What is the impact of the Fukushima water release? | The Take

Protesters around the Pacific have been out in force against the release of wastewater from the Fukushima nuclear plant into the Pacific Ocean. On August 24, Japan began the disposal of water used for cooling in the years since the meltdown of three power plant reactors. It has been 12 years since an earthquake triggered a devastating tsunami that killed thousands and set off the meltdown. Now, critics say this latest plan is making it even harder to heal old wounds. So how will this wastewater release impact the people who rely on the Pacific?
In this episode:
Hanako Montgomery, freelance reporter
Episode credits:
This episode was produced by Sonia Bhagat with Chloe K. Li and our host Malika Bilal. Khaled Soltan fact-checked this episode.
Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our lead of audience development and engagement is Aya Elmileik. Munera AlDosari and Adam Abou-Gad are our engagement producers.
Alexandra Locke is The Take’s executive producer, and Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera's head of audio.

[@Am-mo2iq]

The question is simple, if it is so safe, why don't they save it for their own country to use. Japan suppose to be a country for recycle everything, even raining water, why don't they save the contaminated water for Japan? Is the action already answered the question, that the water is dangerous.

[@danadurnfordkevinblanchdebunk]

Why doesn't your country save the tritiated water it releases for your own country to use?

[@MrGuitar-gn5ri]

Those responsible of releasing the water should eat the fish caught by Fukushima fishermen for a month. To show that it is safe to eat!

[@danadurnfordkevinblanchdebunk]

The Japanese live longer than you do eating their fish.

[@paulskiye6930]

Dilution to safety levels. But the amount of toxic content does not change if you dilute it in the end if you are going to discharge them all.

[@LCCATCX]

Many people failed to see this. This is just deception. You achieve nothing by diluting it with sea water and then release it back into the sea. You might as well just dump it directly into the sea because it is going to be diluted by the sea anyway. There is no difference between dumping a bucket of waste water into a swimming pool directly and diluting it with the pool water to make it into 3 buckets of "diluted" waste water and then dump all 3 buckets into the swimming pool.

[@edward3190]

China ban Japan's seafood, USA has extreme restriction to their seafood. The rest of the world should enjoy Japan seafood as much as possible to support their economy.

[@diazvirdani1059]

*Japan🇯🇵 have islands disputes with China, Russia, South Korea.* make border agreement & keep peace

[@waikitjim5668]

Let’s assign August 24 as “Save Ocean Day “ and we need to remember this important day every single year.

[@theemporersnewclothes]

Dilution is not the solution to pollution ☢

[@alexanderboulton2123]

And neither is inaction.

[@monicakieck7501]

Terrible; where are they going to 🐟; soon the chemical water will reach other oceans😢

[@alexanderboulton2123]

1. Radiation is not chemicals. 2. The radiation levels are less than you would pick up from taking a flight from LA to Tokyo. 3. What do you think they should do with the water? Keep it in the land, where it seeps into the soil and creates a radiational dead zone for the next thousand years? I understand the desire to protect the oceans, but please, realize that your fear for the fish and the fishermen's livelihoods is doing more harm than good, and really isn't actually preventing any harm from being done.

[@davidleomorley889]

The executives at Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant ....should be forced to publicly drink a gallon of it...on camera.

[@danadurnfordkevinblanchdebunk]

Then the executives in your country should be forced to do the same with the tritiated water they release.

[@davidleomorley889]

@@danadurnfordkevinblanchdebunk Great, no problem. Let’s make it happen.

[@danadurnfordkevinblanchdebunk]

@@davidleomorley889 You see the basis of your nonsense is your ignorance. All nuclear power plants release this tritiated water and nothing in world history has been injured by this practice.

[@azurecliff8709]

The treated water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant has already been released into the ocean, but Japanese people continue to eat Fukushima marine fish as usual. 🐟🐟🐟🐟🦐

[@danadurnfordkevinblanchdebunk]

And they live longer than anyone else on the planet. 🐟🐟🐟🐟🦐🐟🐟🐟🐟🦐

[@huei5605]

I always wonder if the filtering system named ALPS is so great, it should be nominated for Nobel prize...

