<p>Ahead of the release of treated radioactive water from the Fukushima nuclear plant, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida paid a visit to the facility on Sunday (August 20), Japan's local media outlets reported. The move comes amid opposition from local fishermen and certain neighbouring countries regarding the disposal plan.&nbsp;Kishida's visit occurred just before a scheduled meeting with his cabinet members on Tuesday (August 22).</p>

<p>Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/canada-wildfires-about-30000-in-british-columbia-under-evacuation-order-with-thousands-more-on-alert-627128">Canada wildfires: About 30,000 in British Columbia under evacuation order with thousands more on alert</a></p>

<p>The agenda of the meeting revolves around determining the appropriate timing for commencing the water discharge. According to media reports citing sources, the process is expected to initiate sometime between late August and early September.&nbsp;During a visit to Washington, Kishida revealed that the government is in the conclusive stages of the decision-making process regarding the timing of the water release. He made these statements after attending a three-way summit with the United States and South Korea.</p>

<h2><strong>Origin of contaminated water and treatment</strong></h2>

<p>The Fukushima Daiichi plant, ravaged by an earthquake and subsequent tsunami in 2011, has been producing a substantial volume of contaminated water due to the need to cool melted reactor fuel.</p>

<p>To address this issue, the water has undergone treatment using an advanced liquid processing system.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/twenty-five-chinese-air-force-planes-crossed-taiwan-straits-median-line-taipei-627130">Twenty-five Chinese air force planes crossed Taiwan Strait's median line: Taipei</a></p>

<p>This system eliminates the majority of radionuclides, excluding tritium. Traces of Tritium, a less harmful radioactive element compared to substances like cesium and strontium, remains present in the treated water.</p>

<p>Storage containers have been employed to hold the treated water, but their capacity is gradually nearing its limit.</p>

<p>Before release, the treated water, containing traces of tritium, will be diluted to a concentration that adheres to Japanese safety standards, one-40th of the concentration permitted. This diluted water will then be discharged through an underwater tunnel situated 1 kilometer from the power plant.&nbsp;The plan to release the treated water into the ocean is facing resistance from local fishermen and certain neighboring countries.</p>

<p><strong>Watch | Canada’s British Columbia under state of emergency as Kelowna wildfire rages</strong></p>

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<p>China, for instance, has initiated comprehensive radiation testing of imported Japanese seafood as a response.</p>

<p>In addition to his visit, Kishida intends to meet with the leader of the National Federation of Fisheries Cooperative Associations, potentially scheduled for Monday.&nbsp;The decision to proceed with the water discharge aligns with the endorsement of global safety standards as articulated in the final report of the International Atomic Energy Agency, issued last month.</p>

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Ahead of the release of treated radioactive water from the Fukushima nuclear plant, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida paid a visit to the facility on Sunday (August 20), Japan's local media outlets reported.

Ahead of the release of treated radioactive water from the Fukushima nuclear plant, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida paid a visit to the facility on Sunday (August 20), Japan's local media outlets reported. The move comes amid opposition from local fishermen and certain neighbouring countries regarding the disposal plan. Kishida's visit occurred just before a scheduled meeting with his cabinet members on Tuesday (August 22). Also Read | Canada wildfires: About 30,000 in British Columbia under evacuation order with thousands more on alert The agenda of the meeting revolves around determining the appropriate timing for commencing the water discharge. According to media reports citing sources, the process is expected to initiate sometime between late August and early September. During a visit to Washington, Kishida revealed that the government is in the conclusive stages of the decision-making process regarding the timing of the water release. He made these statements after attending a three-way summit with the United States and South Korea. Origin of contaminated water and treatment The Fukushima Daiichi plant, ravaged by an earthquake and subsequent tsunami in 2011, has been producing a substantial volume of contaminated water due to the need to cool melted reactor fuel. To address this issue, the water has undergone treatment using an advanced liquid processing system. Also Read | Twenty-five Chinese air force planes crossed Taiwan Strait's median line: Taipei This system eliminates the majority of radionuclides, excluding tritium. Traces of Tritium, a less harmful radioactive element compared to substances like cesium and strontium, remains present in the treated water. Storage containers have been employed to hold the treated water, but their capacity is gradually nearing its limit. Before release, the treated water, containing traces of tritium, will be diluted to a concentration that adheres to Japanese safety standards, one-40th of the concentration permitted. This diluted water will then be discharged through an underwater tunnel situated 1 kilometer from the power plant. The plan to release the treated water into the ocean is facing resistance from local fishermen and certain neighboring countries. Watch | Canada’s British Columbia under state of emergency as Kelowna wildfire rages × China, for instance, has initiated comprehensive radiation testing of imported Japanese seafood as a response. In addition to his visit, Kishida intends to meet with the leader of the National Federation of Fisheries Cooperative Associations, potentially scheduled for Monday. The decision to proceed with the water discharge aligns with the endorsement of global safety standards as articulated in the final report of the International Atomic Energy Agency, issued last month. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. ×

