In 2011, the meltdowns at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant triggered fear and horror around the world. Even today, the destroyed reactors have to be cooled with water. But the storage space for it is running out.
It was the worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl in 1986: On March 11, 2011, a severe earthquake and a massive tsunami caused a super meltdown in the Japanese nuclear power plant Fukushima Daiichi.
Even today, the destroyed and still radiating reactors have to be cooled with water. It is stored in tanks, but according to the operator, there is not enough space for it. Now the polluted water is to be filtered and then dumped in the Pacific Ocean.
What is Japan planning there?
The water is to be drained off through a purpose-built undersea tunnel that protrudes about a kilometer into the sea. Before that, the water is filtered and diluted.
Why is this even necessary?
As a result of the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami, reactor blocks 1, 2 and 3 of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, which is owned by the operating group Tokyo Electric Power Co. Holdings (Tepco), were severely damaged. They lost their cooling function, which led to core meltdowns in the reactors. The molten nuclear fuel still lies in debris inside the facility. Because water is used to cool the debris, it becomes contaminated.
It contains high concentrations of radioactive substances. In addition, groundwater and rainwater penetrate the damaged reactor building and mix with the cooling water. As a result, around 100 tons of contaminated water are produced every day. It is stored in more than 1000 tanks. But according to the operator Tepco, the space is running out.
Capacity is already around 98 percent and should reach 100 percent between February and June next year. It was necessary to dispose of the cooling water because more and more tanks threatened to hinder the decommissioning work. They are also exposed to the risk of leaks, for example as a result of renewed earthquakes.
How is the water treated?
The contaminated water is collected, treated to reduce radioactive materials, and then stored in the huge stainless steel tanks at the Fukushima nuclear site. The operator group Tepco uses a so-called advanced liquid processing system called Alps (advanced liquid processing system) to treat the water. The system can filter out a lot – but not tritium.
Does it pose a risk?
Tritium is the only radioactive variant of hydrogen. Its atomic nucleus consists of a proton and two neutrons. Operating company Tepco plans to dilute the treated cooling water with a large amount of seawater to reduce the tritium concentration to around 1,500 becquerels per liter, which is less than a fortieth of the national safety standard. This means that the concentration of tritium will also be below the value of 10,000 becquerels per liter that the World Health Organization (WHO) has set as a guideline for drinking water quality.
In its final review report, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) came to the conclusion that Japan’s plans to dump the water at sea are in line with international safety standards. The radiological impact on humans and the environment from the discharge of the water into the Pacific Ocean would be “negligible,” the agency said.
The annual limit for the tritium flowing into the sea from Fukushima is said to be 22 trillion becquerels. This number is less than what many other nuclear power plants in the world release. According to the IAEA, it has long been common practice in China, South Korea, the USA and France to discharge radioactive cooling water into the sea. In 2021 alone, a nuclear fuel reprocessing plant in north-west France discharged 10,000 trillion becquerels of tritium into the English Channel, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing the operator.
Are there alternatives?
Before the Japanese government decided to dispose of the water in the sea, experts had been discussing alternatives for six years. According to the State Department, this included storage in deep layers of the earth (geological injection) and evaporation (water vapor emission). However, the effects of these methods are difficult to predict and there is no monitoring system for them. Long-term storage in more and more tanks has also been discussed, but this would hamper decommissioning work on the nuclear ruins and carry the risk of leaks, it said.
The Pacific Island Forum scientific panel and other experts suggested solidifying the water with cement. That way the tritium would be trapped in the concrete and could be stored much more safely on site. According to experts, the technology already exists and is also being used. Japan’s government, on the other hand, argues that this method could release radioactive substances into the atmosphere, since water containing tritium would evaporate during the solidification process.
What concerns do critics have?
On the one hand, there is concern that the sampling of the water contained in the tanks by the operating company Tepco is insufficient. “There are 1.3 million tons of water in over 1,000 tanks collected over a 12-year period. Radionuclide levels and concentrations are likely to vary significantly between tanks,” Caitlin Stronell of the Citizens’ Nuclear Information Center in Tokyo told Deutsche press agency. Local fishermen also fear reputational damage and loss of sales and are against the dumping plans. China also asked Japan not to discharge cooling water from Fukushima into the sea.
Should you stay away from fish from this region?
No, says Japan and is not alone in this: The European Union recently lifted its import restrictions on food from Fukushima. Norway, Iceland, Switzerland and Liechtenstein also abolished their restrictions.
The IAEA judged that the radiological effects on people and the environment from the discharge of the water into the Pacific Ocean are “negligible”. To prove it, Japan’s fisheries authorities will test seafood for radioactive tritium every day for a month from the start of the dumping. The test results will be published in Japanese and English within two days.
Samples will be taken from two locations within a ten kilometer radius of the nuclear ruins. Japan’s fishermen are already voluntarily avoiding areas this distance from the nuclear facility. If abnormal levels of tritium are found in the seafood during the daily spot checks, discharge of the water may be suspended.
How long will it be before the Fukushima disaster is completely over?
According to official figures, it will take up to 40 years for the nuclear ruins to be shut down, but critics consider this time frame to be far too optimistic. According to estimates, the planned discharge of the water into the sea itself will take around 30 years.
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
