Tritium Level Far Below Japan's Operational Limit In Fourth Batch Of ALPS Treated Water, IAEA Confirms

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) experts have confirmed that the tritium concentration in the fourth batch of diluted ALPS treated water, which Japan’s Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) started discharging yesterday, is far below the country’s operational limit.

Experts stationed at the IAEA’s office at the site of the Fukushima nuclear power station (FDNPS) took samples after the treated water was diluted with seawater in the discharge facilities on 28 February. The IAEA’s independent on-site analysis confirmed that the tritium concentration is far below the operational limit of 1,500 becquerels per litre.

Japan is discharging the ALPS treated water from the FDNPS in batches. The previous three batches – a total of 23,400 cubic metres of water - were also confirmed by the IAEA to have contained tritium concentrations far below operational limits.

IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi will visit Japan in March during which time he will review the status of the water discharge at the FDNPS, as part of his commitment to be there before, during and after the discharge that began in August last year.

The IAEA’s comprehensive report issued on July 4 last year found Japan’s plan for handling the treated water to be consistent with international safety standards and that the release as planned would have a negligible radiological impact to people and the environment.

All reports on sampling, independent analysis and data evaluation will be available on the IAEA website (https://www.iaea.org/topics/response/fukushima-daiichi-nuclear-accident/fukushima-daiichi-alps-treated-water-discharge/tepco-data).