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Aug. 26 (UPI) — Fish samples from the ocean around Japan’s Fukushima nuclear complex are registering normal and do not contain radioactive contaminants after the discharge of treated wastewater from the plant, according to officials.
The Japanese government has not detected any amount of tritium in the first fish samples taken in the water surrounding the damaged plant.
Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries conducted tests on fish caught within five miles of the discharged water, as reported by the Kyodo News Agency.
This declaration comes after Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings confirmed that none of the radioactive element was detectable in seawater samples.
Over the next 20 or 30 years, the company plans to gradually release up to 22 trillion becquerels of tritium per year from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station.
The release of treated water from the damaged nuclear plant into the ocean began on Thursday, despite opposition from the fishing industry and neighboring countries.
In anticipation of tritium contamination, China suspended all seafood imports from Japan prior to the water discharge.
Tritium is a radioactive isotope of hydrogen that is considered unstable. It can occur naturally but is also produced as a byproduct of nuclear reactors.
The United Nations nuclear watchdog has stated that this procedure adheres to global safety standards.
Since a catastrophic explosion in March 2011, groundwater around the stricken nuclear facility has been contaminated.
Testing is being conducted within a 25-mile radius of the water discharge site.
More than 1 million tons of water have already been stored for treatment and eventual discharge.
Last year, Tokyo Electric announced plans to raise seafood at the Fukushima site in order to dispel rumors of contamination.
Officials will continue to monitor tritium levels in both water and fish each time treated wastewater from the Fukushima plant is released into the ocean.
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