Jul 13,2023: Waste water from a Nuclear plant shut for 2 years? What was Japan doing with this water? Why dispose it now?Why the controversy? How will it affect the pacific ocean and other nations? A ReferencePepper!
The proposal from Japan to release cleaned radioactive water from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant into the Pacific Ocean has been approved by the International Atomic Energy Agency.
However, the plan is being challenged by a number of nations due to safety concerns, including China and South Korea.
Radioactive- The word "radioactive" means to be of, to be caused by, or to show radioactivity.Radioactivity is a special property that some materials have.Being radioactive denotes the emission of radiation, a sort of energy. Although humans cannot see or feel this radiation, its effects can be quite harmful.
International Atomic Energy Agency(IAEA)- The IAEA is the world's centre for cooperation in the nuclear field, promoting the safe, secure and peaceful use of nuclear technology (the aim of promoting the peaceful use of nuclear technologies is to improve human well-being, advance scientific research, improve healthcare, increase food production, and contribute to long-lasting development).
Why are we talking about Fukushima? What happened there?
Something scary and devastating happened in 2011:
A major natural disaster.
On March 11, 2011, a powerful earthquake with a magnitude of 9.0 struck off the northeastern coast of Japan. This earthquake was one of the strongest ever recorded in Japan and one of the most powerful in the world.
The 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan was a tragic event that caused immense loss of life, devastation, and ongoing challenges for the affected communities and the country as a whole. It serves as a reminder of the destructive power of natural disasters and the importance of disaster preparedness and response.
The earthquake caused severe shaking and widespread damage to buildings, infrastructure, and communities in the affected areas. However, the earthquake's impact was just the beginning of the disaster. Following the earthquake, a massive tsunami was generated by the movement of the seafloor. The tsunami waves, reaching heights of up to 40 metres (131 feet), struck the coast of Japan with devastating force.
The tsunami inundated coastal areas, sweeping away buildings, vehicles, and everything in its path. It caused immense destruction, triggered landslides, and resulted in the loss of thousands of lives. Entire communities were destroyed, and many people were left homeless and displaced.
The Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, located near the coast, was particularly affected by the tsunami. The power plant experienced a series of failures in its cooling systems, leading to meltdowns in three of its reactors. This resulted in the release of radioactive material into the environment.
The combined impact of the earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear disaster led to a humanitarian crisis and long-term consequences for Japan. The country had to undertake extensive rescue and recovery efforts, including search and rescue operations, providing aid and shelter to affected individuals, and managing the nuclear crisis.
So what did the Tsunami and Earthquake do to the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant?
Here's the sequence of events:
- Loss of external power: The earthquake triggered an automatic shutdown, or scram, of the plant's reactors. However, the main issue arose due to the loss of external power caused by the earthquake. The loss of power made it difficult to maintain proper cooling of the reactors.
- The tsunami: Approximately 45 minutes after the earthquake, a massive tsunami, reaching heights of up to 40 meters (131 feet), struck the Fukushima Daiichi plant. The tsunami overwhelmed the plant's protective seawall, flooded the facilities, and disabled backup generators, which were essential for cooling the reactors and spent fuel pools.
So now, External power was off and the back up generators also could not provide power
- Hydrogen explosions: The buildup of hydrogen gas, produced by the heated fuel, led to explosions in the reactor buildings of Units 1, 3, and 4. These explosions caused further damage to the reactor buildings and released additional radioactive material into the atmosphere.
Core meltdown: With the loss of power and cooling systems, the fuel rods in three of the reactors (Units 1, 2, and 3) started to overheat. The extreme heat caused the fuel rods to melt, leading to a partial core meltdown in all three reactors. This resulted in the release of radioactive material into the surrounding environment.
- Contamination and evacuation: As a result of the releases, a large area around the Fukushima Daiichi plant was contaminated with radioactive substances. The Japanese government implemented evacuation orders for residents within a 20-kilometer (12.4-mile) radius of the plant, and additional restrictions were imposed in areas with higher contamination levels.
It became the worst nuclear accident since the Chernobyl accident when the tsunami destroyed the nuclear plant's cooling and electrical systems.
The Chernobyl nuclear plant, 130 kilometres north of Kyiv, experienced the world's worst nuclear disaster in 1986, when one of the reactors at the plant exploded and generated a dangerous radioactive cloud across Europe.
Where did all this waste water in question come from?
Ok. So Japan recovered from the natural disaster. Where did the waste water come from? Why is Japan holding on to the waste water?
A power plant company by the name of Tepco, since the disaster, has been pumping in water to cool down the Fukushima nuclear reactors' fuel rods.
Which means that there is contaminated water being produced everyday by the plant and then there was groundwater flowing into the ruined plant, which also was contaminated.
This contaminated water was being stored all along in massive tanks.
Image Credit: Reuters
Over 1,000 tanks have been built on site to store over a million tonnes of radioactive water. The nuclear power facility generates 100 cubic metres of wastewater per day, according to the BBC. On the contaminated site, around 1,000 tanks currently carry about 1.3 million cubic metres (1 crore square metres) of water. However, they won't be able to take on any more until early 2024.
They're almost full.
So what option does Japan have?
It wants to gradually release this water into the Pacific Ocean over the next 30 years.
Japan plans to release more than 1 million metric tons(100 crore litres) of water required to cool damaged reactors into the Pacific Ocean.
Metric tons- Metric tons, also known as tonnes, are units of measurement used to quantify the mass or weight of objects.
