TOKYO听–听闯补辫补苍听is set to begin pumping out more than a million tonnes of聽迟谤别补迟别诲听飞补迟别谤听from the destroyed听贵耻办耻蝉丑颈尘补听Daiichi nuclear power plant this summer, a process that will take decades to complete.
The聽飞补迟别谤听was distilled after being聽肠辞苍迟补尘颈苍补迟别诲听蹿谤辞尘听contact with fuel rods at the reactor, destroyed in a 2011 earthquake. Tanks on the site now hold about 1.3 million tonnes of radioactive聽飞补迟别谤听– enough to fill 500 Olympic-sized swimming pools. Here is听丑辞飞听Tokyo Electric Power Company聽(Tepco)听辫濒补苍蝉听to deal with the听飞补迟别谤:
WATER听搁贰尝贰础厂贰
Tepco has been filtering the contaminated聽飞补迟别谤听to remove isotopes, leaving only tritium, a radioactive isotope of hydrogen that is hard to separate from听飞补迟别谤. Tepco will dilute the聽飞补迟别谤听until tritium levels fall below regulatory limits before pumping it into the听辞肠别补苍听from the coastal site.
奥补迟别谤听containing tritium is routinely听谤别濒别补蝉别d from nuclear plants around the world, and regulatory authorities support dealing with the听贵耻办耻蝉丑颈尘补听飞补迟别谤听in this way.
Tritium is considered to be relatively harmless because it does not emit enough energy to penetrate human skin. But when ingested it can raise cancer risks, a Scientific American article said in 2014.
The聽飞补迟别谤听disposal will take decades to complete, with a rolling filtering and dilution process, alongside the planned decommissioning of the plant.
REACTION TO听翱颁贰础狈听搁贰尝贰础厂贰
Tepco has been engaging with fishing communities and other stakeholders and is promoting agriculture, fishery and forest products in stores and restaurants to reduce any reputational harm to produce from the area.
Fishing unions in听贵耻办耻蝉丑颈尘补听have urged the government for years not to听谤别濒别补蝉别聽the听飞补迟别谤, arguing it would undo work to restore the damaged reputation of their fisheries.
Neighboring countries have also expressed concern. China has been the most vocal, calling听闯补辫补苍‘s plan irresponsible, unpopular and unilateral. – Reuters