Japanese PM Kishida visits Fukushima plant, to discuss timing for release of treated radioactive water

<p>The release of Fukushima's contaminated water can damage human DNA, according to the latest report by a non-governmental organisation&nbsp;Greenpeace.</p>

<p>According to the publication of the report 'Stemming the tide 2020: The reality of the Fukushima radioactive water crisis', contaminated water that will reportedly be released into the sea from the wrecked Fukushima&nbsp;Daiichi nuclear plant&nbsp;contains a radioactive substance that has the potential to damage human DNA, a Greenpeace investigation has said.</p>

<p><strong>Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/japan-to-release-radioactive-water-from-fukushima-nuclear-plant-into-sea-report-335626">Japan to release radioactive water from Fukushima nuclear plant into sea: Report</a></strong></p>

<p>The environmental group claims the 1.23 million&nbsp;tonnes of water stored in more than 1,000 tanks at the plant contains “dangerous” levels of the radioactive isotope carbon-14, in addition to quantities of tritium that have already been widely reported.</p>

<p>The publication of the report stemming the tide 2020: the reality of the fukushima radioactive water crisis comes days after japanese media reported that the government was close to giving its approval to release the water into the pacific ocean, despite objections from local fishermen who say the move will destroy their livelihoods.</p>

<p>Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said on Wednesday that he is aiming to make a speedy decision on the disposal of contaminated water at the tsunami-crippled&nbsp;Fukushima&nbsp;nuclear plant.</p>

<p>"I think we can't hold off making a decision on the policy forever. We will take responsibility as the government to make a decision on how to dispose (the contaminated water) as soon as possible," said Suga.</p>

<p>Suga was speaking at a news conference in Jakarta at the end of his first foreign trip, during which he also visited Vietnam.</p>

<p>While most attention has been focused on tritium,&nbsp;which cannot be removed by the on-site filtration system used by the plant’s operator Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings [TEPCO] – Greenpeace Japan and Greenpeace east Asia said that radioactive carbon contained in the stored water would also be discharged.</p>

<p>Carbon-14 has a half life of 5,370 years and becomes “incorporated into all living matter”, the report said.</p>

<p>“It concentrates in fish at a level thousands of times higher than tritium. Carbon-14 is especially important as a major contributor to collective human radiation dose and has the potential to damage human DNA.”</p>


The release of Fukushima's contaminated water can damage human DNA, according to the latest report by a non-governmental organisation Greenpeace. According to the publication of the report 'Stemming the tide 2020: The reality of the Fukushima radioactive water crisis', contaminated water that will reportedly be released into the sea from the wrecked Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant contains a radioactive substance that has the potential to damage human DNA, a Greenpeace investigation has said.

The release of Fukushima's contaminated water can damage human DNA, according to the latest report by a non-governmental organisation Greenpeace. According to the publication of the report 'Stemming the tide 2020: The reality of the Fukushima radioactive water crisis', contaminated water that will reportedly be released into the sea from the wrecked Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant contains a radioactive substance that has the potential to damage human DNA, a Greenpeace investigation has said. Also read| Japan to release radioactive water from Fukushima nuclear plant into sea: Report The environmental group claims the 1.23 million tonnes of water stored in more than 1,000 tanks at the plant contains “dangerous” levels of the radioactive isotope carbon-14, in addition to quantities of tritium that have already been widely reported. The publication of the report stemming the tide 2020: the reality of the fukushima radioactive water crisis comes days after japanese media reported that the government was close to giving its approval to release the water into the pacific ocean, despite objections from local fishermen who say the move will destroy their livelihoods. Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said on Wednesday that he is aiming to make a speedy decision on the disposal of contaminated water at the tsunami-crippled Fukushima nuclear plant. "I think we can't hold off making a decision on the policy forever. We will take responsibility as the government to make a decision on how to dispose (the contaminated water) as soon as possible," said Suga. Suga was speaking at a news conference in Jakarta at the end of his first foreign trip, during which he also visited Vietnam. While most attention has been focused on tritium, which cannot be removed by the on-site filtration system used by the plant’s operator Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings [TEPCO] – Greenpeace Japan and Greenpeace east Asia said that radioactive carbon contained in the stored water would also be discharged. Carbon-14 has a half life of 5,370 years and becomes “incorporated into all living matter”, the report said. “It concentrates in fish at a level thousands of times higher than tritium. Carbon-14 is especially important as a major contributor to collective human radiation dose and has the potential to damage human DNA.”

Release of Fukushima's contaminated water can damage human DNA

Japan's Fukushima plant holds 1.2 million tonnes of radioactive water. Disposing it is crucial to decommissioning the plant. Japanese media reports indicate the government has found a possible dumpsite - the Pacific Ocean. Palki Sharma Upadhyay tells you more.

Gravitas: Japan to dump radioactive water in the sea