"Fukushima Contaminated Water Purified to Safety Standards, Treatment Facility Reliable"

Fukushima Nuclear Plant Contaminated Water Discharge Daily Briefing
"Multiple Radiation Monitoring Devices Installed During Discharge Process"

At a briefing held on the 15th at the Government Seoul Office Annex regarding the discharge of contaminated water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant in Japan, answers to reporters' questions continued. From the left: Yoon Hyun-soo, Director General of the Climate Environment Science Diplomacy Bureau at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Heo Gyun-young, Professor of Nuclear Engineering at Kyung Hee University and Chair of the Government-wide TF Technical Review Committee; Park Gu-yeon, First Deputy Minister of the Office for Government Policy Coordination; Song Sang-geun, Vice Minister of Oceans and Fisheries; Shin Jae-sik, Director of Radiation Disaster Prevention Bureau at the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission; Kang Yoon-sook, Director of Food Standards Planning at the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety. [Image source=Yonhap News]

On the 15th, the government announced that it will hold daily briefings for the public, excluding holidays, as concerns grow over the discharge of contaminated water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant and the resulting damage to seafood. The government maintained its position that there are no defects in the Japanese government's contaminated water discharge procedures and that no damage is expected domestically. It also actively refuted suspicions raised by the media and the National Assembly. The briefing was attended by Park Gu-yeon, First Deputy Director of the Office for Government Policy Coordination, Song Sang-geun, Vice Minister of Oceans and Fisheries, and Heo Gyun-young, a private expert and professor of Nuclear Engineering at Kyung Hee University (Chairman of the Technical Independent Review Committee). The government's statements were summarized in a Q&A format.

Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) collected samples only from the upper water without mixing contaminated water, lacking representativeness

The contaminated water samples used by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) for monitoring were confirmed to have undergone homogenization. The first monitoring involved circulation and mixing for 14 days in the K4-B tank, and the second and third monitoring, currently under analysis, involved sampling from the G4S-B10 and G4S-C8 tanks, mixing the samples for 10 minutes before collection. The controversial samples were neither collected for IAEA monitoring nor for the same purpose.

Radioactive substances 100 to 20,000 times above standards are detected in contaminated water even after Advanced Liquid Processing System (ALPS) treatment

According to TEPCO's disclosed data on radioactivity concentrations by nuclide in contaminated water stored in tanks, the maximum strontium concentration detected was 433,000 becquerels per liter (Bq/L). This detection level is 14,433 times the Japanese discharge standard of 30 Bq/L and 21,650 times the Korean discharge standard of 20 Bq/L. However, contaminated water exceeding the standards is not discharged as is. The position is to purify the contaminated water with ALPS until it meets the standards and then dilute it before discharge.

*ALPS: Equipment that removes various radioactive substances from nuclear power plant contaminated water

There have been cases where strontium was not removed due to ALPS malfunction

In the early operation of ALPS, there were cases where strontium was not removed and stored due to malfunctions. Most of the standard-exceeding issues occurred because adsorbents with reduced performance were not replaced frequently. Since 2019, ALPS has been operating normally without such problems.

Concerns over Fukushima contaminated water discharge have led to hoarding of solar salt

After multiple on-site inspections, there are no signs of hoarding of solar salt at the processing or distribution industry level. However, individual purchases of 2021 and 2022 solar salt sold by seven agricultural and fisheries cooperatives in Sinan-gun have significantly increased. Direct transaction volumes identified as of June have increased 2 to 5 times compared to the previous month. Prices at some sellers have risen about 20% compared to May. Nevertheless, individual direct transactions account for only 7 to 8% of total transactions. It is judged that the increase in individual direct transactions does not significantly affect the overall supply and demand or the prices at production sites.