[@danadurnfordkevinblanchdebunk]

It's pretty simple actually. Elements of radionuclides are particles (except tritium) which can be removed with the proper filters.

[@jarosawbielski2301]

Then you will understand righteousness and law, honesty and all righteous conduct.

[@ScoobyDoo-zp1sq]

Crime against humanity

[@danadurnfordkevinblanchdebunk]

Please show your evidence of a crime.

[@binder666]

Japan's actions are merely "controversial" and it will suffer no consequences. Imagine if China had released radioactive water into the sea. There would've been international condemnation, diplomats would've been recalled, international sanctions would've been imposed, etc, etc. Talk about double-standards.

[@sevengates555]

China releases significantly more tritium into the sea. In 2021 China released more than ten times the amount than Fukushima.

[@bklynnyify]

Exactly! Shame on Japan, the so called scientists who obviously got paid by Japan, the Biden administration, corrupt S. Korean current regime that's fully supporting Japan's crime for political reason and the rest of the European countries who are silent on this unthinkable atrocity against humanity!

[@trmon8890]

China does release their radioactive waste into the ocean and they also release slag from all their coal fire power plants . The world turns a blind eye to anything China does. Why won't Al Jazeera investigate that and do a pod cast????? They must be scared to

[@CmdrSoCal]

China has released 100 times the radioactive waste that Japan is scheduled to release. China releases many times Fukishima waste levels every year. China is protected because it is the ideal prison state for the people who run and own the world.

[@binder666]

@@CmdrSoCal I agree with you; China does own and run the world.

[@user-hp9wi7tm6b]

We have only one 🌍,we have only one ocean 🌊.

[@mairepcod4063]

Thanks,

[@kellybu3113]

The so-called treated water released now was polluted at the disruption of the nuclear power plant, not the waste water used to cool down the plant in the ordinary operation.

[@danadurnfordkevinblanchdebunk]

ALPS removes all but the tritium so it's identical.

[@qfiver1547]

All nuclear power stations discharge cooling water that may contain traceable amount of tritium. The water collected in the Fukushima reactor core meltdown contains a lot of other harmful radionuclides, such as carbon-14, strontium-90 (SR-90), and iodine-129 etc the problem being not all of these radionuclides can be effectively removed.

[@danadurnfordkevinblanchdebunk]

@@qfiver1547 Except you forgot to mention the water is TREATED through ALPS which removes all but the tritium.

[@qfiver1547]

@@danadurnfordkevinblanchdebunk Wrong! Not all radioactive contaminants are removed. TEPCO admitted that 66% of the supposedly "safe to drink" water in those tanks contains high doses of radionuclides that were not filtered out.

[@danadurnfordkevinblanchdebunk]

@@qfiver1547 The water never had "high doses" even before filtration.

[@platinumtp]

Which other countries release nuclear waste water into the ocean? Do they notify the world prior?

[@platinumtp]

What happens to the filtered radioactive poisons removed from the water?

[@danadurnfordkevinblanchdebunk]

@@platinumtp All nuclear power plants in the world release the same tritiated water. Full environmental reports are available online.

[@qfiver1547]

@@platinumtp Not all poisons can be effectively filtered, the most problematic ones being carbon-14, strontium-90 and iodine-129, which will be released in the discharges.

[@JoseReyes-wo2lm]

( when we pollute our water s that the end of us , 💀☠️!)

[@truthboom]

microplastic is already found in human bodies ☠, now wait for nanoplastic inside the brain

[@qfiver1547]

Some people may get confused. All nuclear power stations discharge cooling water that may contain traceable amount of tritium. The water collected in the Fukushima reactor core meltdown disaster contains a lot of other harmful radionuclides, such as carbon-14, strontium-90 (SR-90), and iodine-129 etc the problem being not all harmful radionuclides can be effectively removed.

[@danadurnfordkevinblanchdebunk]

You are the one confused. ALPS removes all but the tritium.

[@gocean1026]

Let other countries to test the treated water. If they did not lie, no fear to test it again and again in front of the world!

