Japan to conduct quick tritium tests on Fukushima wastewater - The Japan Times
Japan to conduct quick tritium tests on Fukushima wastewater - The Japan Times
Japan's Fisheries Agency will conduct tests enabling a quick check for tritium, a radioactive substance, every day for around a month after the country starts releasing the treated water from the disaster-crippled Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant into the ocean.
The rapid analysis system will enable test results to come out as early as the following day. The results will be posted on the agency's website, and such information will also be offered in English.
The agency hopes that the quick inspection will help curb the spread of misinformation about the water release and ease concerns among fishery operators and consumers.
Related Knowledge Center: ENERGY BASICS: nuclear
Nuclear energy provides almost 20 percent of the U.S. electricity supply. Advocates have called for an expanded role for nuclear as an emissions-free fuel source. But the economics of building new reactors are daunting. In addition, lingering safety concerns are an institutionalized part of the calculation of nuclear regulation, and highly radioactive nuclear waste remains a can that public officials have been inclined to kick down the road. The Energy Information Administration projects a sharp decline in nuclear power generation over the next decade, as new nuclear plants — two are planned — are more than offset by anticipated retirements of several operating reactors.