Tokyo: Scientists from the United Nations nuclear agency, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), were on-site in Japan on Friday to observe the testing of fish samples collected near the Fukushima nuclear plant. The purpose is to assess the safety of treated radioactive wastewater released into the sea, a move that began on August 24 and is anticipated to extend over decades.
The wastewater discharge has faced staunch opposition from fishing groups and neighbouring nations, including China and Russia, both of which have imposed bans on Japanese seafood imports. Despite the backlash, Japan’s government and the Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, the plant operator, argue that the discharge is necessary as storage tanks at the plant are expected to reach full capacity next year. They contend that the treated water from the damaged plant undergoes a process to reduce radioactivity to safe levels, followed by dilution with significant amounts of seawater to surpass international safety standards.
The IAEA team, present in Japan to inspect the collection and processing of seawater, sediment, and fish samples from the affected area, observed the preparation of fish samples at the Marine Ecology Research Institute in Onjuku near Tokyo. The samples will be sent for testing to the IAEA and ten other research facilities in Japan, South Korea, China, and Canada to ensure transparency and validate the safety of the water discharge.
Iolanda Osvath, head of the IAEA’s Radiometrics Laboratory, stressed the importance of using the same standards for results, enabling the laboratories to trust and rely on each other’s data.
In July, the IAEA had already reviewed the wastewater release plan proposed by TEPCO and concluded that, if executed as planned, it would have a negligible impact on the environment, marine life, and human health.
The IAEA’s focus on six specific fish species, known for higher radioactivity levels due to their movement patterns, highlights the thoroughness of the assessment. The selected species include olive flounder, crimson sea bream, redwing searobin, Japanese jack mackerel, silver croaker, and vermiculated puffer fish.
During the recent laboratory visit, technicians prepared samples to measure tritium, a substance not removable by the Fukushima plant’s treatment equipment but deemed safe in small amounts for human consumption, according to government and TEPCO statements. Other samples were packed for measuring Cesium, crucial for monitoring as it tends to accumulate in fish muscles.
The ongoing sampling work from October 16 to 23 will be followed by a separate IAEA task force review on the safety aspects of the water discharge.
Source: Phys.org
