Does nuclear wastewater have an impact on Japan?

Nuclear wastewater has an impact on Japan.

A large amount of nuclear wastewater was produced after the Fukushima nuclear power plant accident in Japan, which is expected to be discharged into the Pacific Ocean in the next few years. The discharge of nuclear wastewater will cause losses to fisheries, especially to Japan and neighboring countries. Polluted waters may become unavailable for fishing, resulting in reduced fishing income. At the same time, the seafood market may be affected, with prices fluctuating and consumer confidence declining. Polluted waters will affect tourism development. Tourists may be worried about environmental pollution and be reluctant to travel to polluted areas, thus affecting tourism revenue.

The discharge of nuclear wastewater will not only affect Japan’s domestic environment and people’s health, but may also affect other countries. The Pacific Ocean is a relatively closed sea area, and radioactive materials may spread to other areas along with ocean currents. Japan's decision to discharge nuclear wastewater may trigger dissatisfaction and protests in neighboring countries. This may lead to increased regional tensions and affect international relations.

Sources of Japanese nuclear wastewater

There are three main sources of radioactive wastewater from the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant, the original coolant of the reactor, the newly injected water after the accident to continue cooling the core, and a large amount of Groundwater and rainwater seeping into the reactor. After a radiation leak occurs, in order to control the temperature of the reactor, continuous water injection is required for cooling. Although nuclear wastewater can be used for circulating cooling, because the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant is close to the sea and has low terrain, groundwater and rainwater continue to seep in, so the nuclear wastewater becomes increasingly More and more.

As of March 2021, 1.25 million tons of nuclear sewage has been stored, with 140 tons added every day. Tokyo Electric Power Company said that by the autumn of 2022, all existing water storage tanks will be full, and there will be no more open space for the construction of a large number of water storage tanks. At 13:00 on August 24, 2023, Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant started discharging nuclear contaminated water into the sea.