It's not a big deal considering it's a routine practise for nuclear plants - but as this waste water is a result of an accident, this is not considered as an ordinary nuclear waste.
So why is Japan opposed by other nations?
The proposals of Japan faced criticism from fishers and several nations.
The emission of tritium-containing water from nuclear power reactors all over the world is significant.
Tritium's radiation emissions cannot enter human skin . But according to the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission, if absorbed in exceptionally large amounts, it can increase the risk of cancer.
| Japanese fishing communities and Peruvian fishing industry (fishing industry of Peru) have both expressed worry about how the discharge would affect their way of life. Additionally, Fukushima's fishing unions have been asking the government for years not to discharge sewage into the Pacific ocean. | The release of wastewater, according to South Koreans, could damage the ocean, lead to health issues, and increase the cost of salt and seafood. | News providers claimed that China's request was made in response to a similar request made by China to Japan on January 29. |
| The plan will still be opposed, according to Haruhiko Terasawa, head of the fishery groups in the Miyagi (Japanese) prefecture. | China reportedly requested Japan to "stop pushing through the discharge plan" and also to fully explore and evaluate the alternatives to ocean discharge to ensure that the waste water is handled in a scientific, safe, and transparent manner on Tuesday. | To secure the safety of their family, many South Koreans have turned to panic purchasing. According to The Independent, the price of salt in South Korea increased by 27% over the past two months. |
China has objected to Japan's action, claiming a lack of openness and suggesting that it affects the marine ecosystem and the general public's health.
South Korea, especially, is panicking!
South Korea is very close to Japan on the map and has concerns of getting affected due to the proximity.
South Koreans have started hoarding sea salt and seafood items due to Japan's decision to release treated radioactive water from the Fukushima power plant into the ocean.
South Korea's fisheries authorities have promised to intensify monitoring of natural salt farms to detect any increase in radioactive substances and maintain the ban on seafood from Fukushima's waters.
The "Independent" reports that Japan, on the other hand, claimed to have given its neighbours complete justifications backed by scientific data.
How is Japan confirming that this water is safe to be disposed in the Ocean?
According to news providers, the contaminated water was distilled after coming into contact with the reactor's fuel rods.
Tepco filters the Fukushima water through its Advanced Liquid Processing System (ALPS), which reduces most radioactive substances to acceptable safety standards, apart from tritium and carbon-14.
According to the BBC, the only elements left in the wastewater are tritium, a radioactive isotope of hydrogen, and carbon 14, both of which are difficult to extract from water.
TEPCO will dilute the water until the tritium levels are below the legal limit(4 millirem/year).
(Millirem - The unit used in measuring our radiation dose is the millirem (mrem).
To remove isotopes, Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) filters contaminated water.
Radioactive isotope-A radioactive isotope, also known as a radionuclide, is an atom with an unstable nucleus. Radioactive isotopes have an excess of either neutrons or protons, which makes their nuclei unstable.
According to Japan, the procedure of releasing the treated water into the Pacific Ocean will take years and involve a pipeline that runs from the nuclear plant site about one kilometer away.
Who is supporting Japan's decision?
On Tuesday, 4 July, a watchdog for the United Nations gave Japan the go-ahead to carry out its plans to discharge wastewater from the Fukushima nuclear facility into the Pacific Ocean.
International Atomic Energy Agency chief Rafael Mariano Grossi observed where the treated water will be sent through a pipeline to a coastal facility, where it will be highly diluted with seawater and receive a final test sampling.
“I was satisfied with what I saw,” Mr. Grossi said after his tour of equipment at the plant for the planned discharge, which Japan hopes to begin this summer. “I don't see any pending issues.”
What did experts say on this?
The risk of discharging wastewater to nations near the Pacific Ocean is probably "negligible," according to Jim Smith, an environmental specialist at the University of Portsmouth in the United Kingdom. "They're running out of space, and there's a higher risk of another earthquake or typhoon causing a tank leak," he told Nature journal.
Typhoon-A typhoon is a very strong and powerful storm that happens in some parts of the world, especially in the Pacific Ocean.
Shigeyoshi Otosaka, a marine chemist and oceanographer at the University of Tokyo's Atmospheric and Ocean Research Institute, stated his concern to Nature journal about the build up of tritium in fish and marine creatures and suggested to study more about the long term effects.
Wrapping up:
Not considering the Fukushima case here, but otherwise what ate the risks of disposing of radioactive water into the ocean?
Radioactive materials released into the ocean can contaminate marine ecosystems and potentially harm marine life. Exposure to radiation can have adverse effects on organisms, leading to genetic mutations, reproductive issues, and overall ecosystem disruption.
Disposing radioactive water into the ocean can impact the fishing industry. Contaminated waters can lead to bans or restrictions on fishing in affected areas, resulting in economic losses for fishermen and disruption of the seafood supply chain.
If seafood or water contaminated with radioactive materials enters the human food chain, there is a potential risk of exposure to radiation. Consuming contaminated seafood or water can lead to various health problems, including an increased risk of cancer and other radiation-related illnesses.
The release of radioactive water into the ocean can generate public concerns and distrust. Transparency and accurate communication about the safety measures taken and the potential risks involved are essential to maintain public confidence in environmental protection and safety standards.
Political consequences may potentially result from the disposal of radioactive water into the ocean. Concerns from neighboring nations about the contamination's possible international impacts could result in conflict and controversy.
It is crucial for authorities to thoroughly assess the potential risks and implement appropriate mitigation measures to minimize the environmental and human health impacts associated with the disposal of radioactive water.
