TOKYO, August 21. /TASS/. The government of Japan notified Russia and China about difficulties in forecasting the effects that the discharge of water from the crippled Fukishima nuclear power plant will have on the region’s air, the Kyodo news agency said on Monday citing diplomatic sources.

According to the report, the related information was handed over to Russia and China in response to their query about potential consequences of evaporation of Fukushuma water after it is released into the ocean.

The response says that "making forecasts on how vapors will spread will be problematic." It also says that "monitoring the levels of radioactive elements will become a separate task," Kyodo reported.

Japanese Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Yasutoshi Nishimura told reporters in Tokyo that on August 22 the government of Japan plans to make the final decision about the timeframe of Fukushima water discharge. According to the NHK television, the process may begin on August 24 or within the next few days.

In 2011, a tsunami caused damage to power supply and cooling systems at the Fukushima-1 nuclear power plant, which caused a nuclear fuel meltdown in three reactors, accompanied by explosions and the emission of radiation into the atmosphere. Vast territories were contaminated, forcing the evacuation of tens of thousands of people. The reactors used water for cooling, and storing this water has become problematic due to its large volume - over 1,25 million tons. In April, 2021, the Japanese government authorized the discharge of a large amount of this water, which is said to be mostly cleared of radioactive substances, but still contains tritium - a radioactive hydrogen isotope.

The Tokyo Electric Power company underscored that the tritium content in the water is being brought to one fortieth of the minimum allowable standard set by the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) and the government of Japan, and one seventh of the level allowed by the World Health Organization for drinking water. Despite this, Tokyo’s plans have drawn sharp criticism from a number of countries - mainly, South Korea and China. Japan plans to discharge the water in stages over a 30-year period. The IAEA intends to monitor the process on a continuous basis - in the last few years, IAEA specialists have carried out several inspections at the power plant.