This post is
dedicated to evaluating the impacts originating from Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear
Power Plant meltdown. Approximately 200,000 people has been forced to evacuate
(Terrell, 2014) from home until last year, 2014, when the government lifted the
order for 300 people in homes at Tamura City (Oskin, 2014). New set of socio-environmental
problems arises with 70,000 nuclear refugees (National Geographic, 2011) as
most plan to start life anew elsewhere (BBC, 2015). It would be a tough battle
for most as reports has shown that “more people have died from stress-related
illnesses and other maladies after the disaster than from injuries directly
linked to the disaster” (The Japan Times, 2014). Chronic suffering is apparent
and this is not limited to those directly affected by the disaster, it is
applicable to almost everyone. We might be far away from the source of disaster
but radioactive leakage from the power plant has contaminated our water, air
and soil.
Water
Contamination
With the ‘feed
and bleed’ process as outlined in my previous blog post, water has to be
manually fed into the reactor for months. To make the situation worse, 3
containment pools in the reactor were leaking. In addition, initial release of
contaminated water was inevitable and intentional, as TEPCO needed to make room
for storage of more contaminated water.
With so much
contaminated water, TEPCO had a hard time disposing the water safely. Reports
has mentioned that 40% of the injected water boiled off whereas 60% leaked out
from the bottom (World Nuclear Association, 2015). According to Japan
government, 300 tons of radioactive contaminated water is leaking into the
Pacific Ocean each day, equivalent to a rate of filling an Olympic-sized pool
every 8 days (Kiger, 2013). The government has since issued the situation as ‘urgent’
(ibid.). What is more worrying is
that water is seeping past an underground barrier, polluting groundwater and
the soil.
This leakage was
described to be “the largest single contribution of radionuclides to the marine
environment ever observed” according to the French Institute for Radiological
Protection and Nuclear Safety (ibid.).
The groundwater is contaminated with radioactive pollutants such as caesium
(Caesium-134 and Caesium-137), iodine and strontium-90 and which has exceeded
international permissible levels.
(i) Caesium
Caesium tends to
stay in soils and thereafter retain in plants. “Radioactive caesium
bioaccumulates, bioconcentrates and biomagnifies as it moves up the food chain”
(Starr, 2012). A plethora of news reports confirmed that caesium has escaped
into surrounding ecosystem and tainted food products. A food check by local
government between 1st April 2011 to 19th September 2011,
12% of food items exceeded Caesium limits (Aoki, 2012). Half of these food
items originated from Fukushima Perfecture. A wide spectrum of food products that
are affected includes spinach, tea leaves, milk, beef and freshwater fish up to
200 miles from Fukushima (Starr, 2012). 15 months following the disaster, 56%
of Japanese fish catches are found to be contaminated with Caesium, with 9.3%
of it exceeding Japan’s acceptable level of 100 Becquerels (Bq) per kilogram
(Roslin, 2012) (refer to Figure 1). What is of notable concern is that the
fishes are exported overseas. Canada has imported $37,000 worth of salmon from
Japan in the first half of 2012 and its spread is extending. Experts have
predicted that migratory salmon from Japan will reach the North American West
coast by 2017 (ibid.). In a bid to
address this problem, the Japan government has placed bans on certain zones
from fishing and TEPCO has installed 109 concrete walls to prevent further
leakage into surrounding harbor. The situation has since improved as 0.6% of
fishes caught offshore exceeded the ceiling limit (as compared to 56%) and
caesium levels in food supply dropped from 500 Bq/kg to 100 Bq/kg (World
Nuclear Association, 2015).
Figure 1: Japan
Fisheries contaminated with Caesium (Source: Japan’s Fisheries Agency, June
2012)
Not only are food
items contaminated with caesium, groundwater is polluted too. TEPCO revealed
that 310 Bq/litre of caesium-134 and 650 Bq/litre of caesium-137 was detected
in groundwater. This exceeds the local provisional limit of 60 Bq/litre and
WHO’s guideline of 10 Bq/litre (Kiger, 2013). Note that drinking water of 300
Bq/litre is equivalent to a year’s exposure to natural background radiation, or
10 to 15 chest X-rays. The World Health Organization has warned the public of
associated health concerns from the ingestion of radioactive caesium. As
retrieved from their website, “radioactive caesium can linger in the
environment for many years and could continue to present a longer term problem
for food, and food production, and a threat to human health” (WHO, 2011). The
half-life of caesium-137 is 30 years while caesium-134 half life is 2.5 years
()World Nuclear Association, 2015). Both tends to bioaccumulate in and heart,
endocrine tissues, kidneys, small intestines, pancreas, spleen and liver
(Starr, 2012). Children being the most susceptible group. Exposure to such radioactive
caesium can consequently elevate the risk of cancer (WHO, 2011). Already 104
children has been diagnosed with thyroid cancer in Fukushima and the numbers
are peaking (ENE news, 2014).
