Japan Releases Water from Fukushima Nuclear Plant, No Impact on Seafood

 

Japan has commenced the controlled release of treated radioactive water from the Fukushima nuclear plant that suffered damage, assuring that seafood will remain unaffected. Despite containing radioactive tritium, Japanese officials assert that consuming local seafood remains safe.

The Japanese government had explained that the majority of radioactive elements will be removed from the treated wastewater, except for tritium, a challenging hydrogen isotope to separate from water. Authorities in Japan confirmed that before discharging into the sea, the treated water would be significantly diluted to fall well below internationally accepted tritium levels. They emphasized the safety of the treated water and its crucial role in creating space within the impaired plant.

It is important to highlight that the water was contaminated in March 2011 when it was employed to cool down three nuclear reactors that experienced meltdowns following a powerful tsunami that struck Fukushima Daiichi. The plant’s backup power supply was disabled, leading to the evacuation of 160,000 people.