[imagesource:twitter/@ani_digital]

Turbulent waters are predicted today for Japan, as the world watches the nation release treated radioactive water into the ocean from the Fukushima nuclear plant.

While scientists have backed Japan’s move to send the treated water back into the ocean, there are still many lingering concerns, all tinged by the backdrop of the Fukushima disaster in 2011.

One of the world’s worst nuclear disasters since Chernobyl, the 2011 incident had a profound impact on Japan’s energy landscape.

Prior to the disaster, nuclear energy accounted for 30% of the country’s electricity generation. However, anti-nuclear protests and safety concerns led to a significant decrease in nuclear power plants, causing electricity prices to rise.

In recent years, sentiments have shifted, and lawmakers are advocating for the restart of nuclear power plants in Japan. The nation’s aim to be carbon neutral by 2050 has led to a renewed focus on its energy mix, which currently relies heavily on imported fossil fuels.

While that all seems straightforward, China has reacted to the wastewater release by banning Japanese fish imports, despite reassurance from experts.

Mark Foreman, an Associate Professor of Nuclear Chemistry in Sweden, explains that individuals consuming large amounts of seafood will only be exposed to minimal radiation doses. These doses range from 0.0062 to 0.032 microSv per year, which is considerably lower than safe levels. Humans can safely withstand radiation doses up to 1000 microSv per year, apparently.

Professor Gerry Thomas, a former professor of Molecular Pathology at Imperial College London, supports these findings and dispels concerns about the wider food chain being at risk. She firmly states that there is no scientific basis to suggest that extremely low levels of radioisotopes in seafood have detrimental health effects.

The science has spoken, but it’s still understandable that many are not convinced, keeping the 2011 disaster in mind.

Protests have sparked across Japan, with citizens claiming that ‘negligible’ impact on the ocean is not good enough.

Hundreds of protesters gathered for a candlelit protest in front of the National Assembly in Seoul to decry the Japanese government’s decision to release water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant into the Pacific Ocean. pic.twitter.com/BCvTOgCTEF

— RT (@RT_com) August 24, 2023

Due to rising concerns about the release of nuclear wastewater from both climate activists and regular citizens alike, Japanese authorities have launched an extensive public relations campaign to address the issue.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has pledged to maintain transparency throughout the process, and the government has started sharing explanatory pieces in local media, posters at airports and train stations, public education events, and even livestreams of fish swimming in tanks of treated water.

While many experts like Foreman and Thomas support Japan’s plan, some marine biologists and ocean experts argue that further studies are needed to assess the potential long-term effects on the ocean bed and marine life. The scary thing is that we just can’t predict what today will mean for the future.

The US National Association of Marine Laboratories has expressed skepticism about Japan’s data and the ability to monitor and mitigate potential impacts.

Now that you know the facts, you can check out the live-streamed water release here and make up your own mind regarding whether you’d feel safe ingesting fishies caught in the stream of treated nuclear water:

[source:bbc]