A black rockfish caught near the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in May was found to have levels of radioactive cesium that are 180 times Japan's safety limit. The fish contained 18,000 becquerels per kilogram of cesium-137, compared to the legal maximum level of 100 becquerels per kg. This discovery raises concerns about the plan to release 1.3 million tonnes of treated water from the Fukushima plant, which has already sparked opposition from Hong Kong and led China to implement blanket radioactivity testing of Japanese seafood imports. The fish was caught near drainage outlets where rainwater from the areas around reactors one, two, and three flows. Tokyo Electric Power Company (Tepco), the operator of the plant, claims that the impact on the public and environment from the water discharge will be minimal. However, the recent discovery of other fish with high levels of radioactivity suggests ongoing contamination in the area.
Mon, 24 Jul 2023 01:25:00 GMT | The Guardian