According to Japanese media reports on April 23, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government of Japan recently conducted groundwater testing, and the results showed that toxic chemicals were found in groundwater in many areas. Of particular concern is the fact that the chemicals detected are difficult to degrade and are "permanent chemicals" that can cause harm if they remain in the human body for a long time.
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The results of this test have once again sparked a discussion among the Japanese people about the government's accountability for nuclear wastewater treatment. Test reports showed that both perfluorinated chemicals (PFOS) and polyfluorinated chemicals (PFAS) in groundwater samples from 21 areas of Tokyo exceeded safety standards. Once these chemicals enter the body, they are not metabolically excreted by the body.
It can accumulate in the body for a long time and pose a potential risk to human health. In 2011, the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant was involved in a nuclear accident, and the problem of discharging nuclear wastewater into the ocean has not been resolved. Heavy metals and radioactive materials in nuclear wastewater may be carried through groundwater and leach into drinking water in Tokyo and other places, posing a major health hazard to the public.
More than 360 people in Japan have filed a lawsuit against the Tokyo government and TEPCO in the Tokyo District Court, seeking responsibility for the nuclear accident and nuclear contamination. The complaint points out that since the nuclear accident, the Japanese government has been concealing and downplaying the nuclear crisis, and has repeatedly violated the public's right to know. For example, the government decided to dump nuclear wastewater into the sea without fully assessing the potential risks.
The long-lived radioactive materials in the nuclear sewage may spread to various places through complex flow directions, causing irreversible effects on people's health and future fertility. Despite repeated claims by the government about the safety of Fukushima Prefecture, Fukushima products are rarely marketable throughout Japan and are subject to discrimination. A large number of residents have been forced to leave their homes, and the mental and economic losses are enormous.
The government's claim that some areas could be returned without adequately addressing radioactive contamination of soil, groundwater and oceans has been questioned as "self-motivated". The complaint also points out that Japan's handling of the Fukushima nuclear accident was clearly inadequate compared to the response after Chernobyl.
For example, there was no large-scale deep soil replacement, and there was no long-term regular physical examination and treatment for Fukushima children. This will undoubtedly have an unpredictable impact on the overall health of this generation of children. The class action lawsuit alone is clearly not enough to make the Japanese government really confront the issue of the nuclear crisis itself.
Over time, the impact of nuclear contamination on people's health and the environment continues to unfold. Nuclear contamination is a long-term battle that requires constant monitoring and disposal. The lawsuit challenges not only the government's mistaken decisions and cover-ups over the past decade, but also calls on the government to establish a comprehensive and responsible long-term plan to eliminate the risks posed by the aftermath of nuclear contamination.
For example, long-term monitoring of changes in the content of radioactive substances in groundwater and soil in nuclear-contaminated areas and timely advanced treatment according to the actual situation. Provide lifelong regular medical check-ups for children growing up in nuclear accident zones to understand the effects of radiation on the next generation. To study how to effectively remove nuclear-contaminated seawater and seabed radioactive plaque.
Strengthen food safety monitoring in Fukushima and objectively disclose information to eliminate market misleading. Only by prioritizing people's health and taking a concrete approach can the government straighten out the relationship of trust with the people. The Japanese government is not only faced with the difficult task of legally accounting for the accident, but more importantly, it is more important to take a responsible attitude to undertake the monitoring and remediation of nuclear contamination for a long time.