August 2023:

Explainer | Why do many scientists oppose #Fukushima #radioactive waste discharge?

The release of treated waste water from the #NuclearPlant has begun, despite concerns from major scientific organisations

IAEA is monitoring the operation but many experts are questioning the amount of data being collected

by Victoria Bela
Published: 2:05pm, 30 Aug 2023

"Japan’s decision to start releasing around 30 years’ worth of treated radioactive waste into the #PacificOcean on #August24 has drawn criticism from some countries, including China, as well as some of the world’s leading scientific organisations.

"The plan to deal with the 1.3 million tonnes of contaminated water accumulated since the #FukushimaDaiichi #NuclearPowerPlant meltdown in 2011 includes removing most of the radioactive chemicals before it is discharged into the ocean.

[...]

"However, the ALPS has been shown to be unsuccessful in filtering out the other 62 radioactive chemicals present in the waste water, according to data from the Japanese ministry for economy, trade and industry (#METI).

"According to METI, around 70 per cent of ALPS-treated water still contained #radioactive substances other than #tritium by the end of 2020, and needed to be #repurified.

"The US-based National Association of Marine Laboratories (#NAML), which represents more than 100 labs, released a position paper in December 2022 [link in comments] that firmly opposed Japan’s plan over 'a lack of adequate and accurate scientific data' about its safety.

"NAML members include some of the world’s most influential marine research institutes, including the #ScrippsInstitution of #Oceanography at the University of California, San Diego."

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3232797/why-do-so-many-scientists-oppose-fukushima-radioactive-waste-discharge

#WaterIsLife #OceansAreLife
#IAEAHides #TEPCOLies
#FukushimaIsntOver
#NoDumping #NuclearPowerPlants #RadioactiveWater #RethinkNotRestart #PacificOcean #DataFalsification #ALPSSystem

From Detailedpedia: Discharge of radioactive water of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant

Last updated at 2024-08-21

"Discharge to ocean, treated water

Advanced Liquid Processing System (2013–)

"To prevent the reactor meltdowns from worsening, a continuous supply of new water is necessary to cool the melted fuel debris. As of 2013, 400 metric tonnes of water was becoming radioactively contaminated each day. The contaminated water is pumped out and combined into the reactor-cooling loop, which includes strontium–cesium removal (KURION, SURRY) and reverse osmosis desalination processes.

"In October 2012, TEPCO introduced the "Advanced Liquid Processing System" (ALPS, Japanese: 多核種除去設備), which is designed to remove radionuclides other than tritium and carbon-14. ALPS works by first pre-processing the water by iron coprecipitation (removes alpha nuclides and organics) and carbonate coprecipitation (removes alkali earth metals including strontium elements). The water is then passed through 16 absorbent columns to remove nuclides.

"Wastewater is pumped to ALPS along with the concentrated saltwater from desalination. As some tritium still remains, even treated water would require dilution to meet drinkable standards. Although carbon-14 is not removed, the content in pre-treatment water is low enough to meet drinkable standards without dilution.

"Japan's Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) approved the design of ALPS in March 2013. ALPS is to be run in three independent units and will be able to purify 250 tons of water per day. Unit "A" started operation in April. In June, unit A was found to be leaking water and shut down. In July, the cause was narrowed down to chloride and hypochlorite corrosion of water tanks; TEPCO responded by adding a rubber layer into the tanks. By August, all systems were shut down awaiting repair. One unit was expected to come online by September, with full recovery planned by the end of 2013.

"By September 2018, TEPCO reports that 20% of the water had been treated to the required level.

"By 2020, the daily buildup of contaminated water was reduced to 170 metric tonnes thanks to groundwater isolation installations. TEPCO reports that 72% of the water in its tanks, some from early trials of ALPS, needed to be #repurified. The portion of ready-to-discharge water raised to 34% by 2021, and to 35% by 2023.

"Some scientists expressed reservations due to potential #bioaccumulation of #ruthenium, #cobalt, #strontium, and #plutonium, which sometimes slip through the ALPS process and were present in 71% of the tanks.

[...]

"Ferenc Dalnoki-Veress, a scientist-in-residence at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey, said regarding dilution that bringing in living creatures makes the situation more complex. Robert Richmond, a biologist from the University of Hawaiʻi, told the BBC that the inadequate #radiological and #ecological assessment raises the concern that #Japan would be unable to detect what enters the environment and 'get the genie back in the bottle'. Dalnoki-Veress, Richmond, and three other panelists consulting for the #PacificIslandsForum wrote that #dilution may fail to account for #bioaccumulation and exposure pathways that involve organically-bound tritium (#OBT)."

Read more [includes references]:
https://www.detailedpedia.com/wiki-Discharge_of_radioactive_water_of_the_Fukushima_Daiichi_Nuclear_Power_Plant

#NoNukes #WaterIsLife #OceansAreLife #TEPCOLies #FukushimaIsntOver #NoDumping #NuclearPowerPlants #PacificOcean #MarineLife