TOKYO (AFP) – Chinese scientists will this month take part in extensive sampling of Fukushima’s coastal waters for the first time since the release of treated wastewater from its stricken nuclear plant began, Japanese officials said yesterday.
Experts from China will join those from Canada, South Korea and the United Nation’s (UN) International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in collecting samples of water, sediment and marine creatures from October 15 to 23. The survey will also collect seafood samples from the region’s markets, the import of which has been banned by Beijing.
“It’s important that we ensure the transparency of our monitoring process,” a Japanese official told reporters yesterday, confirming it would be the first extensive involvement by Chinese experts since the release of water started in August. Samples collected by the teams will be sent back to labs in their home countries for independent review, and the IAEA will evaluate and publish those results, the UN body said in a press release.
Tokyo Electric Power (Tepco) has said the decades-long process will involve some 1.34 million tonnes of treated wastewater from the plant, which suffered a meltdown following a devastating 2011 earthquake and tsunami. Japan has insisted throughout that the treated water, which is being released in batches, poses no health risks.
