Chinese N-plants Releasing Tritium-laced Water at Levels Much Higher than Planned For Fukushima
Chinese nuclear power plants have been releasing into the ocean water containing tritium at levels up to 6.5 times higher than the annual amount scheduled to be released from Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant, according to a document the Japanese government compiled for other countries ahead of TEPCO’s discharge
TEPCO plans to start discharging treated water as early as this summer.
Beijing has strongly opposed the plan, waging a campaign via state media, even though some Chinese nuclear power plants are discharging levels of tritium higher than the amount TEPCO plans to release.
Data in the Japanese government document is based on annual statistics on China’s nuclear energy sector and reports from plant operators.
According to the document, water containing about 143 trillion becquerels of tritium was released from Qinshan III Nuclear Power Plant in Zhejiang Province in 2020.
In 2021, water containing about 112 trillion becquerels was released from the Yangjiang Nuclear Power Station in Guangdong Province, 102 trillion becquerels from the Ningde Nuclear Power Plant in Fujian Province and 90 trillion becquerels from the Hongyanhe Nuclear Power Plant in Liaoning Province.
TEPCO plans to cap the annual level of tritium released from the Fukushima plant at 22 trillion becquerels. Tritium levels in the sea after the release will be far lower than standards set by the World Health Organization and other organizations, according to TEPCO.
Regarding the Fukushima discharge, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman accused Tokyo of unilaterally trying to steamroll forward with the plan.
Chinese state media regularly condemn the planned release. Chinese Communist Party organ, People’s Daily, quoted an official saying, “Japan’s plan is not the country’s private matter, but a major issue that has an effect on the global marine environment and public health.”
However, a Japanese government official said Beijing does not have agreements with neighboring countries on the release of tritium from Chinese nuclear power plants, nor has it provided any explanations about the matter.
See more here japannews
Editor’s note: Tritium is a radioactive isotope of Hydrogen, produced in several different ways. It occurs naturally in the upper atmosphere when cosmic rays strike nitrogen molecules, it is produced in nuclear expolsions and as a by-product of using Uranium in nuclear reactors. It emits beta particles, either electrons or positrons, which can travel a few tens of centimetres in air. They can penetrate human skin to a depth of a few millimetres. High doses can produce burn-like symptoms on the surface. Like with alpha particles, it is most harmful if inhaled or ingested. Thin sheets of plastic, metal or even wood, are effective barriers to beta radiation.
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Jerry Krause
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Neither the authors of this article bother to define what the unit Becquerel might, here is what I read from what I consider a reliable source,
Measurement units
The SI unit of radioactivity is the Becquerel (Bq) – equivalent to an average disintegration rate of one per second.
Since the Becquerel is such a small unit, multiples such as kBq (103), MBq (106) and GBq (109) are normally used.
The older unit of radioactivity, still commonly used, is the Curie (Ci) – equivalent to the radioactivity of one gram of radium and is equal to 3.7 x 1010 disintegrations per second.
Because the Curie is such a large unit, fractions such as milliCurie (mCi, 10-3Ci) and microCurie (µCi, 10-6Ci) are normally used.
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JaKo
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Hi Jerry,
The amount of radiation mentioned may be revealing rather relaxed norms for the Chinese NP plants in comparison — with what exactly?!?; the very mentioned Fukushima was built in a very “questionable” location (outrageously so!) that the resultant March 2011 disaster may have released some EBq (EXA-BECQUERELs 10^18) of radiation…
OTOH, some expensive wristwatches are using Tritium to power their “glow-in-the-dark features (half-life of that is just over a dozen years)
Cheers, JaKo
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Jerry Krause
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Hi JaKo,
Good comment. I had questioned what the half-life was but was too lazy to look it up. Chemists have stated there is NO AWAY but in nuclear reactions there is. But chemists have also stated and I believe it is true–Dilution Is The Solution–as in the past they rinsed lead, mercury, and cadmium ions down the drain with plenty of water. But no more and I, at 82, am not dead yet.
Have a good day
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