Business as usual: Buyers attending an auction at Numanouchi fish port in Iwaki, Fukushima Prefecture. — Bloomberg
PETALING JAYA: Japan’s release of treated radioactive wastewater into the Pacific Ocean is of little impact, especially with proper monitoring, says Universiti Tenaga Nasional (Uniten) Institute of Nuclear Energy director Dr Mohd Syukri Yahya.
He explained that the water was subjected to a rigorous treatment process.
“They will treat the water, meaning they will remove all the bad elements, then dilute it and release it gradually in a controlled manner. It should be okay with proper monitoring and regulatory oversight,” he said when contacted.
As for concerns about the impact on marine life, Mohd Syukri said the natural content in ocean water already contains tritium, uranium and potassium.
“So what we are doing is just releasing water with a little bit of tritium at a level that is below the average level in the Pacific Ocean. Fish has been swimming in this water for decades without issues,” he said.
He said Japan’s move was not a “first-of-its-kind practice”.
“China, Korea, and other nuclear power plants have been discharging water into the ocean with higher radioactivity levels than the Fukushima water. With proper monitoring, it should be okay. No harm to us,” he said.
Mohd Syukri also talked about the role of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in overseeing accidental radioactive presence in the released wastewater.
“Should there be an incident, the IAEA’s intervention protocols would come into play. The agency would monitor the efforts by stationing personnel to observe the situation over the next decade.
“If there is any increase in radioactive levels beyond international standards, the IAEA will intervene and halt the release,” he added.
He also said the treated Fukushima water’s radioactive content was well within safe limits for drinking water established by the World Health Organisation.
Overall, he believes the situation would be thoroughly monitored and transparent communication channels, including a dedicated page on the Japanese agriculture ministry’s website, would be established to provide accurate information to the public.
Meanwhile, Bernama quoted Japanese Embassy’s First Secretary in Malaysia Yosuke Kurotani as saying that with the continued IAEA’s involvement from an independent standpoint, Japan and the Tokyo Electric Power Company (Tepco) would remain committed to ensuring a safe discharge.
“After the start of the discharge into the sea, Japan will continue to conduct three types of monitoring, namely monitoring of treated water in tanks, real-time monitoring and sea area monitoring.
“If some event occurs, such as radioactivity levels exceeding standards, appropriate measures including stopping the discharge or suspending the discharge will be taken.
“Furthermore, the results of monitoring by the Japanese government and Tepco will be made public both domestically and internationally. We will continue to make every effort to ensure a safe discharge, with the continued involvement of the IAEA, including its reviews,” he said.
