The operator of the Japanese nuclear power plant "Fukushima-1" began to discharge radioactive water into the ocean. The discharge is carried out in order to free up space in the reservoirs for even more contaminated with radiation water.
A total of 11.5 thousand tons of water contaminated with radioactive particles are planned to be dumped into the ocean. The content of radioactive substances in water exceeds the norm by 100 times. The authorities have decided to empty the reservoirs in order to make way for the contaminated water from the second power unit that has suffered the most. Thanks to the discharge of water, the workers will locate the exact location of the cracks in the reservoir of Unit 2 and take the necessary measures to repair it.
General Secretary of the Cabinet of Ministers of Japan Yukio Edano has already called this measure inevitable. “We have no choice but to dump contaminated water into the ocean for safety reasons,” he said.
Otherwise, the accumulation of water in the reservoirs could cause problems in the area of 240 km around the nuclear installation, the Secretary General emphasized. Exactly what problems threaten the vicinity of Fukushima-1, the official did not specify, but noted that the concentration of radiation in the water intended for drainage is minimal.
Earlier, experts found that water flows out of a 20-centimeter crack in one of the tanks next to the second reactor of the nuclear power plant. An attempt was made to repair the crack with concrete, but to no avail. On Sunday, 8 kg of absorbent polymer was dumped into the pipes leading to the leaking tank, which increases 50 times on contact with liquid. The tank was also filled with 60 kg of sawdust and three bags of shredded newspapers.
Recall that after the devastating earthquake on March 11 and the subsequent tsunami at the Fukushima-1 nuclear power plant, the cooling system failed, and an emergency regime was introduced at the facility. Subsequently, explosions occurred at several power units, which led to the release of radioactive elements into the atmosphere. Authorities evacuated people from the 20-kilometer zone around the nuclear power plant. Later, information began to appear on the detection of radioactive elements in the air, sea and drinking water and in food in a number of regions of Japan.
Source: Morning.ru
