China News Service, March 5th (Chen Caixia) On March 5th, Japan's Kyodo News reported a worrying news.

  According to reports, Japan's Tokyo Electric Power Company's investigation of the inside of the reactor containment of Unit 1 of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant showed that the material from the melted nuclear fuel (fuel debris) was not completely cleaned up in those years, and it is likely that it is still distributed in a large area today. The surface of the bottom accumulation.

  As Japan plans to discharge nuclear wastewater into the sea in 2023, it is hard to imagine what impact these nuclear fuel fragments will have if they are exposed...

Data map: Aerial photography of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in Japan.

A large amount of radioactive nuclear residues, endless troubles

  According to Kyodo News, in December 2022, Tepco launched an underwater robot equipped with radiation detection sensors into the water-logged containment shell, and lowered the sensors to the bottom accumulation.

  In February 2023, according to the analysis results, it was found that strong neutron rays emitted by the fuel fragments were detected, as well as radiation indicating the presence of the radioactive substance "europium-154" contained in the fuel fragments.

  In addition, Tepco conducted investigations on the outside of the base supporting the reactor pressure vessel containing nuclear fuel, and all eight locations detected the characteristic nuclear radiation emitted by fuel fragments.

  According to analysis, the fuel fragments of unit 1 broke through the pressure vessel and flowed from the opening of the base directly below to the bottom of the containment vessel.

Near the opening, there appears to be a deposit of melted structures, which tend to become thinner the farther away from the opening, and may contain fuel fragments.

Data map: Nuclear sewage water storage tank of Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in Japan.

  There is no correlation between the thickness of the deposit, the distance from the opening, and the measured amount of europium radiation. TEPCO believes that "substances from fuel fragments exist near the surface of the deposit."

  Fuel debris refers to objects formed by melting nuclear fuel and structures and then cooling and solidifying, but there are also tiny particles scattered from the debris, which Tokyo Electric believes are "substances derived from fuel debris."

  In the future, TEPCO will also let the underwater robot enter the inside of the base, and try to take pictures of the internal damage and the lower part of the pressure vessel.

Discharging nuclear wastewater into the Pacific Ocean, Japan is "iron"

  Although the real situation of the Fukushima nuclear power plant is not very clear, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida made it clear at the Senate Budget Committee meeting recently that Tokyo will start to discharge nuclear water into the sea. Change".

Data map: Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.

Photo by Zhang Ming issued by China News Agency

  Kishida said that he will earnestly promote the decommissioning of the reactor, and believes that "in order to realize the reconstruction of Fukushima, the disposal of treated water is an issue that cannot be postponed."

The Cadet Democratic Party criticized that it has not yet been understood by people related to the fishing industry.

  In fact, since the Japanese government announced earlier that it would discharge nuclear wastewater into the Pacific Ocean, there have been endless voices of opposition in Japan and abroad.

  First of all, the Japanese people could not accept this matter.

  In March 2022, a number of non-governmental organizations in Fukushima and Miyagi prefectures in Japan submitted a petition letter signed by 180,000 people to the Tokyo Electric Power Company and the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry against the discharge of sewage from the Fukushima nuclear power plant into the sea. Other methods of processing are required.

  People from all walks of life in Japan have also spontaneously held demonstrations and rallies many times, questioning that the government has not fully listened to public opinion and unilaterally implemented this decision.

Data map: Outside the Prime Minister's Office in Tokyo, Japan, people gathered to protest against the government's plan to discharge nuclear wastewater from the Fukushima nuclear power plant into the sea.

  Kenichi Oshima, a professor at the Department of Policy at Ryukoku University in Japan, once said, "The discharge of nuclear contaminated water into the sea not only destroys the fishing grounds on which local fishermen rely for their survival, but also affects the surrounding sea areas, causing adverse effects on the global marine ecological environment."

  Japan's approach has also aroused strong opposition from neighboring countries.

  The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs has repeatedly reiterated that the disposal of Fukushima nuclear-contaminated water is related to the global marine environment and the public health of Pacific Rim countries, and it is by no means a private matter for Japan.

China once again urges Japan to earnestly fulfill its due international obligations, dispose of nuclear-contaminated water in a scientific, open, transparent and safe manner, and stop forcing the sea discharge plan.

  The South Korean government also expressed concern about Japan's nuclear regulator approving the discharge of sewage into the sea and will take countermeasures.

At the same time, South Korea will enhance cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency to strengthen the detection of domestic marine environmental radiation.

  The Russian side has also stated that it will pay attention to Japan's treatment of nuclear wastewater and express concern about its actions.

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