undefined | Better HN

0 pointsfreetime22y ago0 comments

Those elements have already been filtered out [1]:

> Radioactive materials such as cesium, strontium, iodine, and cobalt are purified by ALPS through co-precipitation treatment using solutions and adsorption on activated carbon and adsorbents. Almost all radioactive materials are removed through repeated treatment by ALPS, but tritium, which is a radioisotope of hydrogen, exists as a part of the water molecule and cannot be removed through treatment by ALPS and other equipment.

It's only tritium that can't be removed (and that is why it is released by other nuclear power plants - in larger quantities that is planned here - as part of normal operation).

[1] https://www.env.go.jp/en/chemi/rhm/basic-info/1st/06-03-05.h...

0 comments

sooheon2y ago

Gotcha. "as of January 2023, approximately 70% of the water stored in tanks still contained radioactive materials at concentrations exceeding the regulatory standards, in addition to tritium, due to such reasons as failures in purification equipment" -- so what's left is a matter of trust that they have got their equipment working and the actual water released isn't still contaminated.

Bottom line point stands, more is released regularly and this is nothing compared to the initial deluge of untreated material from the accident itself.

freetime2OP2y ago

It’s not just a matter of trusting the Japanese government. The IAEA is also there to verify that things are as they say.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse