Japan’s plan to dump radioactive water is not dangerous, says prof

Japan’s plan to release treated radioactive water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant in the Pacific Ocean will have a “zero impact on the environment,” according to a nuclear engineering professor who spoke to CNBC.

Japan said on Tuesday that the operator of the Fukushima plant, Tokyo Electric Power Co or TEPCO, will treat and dilute the water before pumping it in about two years. There are more than a million metric tons of radioactive water in the shipwreck and it will take decades to release it completely.

The move drew strong opposition from neighbors and environmental activists in Japan.

But Brent Heuser of the University of Illinois said the filtration process will remove most of the radioactive elements from the water, leaving only tritium – a radioactive isotope of hydrogen – that is not harmful in small amounts.

“Tritium is not dangerous in small quantities … it will be very diluted, it is simply not a concern, the impact on the environment is zero,” Heuser, a professor of nuclear, plasma and radiological engineering, told Squawk Box Asia. on CNBC. on Thursday.

However, Japan’s neighbors, including China and South Korea, opposed the plan. The Greenpeace environmental group, as well as local residents and fishermen, also expressed concern.

South Korea has summoned the Japanese ambassador to Seoul and appears to be exploring ways to challenge Japan’s decision in an international court.

In China, the foreign ministry criticized Japan in a statement for “unilaterally” deciding to release water, while ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian challenged Japanese officials to drink water from the Fukushima plant.

Reuters, meanwhile, reported Taiwan saying it would continue to express concerns and closely monitor developments.

The reactors at the Fukushima nuclear power plant were damaged by a massive earthquake and tsunami in 2011. TEPCO has accumulated contaminated water in tanks, but storage capacity is likely to run out by the end of next year.

Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga has said that releasing water into the ocean is the “most realistic” option.

The International Atomic Energy Agency said that “the method of disposing of water in Japan is both technically feasible and in line with international practice.” The United States said Japan was transparent and its approach was in line with “globally accepted nuclear safety standards.”

For Heuser, there are bigger ocean pollution problems to worry about than Japan releasing treated water.

“I would say to people who are worried about this in the ocean: we throw 8 tons of plastics into the ocean, pregnant women should not eat tuna because of mercury poisoning, the microplastic is in the marine food chain – that’s what we should to worry us, “he said.