[@danadurnfordkevinblanchdebunk]

Four countries have tested the water.

[@crestbay]

That release of contaminated water is about 60 gal/day. That does seem like an amount to raise concerns.

[@liuwenyi1993de]

I believe Japan may have forgotten how World War II ended in the end. Someone needs to remind him

[@danadurnfordkevinblanchdebunk]

R A C l S T much?

[@maggiechan33]

@@danadurnfordkevinblanchdebunk How is the 1st post racist ??? The Reality is that Japan was NEVER properly punished for her millions of depraved crimes against her poorer Asian neighbors during WW II. Abe would go to Yasukuni + honored the convict Japanese war criminals. Now the the support of the US, Japan again exposes her true self: contempt + total disregard for those whom have to share the Pacific with her.

[@danadurnfordkevinblanchdebunk]

@@maggiechan33 Both your comment and the original post scream it. What Japan did to many countries has no bearing whatsoever on this video or the water release. More than a dozen countries were raped by Japan 80 years ago, but your governments in China and South Korea are taught continual hate where other countries have moved on.

[@user-cy4bp4uz9f]

If it's safe, why don't they keep in the existing plant

[@danadurnfordkevinblanchdebunk]

Why doesn't your country keep its tritiated water within your existing plants?

[@Eric-zo8wo]

0:24: 🌊 Japan begins releasing treated wastewater from the Fukushima Nuclear Plant, causing concern among local fishermen and neighboring countries. 5:14: 🌊 The Fukushima nuclear plant in Japan is planning to release 1.34 million tons of treated radioactive wastewater into the Sea of Japan. 10:41: 😢 The Japanese government and Tepco decided to release treated radioactive wastewater into the ocean, despite concerns from citizens and skepticism about their handling of the Fukushima disaster. 14:37: 😡 Protesters and neighboring countries condemn Japan's decision to release treated wastewater from Fukushima nuclear plant into the ocean. 18:40: 💧 The release of treated nuclear wastewater from the Fukushima nuclear plant into the ocean has been heavily criticized, and there are concerns about the impact on local fishermen. Recap by Tammy AI

[@CaneBTC]

Finally Kaiju will come, it took long

[@johnholland6958]

Can someone explain to me how diluting the water is supposed to make any difference? The amount of waste water hasn't changed. Are they getting the water from somewhere other than the Pacific ocean?

[@superpowerdragon]

they think that hurting everyone a little is better than hurting themselves economically

[@edward3190]

diluting would help pass the some tests for evaluating the safety, to make it a bit legally "safe"

[@peterbeer8657]

There is pollution absolutely everywhere. Microplastics is one example. So fearing this treated water is irrational. It has some radioactivity but you get exposed to radioactivity at other times too... Did you know you could kill yourself by drinking too much pure perfectly clean water? This is because the water gets stored all over your body until your body get overloaded. Has nothing to do with Fukushima. You would need to drink maybe 10+ liters of water, but it could kill you. Because you drank too much. Too much is bad. Same goes with radiation. If you take an airplane, while you are in the sky closer to space you also get some amount of extra radiation. But does that keep people from taking plane flights? No, because a little bit of it isn't that harmful. China has always hated Japan and now they have a reason to mess with them and they love it. Japan is not going to create a massive extinction event by releasing this lightly radioactive water, it's all propaganda. Do you really think Japan would risk releasing the water so close to their own country? Because if there really was going to be this massive problem, they are the closest, so they would get the effects first and the hardest.

[@samueljr.2026]

When the potable water had finished i will drink only wine.

[@danadurnfordkevinblanchdebunk]

There is always around 3400 grams of naturally occurring tritium in the earth‘s atmosphere as it is constantly being produced by cosmic radiation interacting with the upper atmosphere. Most of those 3400 grams are in the earth‘s oceans. The water in Fukushima only contains 2-3 grams of tritium so releasing it all at once would have no measurable impact.

[@bagsjr1]

These ladies aren't very good reporters. Just re-hashing what we already know with little specific details, radiation level changes etc. Sad.

