Japan starts discharging treated radioactive water into sea

By Berk Kutay Gokmen

ISTANBUL (AA) - A Japanese power company began discharging treated radioactive water into the ocean on Wednesday from its Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant, Jiji Press reported.

Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings plans to release 7,800 tons of water containing radioactive substances into the Pacific during the current round, which is scheduled to conclude on March 30.

The water, which is diluted with a substantial amount of seawater before being discharged, is released from a location approximately one kilometer (0.62 miles) offshore from the meltdown-affected plant in Fukushima Prefecture, northeastern Japan.

The Fukushima Power Plant had suffered a meltdown in 2011.

Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings confirmed that the tritium, a radioactive substance, in the treated water is below the national safety limit.

The company began discharging treated water into the ocean in August 2023. With the ongoing 11th round, the total amount of treated water released will reach 85,800 tons.