Fukushima Wastewater Release: Unanswered Questions and Global Concerns

The decision made by Japan to commence discharge of Fukushima's wastewater on August 24, 2023, has understandably triggered widespread protests from numerous countries. This contentious move is intrinsically tied to the aftermath of the devastating Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster of 2011, an event that crippled the cooling system of the nuclear power plant and induced overheating in the reactor cores. In a bid to mitigate radioactivity levels of the contaminated water, an Advanced Liquid Processing System (ALPS) was employed to eliminate a substantial portion of radioactive contaminants from the water. The Japanese government, along with certain scientists, contends that the ALPS-treated water is safe for discharge into the ocean, asserting minimal risks to both human health and the environment. Nonetheless, lingering apprehensions persist within the scientific community regarding the potential long-term consequences of this discharge. In this article we express our strong concerns over the decision taken by Japan notably because currently there no evidence about the safety of the decision to discharge the contaminated water.