[@AnnieO100]

Every living creature in the sea dies. This is biblical.

[@danadurnfordkevinblanchdebunk]

Nothing on the planet has ever died due to tritium exposure, either from man-made or natural sources.

[@RossingtonRules]

So sad. Praying for those people and our planet.

[@danadurnfordkevinblanchdebunk]

Why? Does prayer help? Nothing in world history has ever been injured by the release of this tritiated water.

[@alexanderboulton2123]

I ask them then: What would YOU do with the water? Do you want to release it into the ocean, which the government and all studies say is perfectly safe if done slowly and carefully? Or keep it where it is, in high concentration where it will leak into the soil and SLOWLY KILL THE REGION AND EVERYONE IN IT?

[@platinumtp]

Why are the initial visuals of this story Korean instead of Japanese?

[@danadurnfordkevinblanchdebunk]

China and South Korea are the ones that are "complaining" about the water release, even though they both release more tritiated water than Japan does.

[@eiremos]

Regrets , but I am not a lobbyist !

[@eiremos]

Hello ; Nuclear (that appears to not being energy) represent a negligeable part of world's electricity ; There are many reasons for that : The main is only countries (and pushed into error countries) that uses nuclear weapons have it , the others reasons are that without a lot of fossils energies , its impossible to do nuclear (build, maintain and dismantle at end of it's life) , pollutions for centuries and so on ... Thank-you

[@jarrodyuki7081]

well refer nations who refuse our fish to the wto.

[@user-kn9xi4gm5k]

fool me once shame on you fool me twice shame on me fool me thrice? shame on JPN government

[@danadurnfordkevinblanchdebunk]

All nuclear power plants have always released the same tritiated water.

[@mudcrabsea3654]

since it is safe, japan should use the water for the japanese household in the whole country....why discharge them into the sea?

[@danadurnfordkevinblanchdebunk]

Why doesn't your country use your tritiated water for your household use?

[@Mashquke]

What do they say world famos scientists about the dangers.what about the fishes in the see the DNS and Chromosom?

[@kimjongun9232]

Hirohito was the criminal of war crimes and brutal war crimes there is evidence and a link was well capturing their stories of pain. Does that mean till date Korea, Philippine, Taiwan or China hate Japan. America dropped nuclear weapons on Japan does that mean Japan hates America. Hating a person is different from country. When a leader gives away Ego and becomes brand ambassador of eating the food and proving it's worth then think the line impact of business as well. Leaders are getting their opinion in front not welfare of country or people. Iran going savage on the dress code all the time is personal choice or opinion. Alexander occupied such a vast place was for the country to flourish and tap the routes and barter system. Augustus era of Rome was golden era for people because their decision reflected people first, waited for decades knowing that Anthony and Cleopatra was responsible but place was secured and when they attacked, they are defeated and Egypt became the highest producer of grains which was used by vespasian later to stake claim. They were more into places and it's benefits for places not to impose their personal choice

[@wastelandnerd]

A bit sensationalist this report.

[@danadurnfordkevinblanchdebunk]

99% of them are fear mongering. It's what generates the views they are seeking.

[@ranjitpal9937]

Be Positive 🎉

[@eiremos]

Hello , I do not accuse poeple I do not know , being racist or what ever else . On next insult , I will have the obligation to report you for uncivism attitude . Thank-you

[@eiremos]

Here kind of poor answers from lobbyists : "Does prayer help? Nothing in world history has ever been injured by the release of this tritiated water"

[@danadurnfordkevinblanchdebunk]

So prayer helps with the Fukushima water? Please do present your evidence of the effectiveness of such.

[@eiremos]

Hello ; I agree with you ; Thanks to praying for human's kind destiny

[@danadurnfordkevinblanchdebunk]

@@eiremos I don't pray since praying doesn't do anything. All countries with nuclear power plants have always released the same tritiated water and nothing in world history has ever been injured by this practice.

[@Eric-ox5hk]

Lol at all the armchair nuclear scientists in the comments section....

