[Opinion] Fukushima Contaminated Water, The Time for Science Has Come

In Fukushima, Japan, 1.37 million tons of "contaminated water" generated from the nuclear power plant during the Great East Japan Earthquake on March 11, 2011, are stored in over 1,000 tanks. The Japanese government plans to dilute this contaminated water with seawater and release 130 tons per day over 30 years starting this July. Although most radionuclides (types of atomic nuclei) have been removed through the Advanced Liquid Processing System (ALPS), tritium remains. Tritium can enter the human body and affect DNA, potentially causing cell death and reduced reproductive function.

The first key issue is whether the radionuclides have been sufficiently removed by ALPS and whether ALPS will continue to operate without problems. The activities of the Fukushima contaminated water inspection team dispatched by our government are focused on this. The inspection team will check the purification and treatment processes of the contaminated water over four days from the 22nd to the 25th. On the 23rd and 24th, they will visit the Fukushima site to inspect the tanks storing the contaminated water and the condition of ALPS, as well as visit the chemical analysis building where the contaminated water is analyzed. Yu Guk-hee, chairperson of the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission and head of the inspection team, said before departing on the 21st, "We plan to look comprehensively from the generation of contaminated water to the discharge point," adding, "We will check whether radionuclide removal centered on ALPS is properly functioning and whether safety related to discharge can be guaranteed." Nuclear experts generally agree that the radionuclide removal technology of ALPS is sufficiently secured.

The second focus is on how tritium in the Fukushima contaminated water affects the human body and when it will reach our waters. Many opinions hold that the minimal tritium is not fatal to humans and that there is no need for concern if its concentration further dilutes. Regarding this, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) analyzed that "(tritium in Fukushima contaminated water) poses an extremely low risk to human and animal health and is further minimized by dilution effects from marine discharge." According to simulation results first announced in February by a joint research team from the Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology and the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, tritium, a radioactive substance contained in Fukushima contaminated water, is expected to begin entering the Jeju waters 4 to 5 years after discharge. However, it was analyzed that about two years after discharge, due to ocean currents, it could temporarily enter at a low concentration less than one-millionth of the current baseline concentration. China, which opposes the discharge of Fukushima contaminated water, released similar research results last year.

Chairperson Yu said, "If we sufficiently explain what we have seen and what needs further confirmation through a scientific approach, I think the public will trust us more," adding, "It is also our role to reassure the public."

As these words suggest, what remains now is science. The inspection team must operate from a scientific perspective and accurately disclose the inspection process to the public based on this. Whether the inspection team will bring enough evidence to satisfy the public through this visit to the Fukushima nuclear power plant is uncertain. Concerns remain about how much information the Japanese government will share with the inspection team and how much of the site will be open to them. Therefore, it is necessary to comprehensively judge based on the existing International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) verification and opinions from experts worldwide.

Opposition politicians, including Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, are raising voices against the discharge of Fukushima contaminated water. Online, stories close to rumors are spreading. When a "pro-Japan" or "anti-Japan" frame is applied, the discharge of Fukushima contaminated water becomes "demonized," similar to the Moon Jae-in administration's "nuclear phase-out." Only by applying scientific and intellectual thinking can we face the discharge of Fukushima contaminated water realistically.

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