Japan to release treated Fukushima water -------------------------------------------- Japan has decided to release treated radioactive water from the wrecked Fukushima nuclear plant into the Pacific Ocean – an option fiercely opposed by local fishermen and neighbouring countries -------------------------------------------- FUKUSHIMA DAIICHI NUCLEAR POWER PLANT Reactor buildings: Four damaged in 2011 accident caused by powerful earthquake and tsunami. Reactors 1, 2 and 3 went into meltdown -------------------------------------------- PACIFIC OCEAN Reactors 5 and 6 being decommissioned Tokyo Site boundary 6 5 1 2 3 4 500m 550 yards ---------------------------------------------- JAPAN Fukushima Daiichi 500km 300 miles -------------------------------------------- Storage tanks: Contain more than 1.25 million tonnes* of treated water, including water used to cool melted reactor fuel, plus rain and groundwater. Storage capacity expected to run out in Autumn 2022 -------------------------------------------- TREATED RADIOACTIVE WATER -------------------------------------------- ALPS (Advanced Liquid Processing System): Treatment process reduces concentration of strontium and caesium in contaminated water and removes most radioactive materials -------------------------------------------- Water to be released Still contains tritium – weakly radioactive form of hydrogen – said to pose little health risk in low amounts. Some scientists say long-term impact on marine life is unknown -------------------------------------------- Schedule: Release due to begin in two years and take nearly 40 years to complete. Water will be re-purified and diluted to meet international standards before any release into ocean -------------------------------------------- *Equivalent to about 500 Olympic-sized swimming pools -------------------------------------------- Sources: Associated Press, TEPCO Picture: Google © GRAPHIC NEWS