CHINESE scientists will this month take part in extensive sampling of Fukushima’s coastal waters for the first time since the release of treated wastewater from its stricken nuclear plant began, Japanese officials said today.

Experts from China would join those from Canada, South Korea and the United Nations’ International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to collect samples of water, sediment and marine creatures from October 15 to 23.

The survey would also collect seafood samples from the region’s markets, the import of which has been banned by Beijing.

China has repeatedly criticised the release of water once used to cool the plant’s reactors.

“It’s important we ensure the transparency of our monitoring process,” a Japanese official told reporters today, confirming it would be the first extensive involvement by Chinese experts since the release of water started in August.

Samples collected by the teams would be sent back to labs in their home countries for independent review, and the IAEA would evaluate and publish those results, the UN body said in a press release.

Tokyo Electric Power (Tepco) said the decades-long release process would involve some 1.34 million tonnes of treated wastewater from the plant, which suffered a meltdown following a devastating 2011 earthquake and tsunami.

Japan has insisted throughout that the treated water, which was being released in batches, posed no health risks, a view backed by the IAEA.

Tepco said the wastewater was filtered of all radioactive elements except tritium, the levels of which were safe.

But Beijing has been pointed in its public criticisms, accusing Japan of treating the ocean “like a sewer” and instituting a ban on Japanese seafood.

Russia, which also has frosty relations with Japan, was reportedly considering following suit on the seafood ban. – AFP, October 11, 2023.