Treated water from Fukushima Nuclear Power plant safe to be discharged into sea: Expert

Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station has to inevitably discharge water into the sea which is treated by Advanced Liquid Processing System (ALPS).

Professor Tadashi Narabayashi is an expert of nuclear engineering who gave insights into the treatment and disposal of water.

Tadashi Narabayashi, Professor of Tokyo Institute of Technology said: "Underground water in the reactor buildings absorbed various nuclear materials after touching fuel debris. Those nuclear materials are removed by chemical treatment until safe level except tritium. Treatment is undertaken by use of membrane, medicine and finally by treating it with the facility's ALPS."

"After this process, the water is called ALPS treated water. In the area of Fukushima Power Station, there are more than 1,000 tanks in which 1.25 million cubic meters of water are stored. After treatment of water nuclear materials are removed except tritium. After treatment, the concentration of tritium is assumed to one eye drop putting into a pool," Professor said further.

Narabayashi introduces one interesting episode about proof of safety. It was undertaken by the students from Taiwan where the import of Fukushima food is banned.

Narabayashi said: "Taiwan still prohibits the import of marine and food products from Fukushima due to their fear of radiation. Students studying atomic energy once came to Fukushima to investigate the safety."

"They checked flounder which were caught on the coast, 10 kilometres from Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station. After the accident, concentrated contaminated water flowed in from the damaged Fukushima Power Station. After measuring them with a highly sensitive detection machine, it indicated safety. The students had the fish as sashimi, fried and Carpaccio," Narabayashi also said.

"They enjoyed it. At regular locations, picking up seawater, measuring the concentration of tritium, and picking up fish and seaweed to measure concentration should be undertaken simultaneously when discharging diluted treated water. As a premise, if abnormal values have been detected in sea area monitoring, the discharging should be stopped to check."

The future of Fukushima Power Station is a matter of global concern. Therefore, decommissioning should be done carefully after referring to the opinions of experts and carefully considering all other similar cases around the world.

( With inputs from ANI )