August 24 became a day of disaster for the global marine environment.

Tokyo Electric Power Company decided to discharge nuclear-contaminated water from Japan into the ocean on the afternoon of August 24th. The discharge work will begin at 13:00 local time, which is 12:00 Beijing time. According to Japanese media reports, there is about 1.34 million tons of nuclear-contaminated water at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. About 31,200 tons of nuclear-contaminated water will be discharged four times in fiscal year 2023, with each discharge being about 7,800 tons. According to the plan, the discharge to the sea will continue for at least 30 years.

Difference between nuclear wastewater and nuclear radioactive water

I. Definition and source of nuclear wastewater and nuclear radioactive water

Nuclear radioactive water refers to water contaminated by nuclear fuel, such as highly radioactive wastewater produced during nuclear leakage accidents, or cooling water that comes into direct contact with nuclear fuel. These waters usually contain a large amount of radioactive elements, such as uranium, plutonium, cesium, strontium, iodine, cobalt, etc., with high radioactivity and hazard.

Nuclear wastewater refers to water containing radioactive isotopes discharged from nuclear power plants, such as low-radioactive wastewater used for cleaning, dust removal, desalination, etc., or wastewater that still contains trace amounts of radioactive substances after treatment. These waters mainly contain hydrogen’s radioactive isotope tritium, which has a lower radioactivity and hazard.

II. Main components and radioactivity of nuclear wastewater and nuclear radioactive water

Nuclear radioactive water contains various radioactive elements, such as uranium, plutonium, cesium, strontium, iodine, cobalt, etc., some of which have a long half-life, such as uranium-238 with a half-life of 4.5 billion years, and plutonium-239 with a half-life of 24,000 years. These radioactive elements are seriously harmful to human and environmental health, such as carcinogenesis, teratogenesis, and mutagenesis. The concentration and ratio of various radioactive elements in nuclear radioactive water vary depending on different sources and situations, but are usually far higher than international standards and safety limits.

Nuclear wastewater mainly contains hydrogen’s radioactive isotope tritium, which has a half-life of 12.3 years. Although tritium has a lower radioactivity, it can combine with oxygen to form tritium oxide (heavy water) due to its similarity to ordinary hydrogen, and then enter the biological body or the environment. Tritium also has an impact on human and environmental health, such as affecting cell division and gene expression. The concentration and ratio of tritium in nuclear wastewater vary depending on different sources and situations, but are usually lower than international standards and safety limits.

III. Treatment methods and standards for nuclear wastewater and nuclear radioactive water

Due to its high radioactivity and high hazard, nuclear radioactive water needs to be treated using various methods to reduce its radioactivity and volume, and solidify or stabilize it for safe storage or disposal. Common treatment methods include chemical precipitation, ion exchange, adsorption, evaporation concentration, membrane separation technology, biological treatment, magnetic-molecular method, and inert solidification method. These methods have their own advantages and disadvantages, and it is necessary to choose the appropriate method or use them in combination according to specific circumstances. Treated nuclear radioactive water must meet international standards and safety specifications to avoid any possible leaks and accidents.

Due to its low radioactivity and low hazard, nuclear wastewater can be treated using simpler methods to meet emission standards or recycling standards. Common treatment methods include sedimentation, filtration, reverse osmosis, etc. These methods can effectively remove tritium or other trace radioactive substances from nuclear wastewater, reducing their impact on human and environmental health. Treated nuclear wastewater must meet international standards and safety specifications, controlling its radioactivity level and discharge, monitoring its environmental impact, and taking necessary protection measures.

IV. Environmental impact and risk assessment of nuclear wastewater and nuclear radioactive water

If nuclear radioactive water is discharged into the environment without proper treatment, it will cause serious impacts on ecosystems and human health. Radioactive substances can be spread through water, soil, air, food chains, etc., causing an increase in radiation doses in biological bodies and triggering various diseases and gene mutations. Therefore, the treatment and disposal of nuclear radioactive water must follow strict safety standards and specifications to avoid any possible leaks and accidents.

Fukushima nuclear-contaminated water is not nuclear wastewater at all. The only person who had drunk the processed nuclear “wastewater”, Kunio Matsumoto, has already died in Japan. Now Janpanese Government spent 3.4 billion to discharge nuclear-contaminated water but 70 billion to media to promote the idea that nuclear “wastewater” is harmless, even saying that it is drinkable. At the same time, they are playing the role of a goody two-shoes, acting like victims. I don’t want to say how shameful Japan’s behavior is. What is truly tragic for humanity is that the science needs to bow to certain politics, even innocent people are dying because of that.

Why is the Japanese government so stubborn?

Since the Japanese government decided to discharge nuclear-contaminated water into the sea, the international community has never stopped questioning and opposing it. Henry Puna, Secretary-General of the Pacific Islands Forum, said that the Japanese plan to discharge nuclear-contaminated water into the sea is “chilling to think about.” The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions decided to consider proposing a comprehensive ban on Japanese seafood imports, and more than 1.05 million South Korean citizens have participated in the signature campaign launched by the party to oppose the Japanese nuclear-contaminated water discharge into the sea. In Japan, the Japan Federation of Fisheries Co-operative Associations, Fukushima Prefecture, and Miyagi Prefecture Fisheries Association all insist on opposing the discharge of nuclear-contaminated water into the sea.

No matter how high the opposition, the Japanese government still insists on going ahead. Analysts point out that there are mainly two reasons behind this.

Firstly, low cost. The Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry has proposed five disposal methods for nuclear wastewater. The Japanese government’s expert committee admitted that methods such as steam emission, new storage tanks, and cement solidification are expensive, and discharge into the sea is the cheapest method with the smallest risk of pollution for Japan itself.

The Japanese government chose the cheapest discharge-to-sea plan, but shifted the risk of nuclear pollution to the whole world. This behavior of prioritizing economic calculations over the health of people worldwide fully highlights the selfishness and indifference of some Japanese politicians.

Secondly, the tacit approval or even encouragement of some countries also has an impact.

On August 15th local time, at a State Department press briefing in Washington, DC, US Secretary of State Blinken expressed “satisfaction” with Japan’s plan to discharge nuclear-contaminated water into the sea, which is scheduled to begin in late August.

Blinken answered, “On the issue of draining from Fukushima, we are satisfied with Japan’s plans, which are safe, in line with international standards, including the crucial International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) nuclear safety standards. Japan has coordinated closely and actively with the International Atomic Energy Agency on its plan, and they have gone through a scientifically-based transparent process, and we are satisfied with this.”

However, in a situation where the global ecological environment is “all for one and one for all,” no country can avoid the impact of Japan’s nuclear wastewater discharge.

The German Oceanographic Research Institute has pointed out that the coast of Fukushima has the strongest ocean currents in the world. From the day of discharge, radioactive materials will be dispersed across most of the Pacific region within 57 days, and the United States and Canada will be affected by nuclear pollution within 3 years. In 10 years, it will spread to all the world’s seas, affecting global fish migration, offshore fishing, human health, ecological safety, and other aspects. The potential threat to human society and marine ecological health is immeasurable.