[@marilynlucas5128]

Whenever there’s a ‘problem’ , it’s never really a problem but a lack of good leadership and knowledge. If the tritiated water they are discharging into the ocean was treated as they claim, then it’s an incredibly crazy idea to dumb it into ocean. The tritium in the water can be recovered using a polymer like polyaniline. So they could have removed all the tritium with polyaniline and buried it using the same strategy the Finnish are using to dispose of nuclear waste. An even better idea is to use the tritium doped PANI to make nuclear batteries to power the production of hydrogen . There’s also Ruthenium in the water they are discharging. Ruthenium can be used in CO2 reduction to valuable chemicals. If they ignored all these great ways of using the radio isotopes they are discharging into the ocean, then it means they are hiding something or they just have poor leaders. I’m surprised an advanced country like Japan is doing this.

[@BotDetector-44]

Source: trust me bro, I know more than the government and hundreds of scientists

[@marilynlucas5128]

@@BotDetector-44 yup. I’m one of the smartest people who ever lived. I study all day and all night.

[@platinumtp]

@marilynlucas5128, If these are options, then I prescribe prison sentences for those responsible for the disposal!

[@Truthseeker371]

What are feasible realistic alternatives? China, France, the UK , Canada and the US have nuclear power plants and they release the wasted water regularly. Be more factual, please. TEPCO should buy up all the fish from Fukushima fishermen and offer to both the executives and staff at their cantine. Also, the politicians should eat them to prove its safety. Had the Fukushima nuclear zone residents not accepted the bribery grom TEPCO, and opposed the construction of the plant initially, they don't have to suffer now. Money is always enticing. Contemplation on the possible solutions is more worth in this case of investigative journalism, than lamenting and sympathising emotionally . Finally, don't forget we all have to die sooner or later. The question to ask is if we want to die from preventitive causes or not. I don't want to die from eating additives and preservatives in the readily available food. The US consumers don't seem to care about it. Obeisity has a lot higher death risk. Bemusing topic.

[@patrickyoon9191]

Japan Please sell all your fishes ,🐠🐟and🦞🦀🦑 Aqua-Culture products to US and Europe. If they had say it is very safe to eat, If other near-by countries are not buying your Japanese fishes and sea products.👍👍👍👻☠️👹

[@danadurnfordkevinblanchdebunk]

All nuclear power plants on the planet release this same tritiated water, the US more than Japan.

[@pingchu3358]

If is it is really SAFE, Why not release the radioactive water into their own country. Japan is in need of water resource, Why not Japan to use these hundred of Millions tons of 'Safe Water' for the plants and fruit irrigation ....or used that for cleaning streets and culprits!! Or Japan is so confident....use that for home use like flushing the toilets. (I am not asking the Japanese to drink them since it is 'old water !!) Haaaaa!!

[@jinnuoliu2350]

because the release water is sea water

[@danadurnfordkevinblanchdebunk]

Why doesn't your country use the tritiated water it produces and keep it within your own country for domestic uses? Haaaa

[@pingchu3358]

NO, the water is treated with special "APLS" claimed to be the 'Best"...and it is SO "SAFE: !!

[@pingchu3358]

With so much dilution (now used), even sea water can be used for irrigation, toilet flushing and cleaning streets!?....Well, But Japan has made that to be 100% "Real 'Safe" ...NOT just BS claim to be "Safe" !!

[@toditron]

What other solutions for the waste water could there be? Eventually you do have to release it.

[@superpowerdragon]

storing it forever, drink it, or use it in irrigation or whatever, the point is, if it was china who is doing this would you still say the same thing?

[@bklynnyify]

You really don't know? Use it in your country for drinking or agriculture! The water is very clean and safe, right??? You can mix it with concrete and solidify or contain it!!! You guys know there are more solutions for it but wouldn't do it because you want to doom the whole world.

[@edward3190]

Have you not heard of handling of the Chernobyl incident? Cover it with concrete.

[@supertnt318]

Burry in ground, concrete mixing, an evaporation technique are all better methods. More expensive but still within reason

[@sarahchan5604]

Evaporate it, this is the solution suggested by Russia and China

[@Jun-mk6pz]

The case is there are other safer options.

