THE POTENTIAL IMPACT OF MARINE DISCHARGES FROM FUKUSHIMA TEN YEARS AFTER THE ACCIDENT

A previous commentary written on the fifth anniversary of the Fukushima accident described the potential impact of radioactive wastewater on marine organisms, highlighting that the environmental consequences on the marine environment were consequently not as important as feared at the time. In the present article, a new development is considered, namely, the decision to carry out a release of over 106 m3 of Advanced Liquid Processing System-treated wastewater contaminated by radionuclides from the ill-fated Fukushima Daiichi plant into the Pacific Ocean. Although information on the nature of these releases is still rather limited, it is possible to perform a preliminary screening assessment of the potential radiation doses to people and the environment, and this indicates that the radiological impact is very low. Data gaps and the assessment limitations encountered are highlighted, providing direction for future investigations. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2022;00:1-9. © 2021 SETAC.