We can expect
caesium to persist in our environment as it takes centuries to decay. Though
TEPCO has constructed a groundwater bypass, the pant is still leaking 0.3teraBq
per month. This is considered a commendable effort by TEPCO as initially 15,000
teraBq was spewing into the sea (Kiger, 2013). Based on figures, the aftermath
of Fukushima can be worst than Hiroshima, which only released 89teraBq of
caseium when it exploded. Scientists are thus concerned with toxic radiation in
our environment and has confirmed that 70% of Japan’s territory is polluted
(ENE news, 2013). With the intrusion of caesium in Pacific Ocean, water
pollution could potentially spread across borders and to the whole world.
(ii) Iodine
Iodine
contamination is found in food but this is of less concern as compared to
caesium. Radioactive iodine half-life is 8 days and it decays naturally in
weeks. However, ingestion of iodide can result in elevated risk of cancer, as
it bioaccumulates at the thyroid glands (WHO, 2011).
(iii) Strontium
Strontium-90 and
tritium is detected in groundwater and food products. Its prevalence is 100
times more pervasive than caesium at the plant site (Kiger, 2013). Strontium-90
being a toxic carcinogen has since been found in sardines bones and can
bioaccumulate in the food chain (Dobias, 2014).
Air
Contamination
Plumes from the
plant contains radioactive isotopes and nuclides. Volatile iodine-131 is
amongst the many fission products that has been released into the atmosphere
(World Nuclear Association, 2015). It is carried in the plume and lands on
surrounding land, contaminating the soil. The spread is widespread (refer to
Image 1) but is of less concern since its half life is 8 days. However, caution
should be taken as iodine can bioaccumulate in the food chain and increase the
risk of cancer in humans.
Image 1: Spread
of Iodine-131 around Fukushima nuclear plant (Source: Asai, 2013)
Conclusion
Water and air
pollution from Fukushima power plant has resulted in soil contamination and
consequently tainted food produce. With bioaccumulation and biomagnification of
radioactive materials in our food chain, threat to public health is imminent.
The spread from the nuclear disaster is furthered with export of food produce
worldwide. With more radionuclides entering the Pacific Ocean, the situation is
expected to worsen and global attention is needed in addressing a host of
environmental problems it carries.
References
The Japan Times,.
'Fukushima’S Appalling Death Toll'. 2014. Web. Retrieved from
Aoki, Mizuho. 'Cesium Contamination In Food Appears To Be On Wane'. The
Japan Times 2015. Web. Retrieved from http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2012/09/25/reference/cesium-contamination-in-food-appears-to-be-on-wane/#.VSzbZlOUc-B
ENE News,. 'Professor: “It’S True That About 70% Of Japan’S Territory Is
Polluted” By Fukushima Radioactive Material; Tokyo Contaminated With Highly
Toxic Radiation — “Experts Worry About Catastrophic Impacts On Health”'. 2015.
Web. Retrieved from http://enenews.com/professor-it-is-true-that-about-70-of-japans-territory-is-polluted-with-radioactive-materials-from-fukushima-tokyo-contaminated-with-highly-toxic-radiation-experts-worried-about-the
Kiger, Patrick. 'Fukushima's Radioactive Water Leak: What You Should
Know'. News.nationalgeographic.com. N.p., 2013. Web. Retrieved from http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/energy/2013/08/130807-fukushima-radioactive-water-leak/
Dobias, Peter. 'SARDINES MAY BE CONTAMINATED WITH RADIOACTIVE STRONTIUM
FROM FUKUSHIMA - Dr. Dobias Natural Healing'. Dr. Dobias Natural Healing.
Web. Retrieved from http://peterdobias.com/blogs/blog/11014105-sardines-may-be-contaminated-with-radioactive-strontium-from-fukushima
Asai, Fumukazu. 'Map Shows Iodine-131 Levels In Fukushima Shortly After
Disaster'. The Asahi Shimbun 2013. Web. Retrieved from http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311disaster/fukushima/AJ201307020068
