A serious nuclear leak at the Fukushima nuclear power plant in Japan has resulted in the production of a large amount of radioactive wastewater. Japan's decision to discharge this wastewater into the Pacific Ocean has sparked strong opposition and concern at home and abroad. There are concerns that this wastewater will have irreversible effects on marine ecology and human health, and even make marine seafood unsafe.
However, experts note that such fears are unwarranted. They believe that Japan** has taken effective measures to purify and monitor radioactive materials in wastewater and has passed international standards. They also said that there is no harm when buying and eating seafood through formal channels.
So, what's going on with dead fish in Japan?Why are there so many dead sardines?According to online reports, we can learn about the following:
The sardine is a migratory marine fish with a long and important fishing tradition off the coast of Japan. Sardines move in groups, looking for food and shelter in the sea.
Sardines are driven to land or rivers when they encounter predators or environmental changes in the sea. Due to the difference in temperature, salinity, oxygen and other factors in the sea and river water, sardines will feel uncomfortable or suffocate and die.
March 11 this year marks the 12th anniversary of the Fukushima nuclear accident. Prior to this, there were several large number of sardine deaths occurring by the seashores of different cities in Japan. For example:
September 21, 2021: A large number of dead sardines have appeared in the river in Tanabe City, Wakayama.
September 1, 2020: A large number of dead sardines appeared in the sea in the southern part of Hakihankan, Hokkaido.
January 30, 2018: A large number of dead sardines appeared near Yokohama and Nobe Chi towns in Aomori Prefecture.
June 14, 2012: A large number of dead sardines appeared near Matsumatsu Wheel, Minami Shimoura-cho, Miura City, Kanagawa Prefecture.
Japan** claims that these incidents were caused by weather changes or other reasons, and were not related to the nuclear wastewater. They also said that the treated nuclear sewage did not contain any radioactive materials.
In summary, we can see that the dead fish in Japan are not caused by the toxicity caused by nuclear wastewater. Instead, they may die from adaptation disorders or suffocation caused by the natural environment or human factors. Therefore, there is no need to worry about the safety of seafood when buying and eating it through regular channels.
Nor can we ignore the potential risks and impacts of the discharge of nuclear wastewater. Although there are no radioactive substances in nuclear wastewater, it still contains some harmful chemicals, such as tritium, strontium, iodine, etc. If these substances accumulate in the ocean for a long time, they may have adverse effects on marine life and human health. For example, tritium can enter the body through the food chain and affect the normal function of cells;Strontium can replace calcium into the bones, causing osteoporosis or cancerIodine can enter the thyroid gland and cause thyroid dysfunction or tumors.
Therefore, we should remain vigilant and supervise Japan's nuclear wastewater discharge plan, require it to provide relevant data and information to the international community in an open and transparent manner, and accept inspection and evaluation by international organizations and experts to ensure that it complies with international standards and norms. We should also strengthen our own monitoring and protection of the marine environment to prevent nuclear sewage from polluting and damaging our sea areas and seafood.