Hey amigos! 🌎 Big news from Japan: they're starting their 9th round of releasing treated water from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant into the Pacific Ocean, and not everyone is happy about it. Let's dive into what's happening! 🐟
On Thursday, Japan began releasing another 7,800 tonnes of treated water into the ocean, a process expected to continue until October 14. This is the same amount as previous rounds, and it's happening about a kilometer off the coast of Fukushima via an underwater tunnel.
Remember the devastating earthquake and tsunami back in 2011? 😔 It led to a nuclear disaster at the Fukushima plant, causing the reactors to melt down. Since then, they've been storing massive amounts of water used to cool the reactors, and now they're gradually releasing it into the ocean.
But not everyone is okay with this plan. Local fishermen, residents, and even some international communities are worried about the possible effects on the environment and marine life. 🐠🌿 The water contains tritium, a radioactive substance that's hard to remove completely.
China has expressed strong opposition to Japan's move. Despite some agreements between the two countries, China insists that Japan should fulfill its international obligations to protect the environment and human health. 🌐
In 2024, Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) plans to release a total of 54,600 tonnes of this water in seven rounds. That's a lot of water containing about 14 trillion becquerels of tritium!
What do you think about this situation? Should Japan find alternatives, or is this the best way to handle the contaminated water? Let us know your thoughts! ✍️
Reference(s):
Japan starts 9th ocean discharge of nuclear-tainted wastewater
cgtn.com
