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Japan discharges second batch of treated water from Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant into sea

The IAEA said that it intends to inspect the equipment used for the discharge and hold meetings with the Japanese side to discuss the process

TOKYO, October 23. /TASS/. Japanese specialists have completed the discharge of a second batch of treated water from Japan's Fukushima-1 Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) into the Pacific Ocean, the Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) reported.

During the second phase, about 7,800 tons of water was discharged, which corresponds to the volume of the first phase of the discharge, which ended on September 11. TEPCO said that no anomalies or deviations from the set parameters have been detected so far.

A working group from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) arrived in Japan earlier on another inspection mission to monitor the discharge process. The agency said that it intends to inspect the equipment used for the discharge and hold meetings with the Japanese side to discuss the process. In addition, experts from Canada, China and South Korea, together with IAEA specialists, have been gathering seawater samples in the area of the Fukushima NPP for several days to verify the safety of the discharge, the agency added.

The discharged water is being treated via the ALPS system and diluted with seawater, but still contains tritium that cannot be removed. The maximum allowable concentration of tritium in the water is 1,500 becquerels per liter. However, the discharge process must be suspended if the detected concentration exceeds 700 becquerels per liter. By the end of the current fiscal year (ending March 31, 2024), about 31,200 tons will have been discharged into the sea.

On October 16, Russia’s Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Supervision (Rosselkhoznadzor) as a precautionary measure joined China’s temporary restrictive measures on imports of fish and seafood from Japan. The restrictions will remain in place until comprehensive information is provided for confirming the safety of aquatic products and compliance with the requirements of the Eurasian Economic Union, as well as their analysis by the Russian agency’s specialists.