The discharge of treated water from Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi NPP (FDNPP) is proceeding in line with international safety standards, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Task Force confirmed today in its fourth report since the water discharge began in August 2023. The monitoring programmes carried out for the ALPS (Advanced Liquid Processing System) treated water are also consistent with the relevant international safety standards and guidance, the report states.
During its fourth mission to Japan from 26 to 30 May, the Task Force observed the ALPS treated water discharge facilities at Fukushima and met with government and municipal officials, as well as representatives from plant operator Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings (Tepco).
The Task Force report reaffirmed the findings of its safety review outlined in the IAEA Comprehensive Report. It highlighted that the Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) has maintained regulatory oversight of the ALPS treated water through its monitoring programmes and its onsite presence. The Task Force confirmed that the water discharge equipment and facilities are operating in accordance with relevant international safety standards.
IAEA’s extensive monitoring and assessment activities for the safety review of ALPS treated water include a series of Inter Laboratory Comparisons (ILCs) which have already confirmed Tepco’s capabilities for accurately measuring the radionuclides in the treated water stored on site, and the capabilities of Japan’s laboratories for accurate measuring of the radionuclides in seawater, sediment, fish and seaweed samples.
Additionally, IAEA experts stationed at the Agency’s Fukushima office conduct regular independent on-site analyses of the batches of treated water. The IAEA earlier confirmed that the tritium concentrations in the 15 batches of ALPS treated water were far below operational limits.
IAEA collected and analysed samples onsite at FDNPP of the diluted water that was being prepared for discharge as part of this latest batch. The results confirmed that the tritium concentration is far below the operational limit of 1,500 becquerels per litre and is in line with international safety standards.
Japan started to discharge the ALPS-treated water in August 2023 and will release it in a series of batches over the next decades. The ALPS system removes all radioisotopes except tritium. The treated water is diluted with seawater prior to discharge. Approximately 109,000 cubic metres of water has been released in the first 14 batches. The IAEA has confirmed that the tritium concentrations in this 15th batch were far below the international safety standards and operational limits.
International experts from the People’s Republic of China, the Republic of Korea, New Zealand, the Russian Federation and Switzerland, joined IAEA staff for the sampling of the seawater and marine samples.
The samples will be analysed by participating laboratories including: the China Institute for Radiation Protection, the Korea Institute for Nuclear Safety, the Environmental Radioactivity Laboratory in New Zealand, Lomonosov Moscow State University in the Russian Federation, the Spiez Laboratory in Switzerland, the IAEA Marine Environment Laboratories in Monaco and designated laboratories in Japan.
All international laboratories involved are members of the IAEA’s Analytical Laboratories for the Measurement of Environmental Radioactivity (ALMERA) network, selected for their demonstrated expertise and analytical excellence.
