Authorities said on Thursday (Dec 14) that a high level of radiation has been detected in the nose of a worker at the Fukushima nuclear plant as fears continue to rise after the plant was decommissioned.
Previously, China and North Korea raised concerns when Japan started to gradually release wastewater from the wrecked Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the Pacific Ocean.
Beijing had even announced that it would “completely suspend the import of aquatic products originating in Japan” to “prevent the risk of radioactive contamination of food safety”. But Japan rejected all claims, stating that the water is safe.
The operator Tokyo Electric Power (TEPCO) said Thursday that radioactive materials may have touched the worker’s face on Monday when he removed a full-face mask after finishing his work.
TEPCO further said that the employee was not experiencing any adverse health effects and a full body scan showed no internal contamination, but a full analysis will be available next month.
It was the second such incident in three months after four workers were splashed with water containing radioactive materials in October, with two of them hospitalised as a precaution.
There was an evident apprehension when Japan released treated radioactive water into the sea from its defunct nuclear reactor after the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) approved the plan.
The plant remained useless after a nuclear accident which occurred during the 2011 tsunami, releasing a large quantity of radioactive material.
After the tsunami hit, some of the nuclear facility’s reactors went into meltdown as the cooling systems were overwhelmed, causing a nuclear accident — the worst since Chornobyl.
The water was distilled after being contaminated from contact with fuel rods at the reactor. The tanks on the site held about 1.3 million tonnes of radioactive water, which is massive. It is a mixture of groundwater, rain that seeps into the area, and water used for cooling.
‘Great East Japan Earthquake’: Here’s what happened on March 11, 2011
Japan was struck by a massive magnitude 9.0 earthquake which was centred in the Pacific Ocean about 80 kilometres east of the city of Sendai.
The quake led to a powerful tsunami. According to the US Geological Survey, it was the largest earthquake ever recorded in Japan and the fourth largest recorded worldwide since 1900.
As per the data released officially, the number of those confirmed dead or listed as missing from the 2011 disaster was about 18,500. Another estimated it to be at least 20,000. Reports have mentioned that the majority of those killed were drowning victims of the tsunami waves.
(With inputs from agencies)
