The event has been coming for years as Tepco, owner of the wrecked Fukushima reactors, is running out of room to store radioactive waste water on site. On Thursday it began releasing treated waste water into the Pacific Ocean. Japan was given the green light for the discharge by the UN. Most of the radioactive nucleotides have been removed, but tritium, a radioactive isotope of hydrogen remains. Millions of gallons of water were used to cool the melting cores and prevent a renewed chain reaction. China announced an immediate ban on all seafood products from Japan. Last year Japan exported about $600 million worth of aquatic products to China. The IAEA concluded that the release would have negligible effects on the environment.
The first increment is approximately 7800 cubic meters to take place over 17 days. The entire discharge is expected to take thirty years. Initial tests of radioactivity shows 63 becquerels per liter; the accepted level for drinking water is 10,000 becquerels per liter according to the WHO. Fishing groups are still concerned about safety and the future of their industry, however. Hong Kong and Macau have announced their own food bans starting Thursday.