China completes testing of Fukushima seawater

China's research institutions have recently completed the testing and analysis of seawater samples collected near the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant and no abnormalities were detected in the concentration of hazardous elements such as tritium, cesium-137 and strontium-90, according to the China Atomic Energy Authority.

The specific data will be compiled and published by the International Atomic Energy Agency, the authority told Global Times on Wednesday.

The tested samples, which arrived in China around December, were independently collected by Chinese experts who traveled to waters near the ocean discharge outlet of Fukushima nuclear-contaminated water in mid-October.

It was the first time that China independently collected the samples since the Japanese government unilaterally started discharging nuclear-contaminated water from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station into the ocean on Aug 24, 2023, disregarding serious doubts and strong opposition from the international community.

The collection came after Japan agreed in September to fully cooperate in the establishment of an independent and effective long-term international monitoring arrangement in which stakeholders can participate substantively, and to accept independent sampling and monitoring by China.

The Global Times report cited experts saying that the independent sampling of stakeholders will help the international community to obtain authentic and effective data and be informed in a timely manner of any impact of the discharge.

The data, which can be compared and verified with the results of independent monitoring conducted by the IAEA and Japan, is an important part of the international monitoring arrangement, they said.

They also said that based on various monitoring data that had been collected so far, there is no evidence yet indicating that the ocean discharge has had an impact on marine life in the relevant area.

The experts noted that given that the ocean discharge of Fukushima nuclear-contaminated water has no precedent and Japan's unilateral decision to proceed with the ocean discharge lacks legitimacy and legality, it is necessary to remain cautious on this issue from the scientific perspective.

Noting that the results of a single test are limited, China and other stakeholders will continue to participate in the long-term international monitoring arrangement under the IAEA framework and carry out sampling and monitoring independently.