Summary

  • Japan has begun releasing treated radioactive water from the Fukushima plant into the Pacific Ocean - 12 years after a nuclear meltdown

  • The UN's atomic regulator says the discharge is safe and will have "negligible" impact on humans and the environment

  • But China has slapped a ban on Japanese seafood - and there have been protests in Japan and South Korea

  • Japan says it has filtered the water to one main radioactive isotope - tritium can't be removed from water so it has been diluted

  • The limit for tritium in the Fukushima water is 1,500 becquerel/litre - six times less than the World Health Organization's limit for drinking water

  • Experts also say there is no scientific evidence backing concerns around seafood, as the radiation released is so low

Live Reporting

Edited by Frances Mao

  1. Neighbours remain wary

    Japan has gone to lengths to assure its neighbours the release of the treated water will be safe. The UN regulator has also accepted the plan.

    But not everyone is accepting their word.

    Hong Kong and Macau - both Chinese-ruled regions - said they will ban seafood from certain areas, including Tokyo and Fukushima, from today.

    China itself has accused Japan of being "selfish". Beijing says it will take "necessary steps" to protect its marine environment, food safety, and public health - although it has not specified what those measures are.

    There are also protests in South Korea by its major opposition party and civic groups, while some island nations in the Pacific are also opposed on the other side of the ocean.

    A candlelight protest against Japan's release outside Seoul's parliament on 23 AugustReuters

    A candlelight protest against Japan's release was held in South Korea's capital Seoul last night

  2. What is happening today?

    The Fukushima power plant next to the Pacific OceanKYODO/REUTERS

    The Fukushima power plant next to the Pacific Ocean

    At 13:00 local time (05:00 BST), Japan will begin the slow release of treated, slightly radioactive water from the Fukushima nuclear plant.

    It comes more than a decade after the plant was damaged by an earthquake and tsunami in 2011, in the worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl.

    Since then, 1.34 million tonnes of water - which was used to cool damaged reactors - has accumulated at the site.

    Japan is releasing the water today because it's running out of storage. In 2021, it sought and was granted permission to release it into the Pacific Ocean - the world's largest and deepest continuous body of water.

    The plan however has fuelled controversy among its neighbours.

    Protests have been held in South Korea, and China has accused Japan of treating the ocean like its “private sewer”. Tokyo insists the discharge plan is safe, and the move has been signed off by the UN’s nuclear watchdog.

  3. Welcome

    Frances Mao
    BBC News

    Good morning.

    In a few hours, Japan will release treated radioactive water from its crippled Fukushima nuclear plant - the site of one of the world's worst nuclear disasters 12 years ago.

    Japan says the plan to discharge the water into the Pacific Ocean is safe - its system has been rigorously tested and passed numerous checks by the UN's atomic regulator.

    The International Atomic Energy Agency says the impact will be "neglible" for humans and the environment.

    However, there is concern from the public in Japan and in neighbouring countries.

    Stay with us this morning - we'll run through the science, the politics and the different perspectives on this complex story.