea, converting it into steam and releasing it into the atmosphere, discharging it into deep underground pipelines, electrolyzing it, and solidifying it and burying it underground.

Among these 5 options, discharging nuclear contaminated water into the sea is the lowest cost, estimated to cost 1.7-3.4 billion yen, equivalent to approximately 102-203 million yuan. The most expensive method is to solidify it and bury it underground, with an estimated cost that is tens or even hundreds of times that of discharging it into the sea.

What is the impact of Japan's nuclear emissions into the sea?

The so-called nuclear contaminated water refers to the cooling water continuously injected into the reactor after the Fukushima nuclear power plant accident to prevent core melting. In addition, there will be continuous automatic inflow of rainwater and groundwater.

The Fukushima nuclear facility produces 140 tons of nuclear contaminated water every day. Nuclear contaminated water containing radioactive substances will be sent to "multi nuclide removal equipment" for purification treatment. 62 radioactive substances, including cesium and strontium, contained in nuclear contaminated water will be absorbed, but radioactive elements, including tritium, are difficult to completely remove.

The German Institute of Marine Sciences has pointed out that the Fukushima coast has the world's strongest ocean currents. Within 57 days from the date of discharge, radioactive materials will spread to most of the Pacific Ocean. Three years later, the United States and Canada will be affected by nuclear pollution, and 10 years later, it will spread to global waters.