CINDY FOLKERS, cindy@beyondnuclear.org, @BeyondNuclear
Folkers is radiation and health hazard specialist at Beyond Nuclear.
She said today: “Japan has begun dumping some 350 million gallons of radioactive water into the Pacific Ocean. This was the water that came in direct contact with the melted radioactive core material from the Fukushima meltdowns. The dumping is expected to take decades.
“Japan and TEPCO claim that they are filtering the radioisotopes out, but only 40 percent of the tanks have been analyzed for radioactivity and not all isotopes were searched for. Radioactive hydrogen, called tritium, can’t be filtered at all.
“A number of these radioactive isotopes can accumulate near the shore where they are dumped. These include cesium, strontium, plutonium, and cobalt according to marine experts. And tritium can bioaccumulate as well. According to recent research tritium is a highly underrated environmental toxin, because it can cause DNA damage, reduced fertility and longevity, and elevated risks of cancer and other diseases, when taken into the body.”
See video featuring Folkers: “Tritium Truths.” She recently wrote a letter, “More transparency is needed on the impact of tritium,” published by the Washington Post.
See from December, a statement from the National Association of Marine Laboratories, which stated their opposition to the plans: “This opposition is based on the fact that there is a lack of adequate and accurate scientific data supporting Japan’s assertion of safety. …
“The supporting data provided by the Tokyo Electric Power Company and the Japanese Government are insufficient and, in some cases, incorrect, with flaws in sampling protocols, statistical design, sample analyses, and assumptions, which in turn lead to flaws in the conclusion of safety and prevent a more thorough evaluation of better alternative approaches to disposal.” [PDF]