Storage
If you go up to the highest emergency staircase outside any of the buildings at Fukushima Daechi Nuclear Energy Station, you will see countless rows of tanks.The complex, which was previously providing electricity to the capital, Tokyo, has been converted into a tank farm.
Polluted water tanks.
The fuel inside the damaged reactors continues to release the heat, so it must be constantly cooled.Groundwater and rain water also leaks into the buildings of the reactor, and all of these water are polluted by radiation.
Advance equipment is used to remove most of the element of seesium and estinium, which are the main radioactive elements, from water.The water is then passed through the ALPS advanced liquid systems, to remove most of the additional radioactive items except for tritium and stored in hundreds of tanks on the ground.Each steel tank is more than 10 meters and is stopped in the form of a honeyed disk to save the space, leaving 1 distance.Only 5 meters between them.As of October 2020, there are 1000 such tanks, each containing 1.23 million liters of contaminated water and the tanks have been stacked to rise to the height of a three -storey building. It is indeed a huge scene.
Huge tanks that are more than 10 meters high, each contains one week of polluted water.
140 tons of polluted water are produced daily, and the one tank is filled with water within a week.There is currently enough space to store 1.37 million tons of polluted water, but by the summer of 2022, no space will remain available.Meanwhile, the station's dismantling work is scheduled to be initiated in 2021, starting with removing radioactive debris from the reactor, and this work requires the area to provide the preparation areas, laboratories, materials, equipment and other facilities, not to mention the access methods that individuals and cars will use.
The officials have known for some time that the storage of polluted water would be implemented in the end.In November 2016, a study committee affiliated with the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry examined ways to get rid of treated water and many of them were compared, such as the waterproofing in the air, its launch in the Pacific Ocean, or its injection on the ground..Based on technical performance records, the committee recommended in February 2020 to evaporate or launch water at sea, but the agricultural and local fish fisheries in addition to consumer groups opposed the plan, but based on the recommendations of the committee the government plans to launch water in the ocean.
Two personalities from the local community
When I heard that the treated water will be drained in the sea, I immediately remembered two men that I had met in March 2014 at a seafood promotional event organized by Fukushima producers of consumers in the Tokyo region.
Water off the province of Fukushima is major hunting areas, thanks to the cold and warm oceanic currents that are close there.Local fish, which are abundant because of their swimming against strong currents, were very popular among professional chefs and in the Tsukiji fish market, and later in Toyusu, one of the wholesale fish markets markets.Fukushima's cooperative, which suspended fishing operations as soon as the fusion occurred in the heart of the reactor, had resumed “experimental hunting” in June 2012.But the tremendous efforts made, including the test of ensuring that there is no radiological activity according to very strict criteria by both cooperative and governorate to ensure that the fish caught from Fukushima are safe, failed to persuade consumers.
In the food event that was held in Tokyo, the provincial officials praised the measures taken to assess the safety of seafood coming from Fukushima, and the enthusiastic participants to support the province expressed great attention..Suddenly, the calm state was broken after Kikochi Motofumi climbed on stage, a hunter from the coastal city.
These two people, who seemed to be huge riotous students, were not the best embodiment of the affected persons body.They succeeded in enjoying the audience as if they were veteran comedians, as they talked about their childhood and their upbringing in a city that lives on fishing and the days of their work as a click on the hunting ships, when they had to prepare four meals per day for the hungry crew.After that, they experienced the barbed fish with white spots to make fish soup and present it to the public.The pastries were soft and full and the soup was rich and delicious.When Kikucci and Isouka began to wander between the tables to urge the public proudly to recognize the extent of the pleasure of food, people's positions changed and they turned from just researchers to support the areas affected by the disaster to the most fans of the city of Soma and its fish products.
Ironically, the source of the thorny fish was Hokkaido, not Fukushima, because of concerns about the levels of excessive radiation, the thorny fish was not included in the list of targeted species for experimental fishing.At the end of that event, Kikucci made an unforgettable speech about his desire to continue hunting away from Soma and his hope that the attendees will visit Fukushima one day to eat pastries made of fresh fish.
In the fall of 2015, Kikucci and Isouka and their local colleagues issued a quarterly newspaper called Sōma Taberu TsūshinHighlight the attractions of their products.
Members of the editorial department of newsletter.They occupy different daily jobs, but they all love the city of Soma.(Dedication from the Food News newspaper in Soma)
I myself was a subscriber to the food news newspaper in Soma for a while, and I visited the city of Soma several times in tours organized by the newspaper.I opened my frequent visits to the fact that local farmers, fishermen and seafood manufacturers are making a great effort to ensure that their products are among the levels of radiation.They are working with an effort to remove suspended doubts about food safety from Fukushima, in fact I think multiple safety checks may qualify Fukushima products to be safer than those in anywhere else in the country.
Kikucci and Isouka are not alone, many food -related companies in Fukushima, which was destroyed by the radiological dropout disaster, has rebuilt relations with consumers step by step over the past ten years.There is no doubt that the drainage of treated water in the ocean will be a very harsh decision if it means that they must start again.
Treated water
When I visited Fukushima Daihi in September, the factory allowed us to take a tour of the Alps water cleansing facility.Radiation levels in 96% of the complex were low so that it was not necessary to wear protective clothes, but here everyone wears a fully face and a face mask to enter the facility.
