Is radiation still leaking from Fukushima?

Is radiation still leaking from Fukushima?

The radiation levels offshore of Fukushima have dropped in the years since, but some of the reactors there are still leaking. And over the last decade, TEPCO has continued to cool the fuel cores with water, which is contaminated by the process.

What happened at the Fukushima nuclear plant after the 2011 earthquake?

Background. The Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant comprised six separate boiling water reactors originally designed by General Electric (GE) and maintained by the Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO).

How much radiation has Fukushima released?

On 24 May 2012, more than a year after the disaster, TEPCO released their estimate of radioactivity releases due to the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Disaster. An estimated 538.1 petabecquerels (PBq) of iodine-131, caesium-134 and caesium-137 was released.

How long until Fukushima is safe?

About 900 tons of melted nuclear fuel remain inside the three damaged reactors, and its removal is a daunting task that officials say will take 30-40 years.

Is Japan safe after Fukushima?

It is safe to travel to Japan as radiation levels in most parts, including Tokyo, are within the normal range of background radiation. Entry to some areas close to the Fukushima Dai-ichi NPP is restricted due to elevated radiation levels.

Can you still live in Fukushima?

Even now — a decade after those deadly natural disasters on March 11, 2011, set off a catastrophic nuclear meltdown — the Japanese government has not fully reopened villages and towns within the original 12-mile evacuation zone around the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.

What happened to the nuclear power plant in Japan?

The plant suffered major damage from the magnitude 9.0 earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan on March 11, 2011. The chain of events caused radiation leaks and permanently damaged several reactors, making them impossible to restart. By political decision, the remaining reactors were not restarted.

How much radioactive tritium has leaked into the ocean in Japan?

The Tokyo Electric Power Plant (TEPCO) estimated that since the March 2011 disaster, between 20 trillion and 40 trillion becquerels of radioactive tritium have leaked into the ocean, the Japanese newspaper Asahi Shimbun reported.

Where did the 2011 tsunami hit Japan?

On 11 March 2011 at 14:46 local time (05:46 GMT) the earthquake – known as the Great East Japan Earthquake, or the 2011 Tohoku earthquake – struck east of the city of Sendai, 97km north of the plant. Residents had just 10 minutes warning before the tsunami hit the coast.

What is the biggest threat from a radionuclide leak?

The biggest threat at that time was from the radionuclide cesium. But for leaks that enter the ground, the radionuclides strontium and tritium pose more of a threat, because cesium is absorbed by the soil while the other two are not.