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© KYODO1st round of treated water release off Fukushima plant completed
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Yubaru
Not a scientist so I have zero idea of how this works, but how in the world do they dilute it?
sakurasuki
How many rounds are there? As long as that crippled reactor core still hot it will be poured with water that need to be treated and just add wastewater. That's not happening before that plant is being dismantled, when?
https://www.lemonde.fr/en/international/article/2023/08/29/fukushima-beyond-contaminated-water-lies-enormous-challenges-of-dismantling-plant_6114017_4.html
stormcrow
I feel sorry for the fishermen in that area. But to tell the truth, I wouldn't buy any fish from that area if it was clearly marked on the label and a lot of other people probably feel the same way . . . at least right now.
Peter Neil
It’s diluted with ocean water, since it is already a mix of saltwater and groundwater that has been collected.
Yes, they’re making room for more water to be treated, that’s why it’s being released.
This will be a problem for generations to come. Decommissioning/dismantling the plant will be more difficult than treating the water. It will take innovative engineering, new thinking, technologies and processes that have never been done before.
The water being released now has less tritium than what was released continuously when the plant was operating. The type of reactors always released tritium, and do so now in other countries. Fukushima released substantially less than most similar type when operating.
RareReason
The same way you dilute mud to wash it off football boots, or dilute soft drink concentrates in any family restaurant drink bar machine.
theResident
@Larr Flint - Yes, and your grand idea is?
BigP
This will be never ending, in my life anyway.
theResident
Totally agree @BigP. Sooner people get their heads around that, the better.
BertieWooster
“This will be never ending, in my life anyway.”
True, BigP, but we will be dealing with it in our next lives and the next and the next for quite a long time.
indigo
I thought citizens and fishermen went to court to decide or not to release....
Again, citizens ignored and ridiculed justice system.
Andy
We haven't consumed seafood from that area or the Pacific coast for over 12 years, for obvious reasons.
Alongfortheride
But your ok if a fish from that area swims South and is caught off the coast of Nagoya.
Hilarious!
isabelle
I'm very glad that this is all going to plan, as it's a huge step forward in the decommissioning process. Once TEPCO eventually dismantles the tanks in the future, space will be freed up at the site for other vital decommissioning-related work.
The IAEA is performing constant monitoring and, in my opinion, they're the most well-qualified body on earth to do this. Predictably, the Chinese government still plays its political games, but doing so just shows the world yet again that they cannot be trusted in any way, and other countries are 100% right to decouple/derisk from China.
isabelle
The current estimate for the decommissioning process is 30-40 years, but it depends on progress/problems. Here's the overall roadmap:
https://www.tepco.co.jp/en/hd/decommission/project/roadmap/index-e.html
In terms of the plant's dismantling, I believe the next thing to be done is to remove the melted fuel from the reactors, which takes a very high (unprecedented) level of robotic technology. Details of the work involved are in the below link. I'd encourage everyone to take a look at this if they have time: it's a real eye-opener as to the scale of the task.
https://www.tepco.co.jp/en/decommision/index-e.html
indigo
if there is no emergency, an immediate water release is not necessary and a final judgment from the minister for justice is needed before action.
isabelle
Everything other than tritium is removed/reduced to safe levels by ALPS. Here's the data; the IAEA is also verifying this:
https://www.tepco.co.jp/decommission/data/daily_analysis/index-j.html
It's the best they can do in an unprecedented situation. I, and they, didn't say it was perfect or anything - just that it was the current one.
Yes, there is constant monitoring by the IAEA, and its international team. The IAEA has an office there:
https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2023/07/9e88ebdcdc7e-iaea-chief-attends-meetings-in-fukushima-amid-water-discharge-worries.html
Sanjinosebleed
Money over health... shame shame shame!
albaleo
And perhaps English isn't yours. The word "dilute" is generally used when adding water to make a liquid weaker or less concentrated - whether it's a solution or a suspension.
Peter14
I guess those who oppose this now think it is "end of days" and the world will soon end, with the first round of many more, now completed.
With micro plastics being found in increasing amounts in all fish tested, not to mention increasing mercury levels in many species of fish consumed the world over, this release of scientifically determined safe water that has undergone treatment to ensure its safety, it makes no sense to single this release as a reason to not buy or consume fish from this region. Stop buying because of mercury that is highly poisonous to humans, or for a number of reasons. This just shows your lack of trust in the science and the Japanese government on this issue.
There is nothing else that can be done at this point. Vaporize it and it goes into the atmosphere we breath and at a higher cost. Storage of ever increasing amounts of cooling water is untenable. This is the best option available and is well within safe levels. No point in panicking at the inevitable.
If they were doing it while advising the treated water was higher than safe levels, then there would be a basis for concern.
RareReason
Hysterics, propaganda and witchcraft over science... shame shame shame!
Stephen Chin
Japan is playing with FIRE!
NOT WATER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ian
So the wastewater tested under supervision by iaea has been fully released now?
If so the data from the report don't apply now to the wastewater to be released from here on
ian
IAEA tested only a small portion of the wastewater just the contents of ten 1000 cubic meter tanks but the simpletons here are so gullible they believed the test applies to all the wastewater including those yet to be produced.
And they're so proud of their understanding of science.
LOL
ian
So now tepco will continue to dump the wastewater subject only to tritium levels check ignoring other radionuclides
ian
Haha yeah
Zaphod
Has the Chinese government complained about any of these tritium releases into the ocean?
• Qinshan III phase nuclear power plant: Released approximately 143 trillion becquerels of tritium in 2020
• Yangjiang nuclear power plant: Released 112 trillion becquerels of tritium in 2021
• Ningde nuclear power plant: Released 102 trillion becquerels of tritium in 2021
• Hongyanhe nuclear power plant: Released 90 trillion becquerels of tritium in 2021
Alice Delande
According to the photo included in this news article there is no ship or vessel in the water, which is good for the health and safety of the fisherman, whose telling the wildlife in the water to get FAR AWAY?