Is Fukushima's Plan to Dispose of Radioactive Contaminated Water into the Sea, Is it Safe?

Efforts to clean up the Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan continue to run into difficulties. After the nuclear contaminated water leaks and flows to the ground, there is about one million tonnes of waste containing radioactive elements threatening the water storage pumps around the area.

Now, the Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO), the operator of the Fukushima nuclear power plant, is asked to immediately find a solution regarding these large tanks of contaminated water.

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TEPCO has been tinkering with the idea of ​​slowly dumping contaminated water into the Pacific Ocean, after using chemicals to remove the largest content of radioactive elements.

Proponents of the idea say that this is not as dangerous as it sounds because most of the radioactive elements would have been released from water beforehand — except for tritium, a radioactive element that has a relatively short lifespan and does not last long.

However, a recent study published in the journal Science, suggests that the plan is very risky. According to marine chemists from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, tritium is not the only problem.

They found that other isotopes, including carbon-14, cobalt-60, and strontium-90, would remain in wastewater discharged into the ocean.

"The concentration of this radioactive isotope is lower than tritium, but varies considerably from tank to tank," said the researcher.

"More than 70% of the water in these tanks requires secondary treatment to reduce radioactive concentrations to the limit set by law, before being released into the sea," they added.

If simply dumped into the sea, the contaminated water will add further radiation to the marine environment and endanger life there.

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Even so, the researchers argue that there is hope and a solution for the safe disposal of wastewater in the ocean. However, it requires further water treatment and expert input to verify if it is really safe.

"It's a big problem, but it can be solved," said Ken Buesseler, study leader and marine chemist at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.

“The first step is to clean any additional radioactive contaminants left in the tank. If you want to keep releasing it into the ocean, you need an independent group that tracks all potential contaminants in seawater, seabed and marine life. The health of the oceans and the livelihoods of many people depend on this so it must be done properly, ”he explained.

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