[Japan's Contaminated Water Discharge] "We Can Drink the Contaminated Water" vs "Was Japan Bought Off?"

Experts Offer Conflicting Analyses on Risks
"Alternative Exists but Proceeding, Is There an Intent?" Suspicion Also Raised

"One liter of (treated) Fukushima contaminated water might be drinkable." vs "Are you sane, or have you been bought off by the Japanese government?"

The Japanese government's declared plan to discharge Fukushima nuclear power plant contaminated water is just two months away. While public attention is focused on the government's dispatch of an inspection team and the safety of the water, domestic and international experts appear divided into two camps.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Is ocean discharge really the only option?

The Japanese government is pushing forward with ocean discharge, despite opposition from its own citizens and many Pacific coastal countries, including South Korea. Starting in July, it plans to discharge 1.37 million tons (as of 2022) of ALPS (Advanced Liquid Processing System) treated contaminated water stored in about 1,000 tanks on the Fukushima nuclear power plant site. The plan is to dilute the water with seawater at a ratio of 1:100 and release about 130 tons per day over 30 years until the 2040s. The Japanese government considered other methods such as vapor release, geological injection, underground burial, and hydrogen release via electrolysis, but decided that ocean discharge was the most suitable considering safety, technology, time, and cost.

However, some argue that despite other alternatives, the discharge is being pushed for different motives. Seokyun Ryeol, Emeritus Professor of Nuclear Engineering at Seoul National University, recently appeared on the YouTube channel ‘Sampro TV’ and said, "They could build more stainless steel tanks that do not rust or create artificial lakes to store the water for a longer period until the half-life passes before releasing it." He added, "It is suspicious that Japan has set the timing to discharge over 30 years." There is also concern that during the reactor decommissioning process scheduled for the 2040s, highly concentrated radioactive materials might be mixed into the contaminated water and discharged.

Is the contaminated water safe?

Scientists and experts are divided on the safety of the contaminated water. The water contains about 60 types of radionuclides, with tritium, cesium-137, iodine-131, strontium-90, and carbon-14 being representative. Among these, tritium is chemically identical to water and cannot be removed, but many believe it is harmless. Because it emits low radiation and is expelled from the body within about 10 days even if absorbed, it is considered to have little effect on the human body. Deokhwan Lee, Emeritus Professor of Chemistry at Sogang University, explained, "The claim that tritium accumulates in living organisms is not very convincing," adding, "Due to various physiological processes, most tritium is excreted from the human body within about a week."

On the other hand, there is a counterargument that tritium that sinks into the ocean could accumulate in high concentrations through the food chain, and if humans absorb it, it could cause serious internal exposure and adverse effects. Sean Bernie, a Greenpeace committee member who attended a National Assembly forum on the 10th, stated, "When it enters the human body, it may have genetic effects over a long period, making it more dangerous," and added, "Risks have been observed in experiments on small animals and mammals, but research on effects on humans is insufficient."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Opinions also differ on the reliability of the ALPS contaminated water treatment equipment and the investigation methods such as sample collection by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Among nuclear experts, the prevailing view is that ALPS’s radionuclide removal capability can be trusted. Yonghoon Jung, Professor of Nuclear Engineering at KAIST, explained, "Just as South Korea has developed radionuclide removal equipment, it is scientifically possible to remove radioactive substances from contaminated water." However, critical views arise due to Japan’s concealment of ALPS malfunctions twice in 2018 and 2020, which undermines trust.

Analyses of the impact and intensity if the contaminated water discharge proceeds also vary. On February 16, the Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology and the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute predicted that tritium discharged into the sea off Fukushima would reach Korean waters in 4 to 5 years and reach about 0.001 becquerels (Bq/m³) after 10 years. Considering the average tritium concentration (172 Bq/m³), the impact is deemed minimal. In contrast, Greenpeace in August 2019 predicted inflow within one year, and Fukushima University in Japan estimated arrival at Jeju Island in about 7 months (220 days) and the East Sea in about 13 months (400 days).

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