Fukushima contaminated water discharge negatively affects domestic solar salt production

Since the 2011 nuclear accident, 286 radiation inspections of solar salt have been conducted, with no radioactive substances detected. The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries has been conducting monthly radiation inspections at 10 salt farms since April this year, with no radioactive substances detected so far. From July to the end of the year, the number of inspection sites will be expanded to 150. Radiation inspections will also be conducted on solar salt already produced and stored around the shipping period. Products that pass inspection will be issued a certificate of inspection, and the voluntarily implemented solar salt traceability system will be made mandatory.

Iodine-129 is not used as a standard in radiation inspections

The most commonly occurring radioactive nuclides from nuclear accidents are gamma (γ) nuclides. Domestic seafood radiation inspection nuclides include iodine-131 (131I), cesium-134, and cesium-137 (134Cs, 137Cs). These three nuclides can be measured simultaneously in a single test and have relatively short inspection periods, making them suitable for radiation inspection of all foods.

Iodine-129 (129I) is a beta nuclide with a very long half-life of 15.7 million years. Radioactive substances with long half-lives emit low energy over a very long period. Compared to cesium-137 with a 30-year half-life, iodine-129 emits radiation at about one-fiftieth of the level per gram. Iodine-129 is expected to be detected at levels below the detection limit, making it difficult to use as an indicator. For Japanese food imports, representative contaminants are inspected each time, and if even trace amounts are detected, additional nuclide certificates are required for nuclides recommended by the Codex Alimentarius Commission.

A special law related to Fukushima contaminated water should be enacted

On June 12, a special law focusing on support for fishermen affected by Fukushima contaminated water discharge and marine environmental pollution restoration was proposed in the National Assembly. However, discussing compensation and restoration for damages that have not yet occurred, based on the premise that our seas will be polluted by Japanese contaminated water discharge and that our fishing activities will become impossible, is premature. Careful consideration is needed at this stage regarding the enactment of such a special law. The government currently has various policy measures and budgets to minimize damage caused by reduced seafood consumption, which is a major content of the special law.

Can the performance of ALPS be trusted?

Just as a water purifier filter removes impurities from tap water, ALPS filters contaminated water containing radioactive nuclides when it enters the tank, removing nuclides with significant radiation effects. If the purified contaminated water does not meet the purification level, it passes through the ALPS facility repeatedly. By checking whether ALPS operates properly until the contaminated water falls below a certain standard, the contaminated water situation can be anticipated.

If a malfunction occurs during operation, is it impossible to prevent radioactive material discharge?

With the philosophy of defense in depth, multiple monitors have been installed throughout the discharge process to measure radiation. If even one monitor gives an incorrect signal, the discharge device is stopped. Therefore, regardless of the reason, if there is a problem with the discharge facility, there is a mechanism to prevent radioactive materials from being released externally. If the current commissioning process is thoroughly analyzed, the safety of the facility can be assured.

Is it true that ALPS does not treat tritium?

On average, people in the Republic of Korea receive 5 mSv of radiation annually. A medical X-ray exposes a person to about 0.1 mSv. The radiation dose from tritium released into the ocean as planned by the Japanese government or TEPCO is 0.00003 mSv. This figure was calculated following procedures of the International Commission on Radiological Protection, so there is no issue with the number. Although uncertainties in input data can be a concern, even considering them, it is difficult to believe that tritium will affect our health.

Organically bound tritium is five times more dangerous than regular tritium

It is true that organically bound tritium is about five times more dangerous than regular tritium. Even so, it is difficult to think it will have an impact. Therefore, with scientific calculation results available, there is no need to worry about safety.

Is evaporating contaminated water a better method than ocean discharge?

The main methods for treating contaminated water are ocean discharge and evaporation. Both methods are widely used in domestic and international nuclear facilities, and regulatory requirements are well established. However, after these processes, the total amount of tritium released externally remains the same. Whether discharged into water or air, the situation is the same. However, in the case of evaporation, tritium enters the body through respiration. It is difficult to monitor the environment when tritium is released into the air. Air must be collected, and there are technical issues regarding where to install monitors. On the other hand, ocean discharge raises issues mainly related to food intake. It has the advantage of allowing radioactive substances to be diluted as desired and is easier to monitor environmentally.

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