Tokyo is under spotlight over controversial move to dump treated radioactive material into the Pacific Ocean, but other countries like China and the US have been doing the same for years.
An employee of Tokyo Electric Power Company explains how its facility works before releasing treated radioactive water at Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Fukushima, Japan in late June.
The controversial decision has placed Japan in the centre of the spotlight with its mixed record of safety at Fukushima, while also shedding light about the possible dangers of the radioactive chemical tritium, which other countries like China and the US have also been unloading into bodies of water in their own backyard and in greater volume in some cases.
Grossi said the the method is certified by the IAEA and is followed around the world. Ahead of his Fukushima visit, the nuclear agency also released a report explaining that the treated wastewater, will be safer than the international standard and that its impact on the environment and humans would be negligible.
According to the US Environmental Protection Agency , people are exposed to small amounts of the tritium every day since it is widely dispersed in the environment. The risk posed by exposure to small amounts of the chemical"is typically not significant", the EPA said. But exposure from"elevated levels" of tritium"can pose a health risk to individuals".
Until now, however, there is still no sufficient study about the dangers that tritium exposure has on marine life.Protesters in South Korea hold banners during a rally demanding the withdrawal of Japanese government's decision to release treated radioactive water from the Fukushima. At Fukushima, the water contaminated with tritium are currently being stored within the complex. But storage capacity is fast dwindling making it necessary for Japanese authorities to release the water.
Japan's own regulator, Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency and TEPCO, had previously been criticised for not following international best practices and standards to safeguard the power plant from possible major earthquakes and tsunami. In neighbouring South Korea, the largest fisheries market in Seoul said it is stepping up testing to show its offerings are safe, as it seeks to allay fears among consumers about the impending plan of Japan.
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