China News Service, April 9th, a comprehensive report. On the 9th, the Japanese government stated that it "basically decided" to discharge nuclear sewage from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant into the sea.

On April 13, the Japanese government will hold a cabinet meeting and make a formal decision.

Previously, this plan was protested and condemned by fishermen in Japan, local people in Fukushima and the international community.

  The issue of nuclear sewage has always been like the "Sword of Damocles" hanging over Fukushima.

If it can't be solved properly, it may cause serious consequences that are irreversible at any time.

  And it’s not the first time that Japan has done so by discharging nuclear sewage into the Pacific Ocean...

Data map: The water storage tank used to store nuclear sewage at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in Japan.

Millions of tons of nuclear sewage is terrible!

"Lethal" geometry?

  The so-called nuclear sewage is the waste water remaining after cooling the nuclear reactor.

  On March 11, 2011, the "March 11" Great East Japan Earthquake occurred in Japan, which triggered a huge tsunami and the Fukushima nuclear disaster, killing tens of thousands of people.

The Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant was destroyed in this major earthquake and tsunami, and dozens of radioactive materials leaked to the outside world in large quantities.

  These radioactive materials contaminated everything around Fukushima, except for vegetation, soil, objects, and even fine dust and air, as well as nuclear sewage, that is, radioactive liquid.

Data map: Nuclear garbage "family tree", including nuclear garbage objects, nuclear waste gas, nuclear sewage, etc.

Graphics: Li Xueyao, Chinanews.com

  Large amounts of radioactive materials have been detected in nuclear sewage.

According to reports, nuclear radiation not only kills cells, but also has mutagenic effects, which may induce cell cancer or genetic mutations, leading to biological malformations.

In a short period of time, once the ingested dose exceeds 100 mSv, the human body will be harmed, and if it exceeds 4000 mSv, it will directly cause death.

Data Map: Schematic diagram of nuclear radiation hazards.

Graphics: Li Xueyao, Chinanews.com

  Previous reports have disclosed that even the nuclear sewage that Japan claims has undergone "filtration" treatment contains tritium, carbon 14, cobalt 60, strontium 90 and other radioactive residues that are difficult to completely remove.

  If humans and the natural environment are continuously exposed to tritium radiation, what will be the consequences?

Data map: On March 14, 2011, the damage to the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in Japan after the earthquake.

Water storage tanks will reach their limit in 2022

What are the consequences if nuclear sewage is discharged into the sea?

  Since 2011, the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant has stored more than 1.2 million tons of nuclear sewage in thousands of large water storage tanks.

Moreover, at present, Fukushima produces about 140 tons of nuclear sewage every day, and all the nuclear sewage collected is stored in the nuclear power plant.

It is estimated that by 2022, nuclear sewage will reach the limit of 1.37 million tons of water tank capacity.

  Relevant sources said that the Japanese government had planned to make a final decision on the treatment of nuclear sewage in late October 2020, that is, to gradually discharge nuclear sewage into the sea.

  Since tritium radiation still remains in the nuclear sewage that the Japanese government plans to discharge, experts estimate that once it is discharged into the sea, the sewage will follow the Pacific Ocean current and pollute many parts of the world.

  As soon as the news came out, it was immediately protested and condemned by fishermen in Japan, local people in Fukushima and the international community.

Due to pressure, the Japanese government has not yet implemented the plan.

  In March 2021, on the 10th anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga visited Fukushima Prefecture.

When asked again about the nuclear wastewater treatment of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, he reiterated his position to make a decision as soon as possible. It is to postpone the decision and make the decision responsibly at the right time."

  But at that time, Yoshihide Suga did not give a clear deadline for the decision on the handling policy.

Data map: Schematic diagram of radioactive substances spreading with ocean currents.

Graphics: Li Xueyao, Chinanews.com

Affect the entire global marine environment

This is not the first time Japan has discharged nuclear sewage

  Regarding the solution to nuclear sewage, the Japanese government's current plan is to dilute it and discharge it into the Pacific Ocean.

In order to gain the "understanding" of the fisheries organization, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga held talks with Hiroshi Kishi, the chairman of the National Fisheries Cooperative Association on April 7.

After the meeting, Kishi Hiroshi said that he still opposed the plan to discharge nuclear sewage into the sea.

  TEPCO stated that it will take about 2 years for the preparation work such as construction to be discharged into the sea.

  But in fact, this operation of discharging nuclear sewage in Japan is not the first time.

  On April 4, 2011, Tokyo Electric Power Company discharged 11,500 tons of sewage containing low-concentration radioactive substances into the sea.

Yukio Edano, then Chief Cabinet Secretary, said that this was "no choice."

  The Tokyo Electric Power Company once claimed that the nuclear sewage has been filtered to remove high-level radioactive materials such as strontium and cesium, leaving tritium, which is relatively difficult to remove.

However, according to foreign media reports, in 2018, TEPCO was under pressure from fishermen to question and other questions and admitted that nuclear waste water contained tritium as well as other radioactive materials.

  Due to the unpredictable harm caused by radioactive materials to living organisms, South Korea, a neighboring country of Japan, has also kept a close watch on the discharge of nuclear sewage into the sea.

  On September 16, 2019, at the International Atomic Energy Agency Conference held in Vienna, South Korean official Chang Moon Miyu said: “The management of Fukushima nuclear wastewater is no longer a domestic issue of Japan, but a serious international issue that affects the entire global marine environment. problem."

Data map: The storage tank used to store nuclear sewage at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant.

  On March 23, 2021, Japanese Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Hiroshi Kajiyama and IAEA Director General Grossi held a video conference.

The two parties reached a cooperative agreement on the treatment of nuclear contaminated water at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant.

  The International Atomic Energy Agency stated that it will provide professional assistance to the Japanese side based on scientific knowledge. At the same time, it will also release information to the international community to report on the actual situation of Fukushima nuclear-contaminated water disposal and environmental monitoring.

  The Japanese government stated that it will take positive actions to dispel the doubts of the local area and neighboring countries in Fukushima and to promote the safety of nuclear sewage into the sea.

But no matter what, Japan should give priority to global environmental issues, not just focus on its own interests.

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