Detection of Radioactive Substances Including Tritium in Soil and Water at Wolseong Nuclear Power Plant Site

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Chun-han] Large amounts of radioactive substances such as Cesium-137 and tritium have been detected within the Wolsong Nuclear Power Plant site in Gyeongju, Gyeongsangbuk-do.

On the 10th, the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission announced the results of the first tritium investigation conducted by the Wolsong Nuclear Power Plant Tritium Civil Investigation Team and the Issue Communication Council, revealing that radioactive nuclides were detected in soil and water samples around the Spent Fuel Storage Basin (SFB) within the Wolsong Nuclear Power Plant site.

The Nuclear Safety and Security Commission formed the Civil Investigation Team and Communication Council in March following growing public concerns over the detection of high concentrations of tritium within the Wolsong Nuclear Power Plant site, including the detection of up to 713,000 Bq/L of tritium in stagnant water inside a manhole in the turbine gallery of Wolsong Unit 3 in 2019.

According to the results report released by the investigation team and council on this day, soil samples around the SFB structure (at a depth of 9m) showed a maximum of 0.37 Bq/g of the gamma nuclide Cesium-137. In water samples, tritium was detected at a maximum of 756,000 Bq/L, and Cesium-137 at a maximum of 0.14 Bq/g.

The investigation team and council explained, "Considering the condition of the SFB storage tank walls and waterproofing structures, it is judged that the waterproof membrane of the Wolsong Unit 1 SFB storage tank was constructed differently from the original design in 1997, and since that time, it likely has not functioned as a waterproof barrier." They added, "The concentration of tritium in water samples around the SFB was measured higher than that in the leaked water from the SFB wall storage tank, and Cesium-137 was also detected. We are currently investigating additional inflow routes."

The investigation team and council are verifying whether radioactive substances have leaked into the external environment beyond the boundary of the Wolsong Nuclear Power Plant site, stating, "So far, no significant changes in tritium or gamma nuclide concentrations have been observed in the existing operator’s groundwater monitoring well (approximately 20m deep) on the coastal side."

They added, "To confirm whether radioactive substances have leaked through groundwater within the site, groundwater flow is being analyzed. Currently, it is difficult to determine whether radioactive substances have leaked into the external environment, so a detailed investigation is planned."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.