Wearing a protective outfit while touring the ALPS facility.
The Tokyo Electric Energy Company “Tibco” first treats water by adding a solution to the sedimentation of cobalt, manganese and other materials, then passing the water through seven multi -scale removal systems consisting of 18 columns using activated charcoal and ionic exchanges.Although Alps systems are unable to completely remove all radioactive materials, water corresponds to government standards to release radioactive materials from nuclear stations into the environment.For example, Alps can reduce the concentration of srunchium to one billion from its previous level.
Alps can remove 62 types of radioactive materials from polluted water.Workers wearing completely protective equipment.
In the pictures below, the doses scale that measures the radiation activity of the treated water sample in the jar in the image on the left records 1.In the right, the sample of the tap water (in the plastic container), which contains a commonly used shower material from "radium ball" gives a hot effect in hot springs, records 3 on the doses scale.Perhaps we cannot say that the treated water is completely safe, but it does not seem dangerous compared to a product such as "Radium Ball" available online and is dealt with through delivery services as normal expelling.
To the left, the waters treated with alps systems with the doses scale registered 1, on the right, the water that contains an additive of “radium ball” recorded 3 on the doses scale.
Correcting false information
Titrium cannot be removed from the water contaminated with current technology, but the material is present in nature, steam, rain water and tap water.It has a very weak radiological activity, so it cannot penetrate the skin or infected the human body with radiation.Even if it is taken, it will be excreted just like water and will not accumulate in the body's tissues.
If the treated water is launched in the ocean, the government says it plans to reduce it to a solution of one forty with sea water and launch in small quantities over the course of 30 years..This level of concentration, which is one of forty less than the World Health Organization standard for tritium levels in drinking water.
Some say they do not trust any interpretation provided by TePcoo that caused the accident, or that TEPCO deceives the media as well.Professor Yasuda Hiroshi of the Hiroshima University Research Institute for Radiation and Medicine Biology asked about the effects of tritium launch in the sea, and his answer was as follows:.It was also widely distributed throughout the Earth after testing the atomic bomb after World War II and through the operation of the nuclear power plant and other sources.However, it was not proven that he is harmful to human health.
Most of the tritium is in the shape of HTO, where one of the hydrogen atoms in H2O has been replaced.Since HTO behaves just like water, if it is launched in the sea it will be distracted quickly and will not accumulate in seafood, and therefore the amount of tritium that humans eat through this road is almost not mentioned compared to all the radioisotopes that we are exposed to in the natural world.Moreover, the radiation emitted from the tritium in the form of a weak beta rays and soon secreted through sweat and urine.Titrium does not remain in the body for a very long time, and compared to other radioactive analogues, any possible health effects are very small..
However, Yasuda continues, saying, “Regardless of the type or concentration of the counterpart, the social and psychological aspects of the decision to launch a radioactive material in nature should be taken into account..In this case, the launch of the treated water can really affect the livelihoods of the local population working in fishing, so any such action must be explained carefully and take measures to compensate for harmful rumors..
This is the problem of launching treated water in the ocean."The government and scientific experts should have made more effort to explain things to the public even before going into the matter of whether the water should be released..Fukushima will not be the first case, as nuclear stations around the world already launched the treated water.Consumers must access the information available to the public and see their own eyes and decide themselves, instead of allowing impressions and rumors to influence them without knowing the facts..
The electricity produced by the Fukushima Daechi reactor, which is located more than 200 km northeast of Tokyo, has been sent to the country's capital to meet its huge energy needs.It was not consumed locally, yet the residents of the governorate, who obtained electricity from other places, were the most affected by the accident.Ultimately, the treated water at sea may be launched away from Tokyo, but the residents of the capital, like me who consumed the electricity resulting from the Fukushima Daechi reactor, need to pay more attention to this problem.
We need to stop and think slight.To show appropriate respect for the seriousness of the situation, we must make rational decisions after making our best to know the facts.
Isouka and Kikochi, as food consumers and electricity users, urge us to pay more attention to this issue."My direct impression is that the government has already decided to drain the treated water.Three out of ten people say they avoid Fukushima products, and these will not listen to my words regardless of what I say, but I made my best to deal with the remaining seven people.Even if more people decide that they do not want to "buy Fukushima products" due to water launch, I will continue to try to raise awareness..
Isouka Tetsaba, a merchant who sells seafood in bulk.(Dedication from the Food News newspaper in Soma)
"We have taken it upon us to fight the stigma associated with the nuclear station since the March 11 catastrophe, so I don't think the launch of the water will make a big difference.I would like to start something new that will refute all the rumors that are widespread, and at the same time do something really great with people here.I may not be able to move the world, but I want to move the hearts of my children..
The fisherman Kikochi Motofumi.(Dedication from the Food News newspaper in Soma)
Information about water treatment and road map for dismantling the Fukushima Daehi station available on the TEPCO Electric Energy Company and the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry Meti.Thanks to data and graphics, the information is very clear and easily accessible even by non -specialists.Fukushima Governorate also publishes data on monitoring that takes place in different parts of the governorate to protect the health and safety of the population.
(Publishing the original text in Japanese.Translation from the English language.Address image: Tanks to store treated water at Fukushima Daihi Nuclear Energy Station.Behind the tanks there are reactor units from 1 to 4.Address and pictures of the site by Hashino Yukoori from Nippon.com)