Less than 1/40 of the Japanese Standard
Significantly Lower Than WHO Standard
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) stated that the concentration of tritium in the contaminated water discharged for the second time by Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) is much lower than the standard level.
In a statement on the 5th (local time), when Japan began the second discharge of contaminated water, the IAEA said, "Experts stationed at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant office independently analyzed samples of contaminated water taken during the dilution stage before the discharge on the 3rd, just like the first discharge, and confirmed that the tritium concentration is very low."
According to the discharge-related data provided in real-time by TEPCO to the IAEA, the tritium concentration in the diluted contaminated water was recorded at 206 becquerels (Bq) per liter (ℓ) as of 5:30 p.m. local time.
The tritium concentration is a key indicator for evaluating the safety of the discharged contaminated water. Japan processes the contaminated water stored in tanks at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant through the ALPS (Advanced Liquid Processing System) treatment process to remove multiple radionuclides, then dilutes it with seawater before releasing it into the ocean. However, tritium remains in the contaminated water even after this process. Japan plans to dilute it with seawater according to international safety standards.
Regarding the tritium concentration of 206 Bq/ℓ in the discharged contaminated water shown in the real-time data, the IAEA evaluated it as "less than one-fortieth of Japan's operational discharge standard (1500 Bq/ℓ)." It is also lower than the tritium concentration standard of 10,000 Bq/ℓ set by the World Health Organization (WHO) for drinking water quality guidelines.
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