Why does Japan release radioactive water?

The Japanese utility giant Tepco is planning to release more than 1 million cubic meters of treated radioactive water — enough to fill 500 Olympic-size swimming pools — from the wrecked Fukushima Dai-Ichi nuclear power plant into the Pacific Ocean, part of its nearly $200 billion effort to clean up the worst atomic …

Did Japan dump radioactive water into the ocean?

Japan’s government announced a decision to begin dumping more than a million tons of treated but still radioactive wastewater from the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant into the Pacific Ocean in two years. Within hours of the announcement, protesters rallied outside government offices in Tokyo and Fukushima.

Where does Japan plan to release nuclear radioactive waste?

Fukushima Daiichi
Japan announced today it will release 1.25 million tons of treated wastewater contaminated by the wrecked Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant into the Pacific Ocean. The government said it is the best way to deal with tritium and trace amounts of other radionuclides in the water.

How does Japan dispose of nuclear waste?

Now the big question: where will Japan dispose of its nuclear waste after reactor restart? Currently, Japan plans to store nuclear waste at a depository more than 300 meters underground for up to 100,000 years, at which point radiation levels will have fallen low enough to pose no risk to the environment.

When did Japan release radioactive water?

The government and Tepco said in April that work to release the heavily diluted water would begin in the spring of 2023 and take decades to complete.

What causes water pollution in Japan?

Japan still faces coastal water pollution caused by petroleum hydrocarbons, pesticides, dioxins and dibenzofurans, and the integrated circuit industry (trichloroethylene, etc.), and many semi-enclosed estuaries remain severely polluted.

Is Japan Nuclear wastewater safe?

Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and TEPCO, with the backing of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and other experts, claim that this ‘dilution and discharge option’ is technically feasible and safe.

Why Japan is dumping water from Fukushima in the sea?

Japan argues that the release of the waste water is safe as it is processed to remove almost all radioactive elements and will be greatly diluted. Scientists argue that the elements remaining in the water are only harmful to humans in large doses.

How radioactive is Japan?

It is safe to travel to Japan as radiation levels in most parts, including Tokyo, are within the normal range of background radiation. Entry to some areas close to the Fukushima Dai-ichi NPP is restricted due to elevated radiation levels.

How polluted is Japan?

In accordance with the World Health Organization’s guidelines, the air quality in Japan is considered moderately unsafe. The most recent data indicates the country’s annual mean concentration of PM2. 5 is 12 µg/m3 which exceeding the recommended maximum of 10 µg/m3.

What nation is considering dumping radioactive water at sea?

A decision to dump Fukushima’s radioactive waste water in the Pacific is causing outrage in Japan and beyond. I wrote recently about the ongoing problems in and around the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant ten years on from the meltdowns and explosions that destroyed three of its reactors.