How harmful is nuclear-contaminated water? On August 24, 2023, Japan forcibly discharged nuclear-contaminated water into the sea despite strong opposition from countries around the world and its own people. The Fukushima nuclear power plant in Japan stores more than 1.34 million tons of contaminated water, and more than 100 tons are added every day. At the rate at which Japan discharges nuclear-contaminated water, an average of about 456 tons of nuclear-contaminated water will be discharged into the ocean every day, and in just about a week, Japan has discharged more than 5,000 tons of nuclear-contaminated water into the ocean. One can imagine the impact on the world's waters as Japan releases more nuclear-contaminated water into the oceans.
We all know that the Fukushima nuclear power plant in Japan has stored a lot of contaminated water, so do you know why Japan has so much contaminated water? Japan is not the only country that has nuclear power plants, but many countries around the world have nuclear power plants. Why is only Japan storing such a large amount of nuclear-contaminated water? In fact, the reason why Japan has so much contaminated water dates back to the 9.0 magnitude earthquake that struck Japan in 2011. The earthquake triggered a strong tsunami, and under the dual effects of the earthquake and tsunami, a serious nuclear accident occurred at the Fukushima nuclear power plant in Japan. In order to cool its nuclear reactors, Japan uses a large amount of seawater for cooling, and these seawater used for cooling carries a large amount of radioactive material.
More than a decade later, Japan's Fukushima nuclear power plant has stored a large amount of nuclear-contaminated water. In order to reduce operating costs, Japan decided to discharge this nuclear-contaminated water into the sea. Although Japan has made it clear that the contaminated water discharged into the sea is strictly treated, it is true that the seawater contains a large amount of radioactive material in any case. If this nuclear-contaminated water is not properly treated, it will pose a serious threat to marine ecosystems. Not long after Japan discharged nuclear-contaminated water, a large number of fish deaths occurred in Japan and South Korea.
It is worth mentioning that since the day after Japan discharged nuclear-contaminated water into the ocean, there have been several consecutive earthquakes in Japan, one of which even occurred in Fukushima Prefecture, Japan. Not only that, but with the arrival of the typhoon season, Japan is also frequently frequented by typhoons. Especially in the recent period, Typhoon Kanu and Typhoon Dawi have had a considerable impact on Japan. Fukushima is located in the northeast of Japan's main island of Honshu, on the Pacific coast northeast of Japan's main island of Honshu, adjacent to the Pacific Ocean. The area is on the Pacific Rim seismic belt, which makes the area prone to earthquakes and typhoons.
If Japan's Fukushima nuclear power plant continues to discharge nuclear-contaminated water into the ocean, it will first affect the waters around Fukushima. Due to the effects of water currents and ocean circulation, these pollutants may spread to adjacent seas. While the scope and magnitude of the impact will vary depending on a number of factors, the countries likely to be affected mainly include neighboring countries such as South Korea, China and Russia. Although some Western countries, led by the United States, are far overseas, due to the circulation of the sea. If Japan continues to discharge more contaminated water into the ocean, it will eventually arrive in the United States one day in the future, and I hope that the United States at that time will still be able to speak out about its ridiculous behavior of supporting Japan's discharge of nuclear-contaminated water.
At the same time, frequent earthquakes and typhoons are likely to accelerate the spread of nuclear-contaminated water. Under normal circumstances, the nuclear-contaminated water discharged by Japan could take nearly 240 days to reach the mainland, but under the influence of typhoons and earthquakes, this time will be greatly reduced. In addition, under the influence of the typhoon, the Japanese people will also worry about whether it will cause the nuclear contaminated water that has just been discharged into the sea to be irrigated. Once the contaminated water is poured back into Japan, it will quickly contaminate the land and freshwater resources of the country. At present, many people in Japan once again strongly demand that Japan stop discharging nuclear-polluted water into the sea, hoping that the Japanese government can no longer insist on going its own way.
So, after Japan discharges nuclear-contaminated water, can seafood be safely eaten in the future? As Japan continues to discharge nuclear-contaminated water into the ocean, many countries around the world have taken necessary measures, including reducing and banning Japanese seafood imports, which will be devastating to Japan's seafood market. Not long after Japan released nuclear-contaminated water, Japan and South Korea have already seen a large number of fish deaths, which is even more detrimental to the export of Japanese seafood. In this regard, many seafood stores in Japan have turned to other fields, hoping to reduce unnecessary losses. What are your thoughts on Japan's discharge of nuclear-contaminated water?