21-10-2023 (TOKYO) Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) revealed that the upcoming round of ocean discharge from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant will include water contaminated with carbon-14, cobalt-60, strontium-90, and other radionuclides. The announcement came after the release of pre-discharge test results, stoking concerns and opposition from local fishermen and several countries.
TEPCO maintains that preparations for the third round of ocean discharge will commence once the ongoing second round is completed, along with necessary maintenance and confirmation operations. The nuclear-contaminated wastewater from the Fukushima Daiichi plant, treated using the advanced liquid processing system (ALPS), must pass through a measurement and confirmation facility and await pre-discharge test results before being released into the ocean.
The measurement and confirmation facility is organized into three groups of ten tanks each, serving as receiving tanks, measurement and confirmation tanks, and discharge tanks on a rotational basis.
In the initial discharge round, which began on August 24, the ten tanks in Group B were emptied. Subsequently, on September 21, the ten tanks in Group C were confirmed to meet discharge standards, and the discharge process commenced on October 5.
Sampling of the nuclear wastewater stored in the Group A tanks for the third discharge cycle was completed on July 10. According to TEPCO’s Thursday reports, the analysis results revealed trace amounts of carbon-14, cobalt-60, strontium-90, iodine-129, and cesium-137. Notably, strontium-90 was not detected during the second round of discharge that occurred on October 5.
TEPCO asserts that its ALPS facility, a multi-nuclide removal system, can eliminate 62 radioactive substances, excluding tritium. However, it was discovered that approximately 70 percent of the water in the storage tanks contains non-tritium radionuclides at concentrations surpassing the regulatory standards for environmental discharge.
Despite mounting concerns and opposition, TEPCO remains committed to proceeding with the third round of ocean discharge, contingent upon the completion of the second round, as well as the necessary maintenance and confirmation operations. The situation has prompted ongoing discussions and calls for transparency and caution in handling the Fukushima nuclear-contaminated water issue.
