Radioactive water leaked at Japan`s Fukushima plant

Up to 120 tons of highly radioactive water leaked into soil from one of the underground reservoir tanks at the Fukushima No.1 power plant. This is the largest amount of radioactive substances that has leaked since the facility`s cold shutdown was declared by the Japanese government in December 2011, which indicated that the nuclear power plant accident entered into a control mode. Fishermen in the area are very nervous about the possibility of the contaminated water having flown into sea.

According to Japanese media on Sunday, Tokyo Electric Power Company, or TEPCO, said up to 120 tons of contaminated water that was stored in a reservoir tank after being used as cold water has leaked into soil. The company added that around 710 billion becquerels of radioactive materials are estimated to have seeped out of the tank. The safety standard for food is set at 100 becquerels per 1 kilogram.

TEPCO said that the process of pumping the remaining radioactive water from the tank to others is expected to be completed in three days, but warned that up to 47 tons of the radiated water may additionally leak out before the task is completed.

In April 2011, 520 tons of radiated water estimated at 4,700 terrabecquerels was leaked into sea from the reactor No.2 of the Fukushima No.1 power plant.

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