IAEA Findings on Fukushima Water Release and Related Concerns

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) measured the level of tritium after the Fukushima-1 nuclear power plant began discharging treated water. This observation has been reported by TASS. An IAEA independent analysis of near-ocean waters confirms the data reported by the station operator Tokyo Electric Power Company and Japan’s Ministry of Environment. IAEA experts collected water samples from multiple locations within a three kilometer radius of the discharge point where the purified water was released. Cited: IAEA. The broader context includes ongoing legal actions in Japan, where about 150 residents from several prefectures have filed lawsuits against the state and TEPCO over the water release from Fukushima-1, the site of the 2011 accident. Cited: IAEA. The release is part of a long process linked to cooling the damaged reactor, which required large volumes of water to be circulated through the containment to keep temperatures under control. The water is stored in a large array of tanks on site, and a purification system has been deployed to remove most radionuclides while tritium remains in the effluent. As capacity in the tanks approaches limits, the tanks are periodically emptied and the treated water is reprocessed for continued storage and eventual discharge. Scientists and engineers note that this approach is planned to continue for decades to come, with monitoring and verification continuing along the way. The discharge into the ocean began on August 24, 2023. Cited: IAEA. In a separate public exchange, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs has publicly offered to drink the treated water to demonstrate its safety for others who question the project. This gesture was reported during discussions surrounding the Fukushima-1 water release and regional environmental safety concerns. Cited: Ministry of Foreign Affairs.