[@superpowerdragon]

storing it forever, drink it, or use it in irrigation or whatever, the point is, if it was china who is doing this would you still say the same thing?

[@eiremos]

Namaste to all my Asian cousins . Since the last world war , who knows what could Japanese government decide . A lot are aware that too few countries offers help to China because of the bad weather blowing toward China . Namaste to all living kind

[@alexanderboulton2123]

"Since the last world war" 😭😭😭😭u funny bro I'm tryna get like u someday

[@eiremos]

Was it before the last world war ? I am not a lobbyist , trying to convince by hidding unlisted history evidences or entertaining controversies . Happy that you are happy too . Nuclear is not a healthy tablet , but just a weappon

[@danadurnfordkevinblanchdebunk]

@@eiremos Nuclear power is the safest we have. Spreading nonsense is not impressive.

[@eiremos]

Regrets , but I am not a lobbyist !

[@danadurnfordkevinblanchdebunk]

@@eiremos You attempt to lobby with each comment. You are using our R A C l S T views to ignore the fact that your country releases more tritiated water than Japan does. Nuclear energy is the safest form of electricity we have.

[@eric_a_]

What's the impact of the water release in China which is much greater than the Japanese and other countries

[@christinadouglasmariasharo6326]

Why America Can Dropped Atomic Bombs on Japan?The Japanese believe it has no impact?

[@superpowerdragon]

this is contaminated water, not cooling water, besides, France cooling water contains more radiation than the Chinese, so i don't know what you are talking about

[@sblue3964]

Apparently the 700 billion yen that the Japanese gov spent on PR worked really well. So many people bought into this non-sense

[@abc2390986]

@@superpowerdragonWho care if French plants are worse when it is straight fact that Fukushima’s water is way safer than the so called normal cooling water released by Chinese plants.

[@user-yn7bn9in9x]

内政干渉するな👊

[@user-ut1uk4qe4t]

Since it's 内政, why dont u just drink it all😋,instead of sharing it with the whole world

[@Tanavika]

Uninformed people are blaming Japan while Chyna is doing worse with unsafe Tritium release and raw sewage etc. But no one seems to do anything about Chyna

[@brianquigley1940]

The CCP has at least six nuclear power plants releasing tritium-laden water into the sea that far exceed the IAEA recommendations. .e.g the Fuqing plant (yes, the spelling is correct).

[@qfiver1547]

You are trying to confuse people. All nuclear power stations, including those in your country, discharge cooling water that may contain traceable amount of tritium. The water collected in the Fukushima reactor core meltdown disaster contains a lot of other harmful radionuclides, such as carbon-14, strontium-90 (SR-90), and iodine-129 etc the problem being not all harmful radionuclides can be effectively removed.

[@brianquigley1940]

@qfiver1547 Really? Well, explain why the Fuqing nuclear power plant dumps about 52 billion becquerels into the sea each year.... want more proof? Look up the waterwater dumps into the sea by plants like Qinshan, Ningde, Yangjiang, Wolshong, etc.

[@danadurnfordkevinblanchdebunk]

@@qfiver1547 ALPS removes all but the tritium.

[@danadurnfordkevinblanchdebunk]

@@brianquigley1940 China has more than 50 operational nuclear reactors, and they all of course release this tritiated water.

[@qfiver1547]

@@danadurnfordkevinblanchdebunk TEPCO admitted that 66% of the supposedly ALPS treated water is not up to safety standard.

[@danadurnfordkevinblanchdebunk]

No impact. All nuclear power plants release the same tritiated water.

[@Truthseeker371]

Al Jazeera, please report on China's spill/gutter oil practice for restaurant food cooking. It's even more hazardrous. In addition, untreated industrial water in China contains high level of dioxin that is suspected for the cause of increasing number of cancer patients and death. Through investigation and report, please, rather than emotional sympathy.

[@eiremos]

Hello , I do not accuse poeple I do not know , being racist or what ever else . On next insult , I will have the obligation to report you for uncivism attitude . Thank-you