Fukushima fish tests check tritium level

IAEA will study samples to verify if the discharge of treated wastewater into the sea is safe

DT·20 October 2023, 12:20 am·1 MIN READ

Fukushima fish tests check tritium level — An inspector from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) observes baskets of fish to be taken as samples at Hisanohama Port in Iwaki, Japan's Fukushima Prefecture, on October 19, 2023. UN inspectors took samples from a fish market near the Fukushima nuclear power plant on October 19 following the release of wastewater from the wrecked facility in August. (Photo by Eugene Hoshiko / POOL / AFP)

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International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors collected samples of fish from a wet market near Japan's Fukushima nuclear power plant on Thursday to determine their level of tritium contamination.

The IAEA team comprising scientists from China, South Korea and Canada also collected water and sediment samples in the area this week to verify Japan's findings of safe tritium level in the sea where treated wastewater from the plant were released last month.

The water release is aimed at making space to begin removing the highly dangerous radioactive fuel and rubble from the reactors wrecked by a tsunami.

Paul McGinnity, a member of the mission, told reporters that the aim was "to ascertain whether the Japanese labs are measuring and analyzing properly" tritium levels.

"Tritium is the concern because tritium levels as you know are relatively high because it is not removed by the ALPS process," McGinnity said, referring to Japan's radioactive substance filtering technology.

Japan says tests have shown that tritium levels are within safe limits.

"I can say that we don't expect to see any change (in tritium levels), certainly in the fish. We do expect to see a small rise in levels of tritium in seawater samples very close to the discharge point. But otherwise we don't. We expect to find levels that are very similar to what we measured last year," McGinnity added.

Samples of the Fukushima fish will be sent back to labs in the team members' home countries for independent review, and the IAEA will evaluate and publish those results.

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