Japan said on Tuesday that it had decided to gradually discharge tons of treated wastewater from the ruined Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant into the sea, describing it as the best option for disposal despite doubts and opposition from home and abroad.

Tokyo’s unilateral plan has raised serious concerns and faced strong opposition from the fishing industry, environmental groups and neighboring governments, fearing the move will pose a far-reaching implication on the marine environment, food safety and human health.

The local fishing industry, which is still recovering from the nuclear accident in 2011, considered it another heavy blow to their already marred reputation. China called the move “extremely irresponsible” while the Republic of Korea said the plan was “totally unacceptable”.

However, western countries, which always attach high importance to environmental issues, either turn a deaf ear to the matter or go against the trend of the international community. The US government even claimed Japan has been "transparent about its decision" and "appears to have adopted an approach in accordance with globally accepted nuclear safety standards."

If America’s seemingly nonchalant attitude is the result of its far geographic distance from Japan, then it may has miscalculated. According to a previous study by Germany's Geomar Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research, the Fukushima contaminated nuclear wastewater will pollute half of the Pacific Ocean in 57 days, and Canada and the US will be affected by the nuclear radiation pollution in three years.

But if Washington’s indulgence is a political bargain for Tokyo’s adherence to its strategy in the region, then its double standard will not only expose its hypocrisy but will also put human health at risk and the Biden administration’s commitment to environmental protection in question.

Since the 2011 nuclear accident in the plant, cooling water is continuously pumped through three damaged reactor cores to keep them from melting. The polluted wastewater and contaminated underground water is then sent through a filtration system known as Advanced Liquid Processing System, before being collected and kept in storage tanks. About 1.25 million tons of radioactive wastewater is stored in over 1,000 tanks, equivalent to 500 Olympic-sized swimming pools. The water continues to accumulate at a rate of about 170 tons a day, and releasing all of it is expected to take decades.

Japan said the tanks will be filled by September 2022, so the wastewater has to be dealt with. It claimed that the water will be treated and diluted so radiation levels are below those set for drinking water. However, the safety of the wastewater is still questionable and its long-term consequences is hard to assess.

The filter system is able to remove most of the radioactive material, but some remain, including tritium, an isotope of hydrogen that when ingested can raise cancer risks, according to a Scientific American article in 2014. And tritium is not the only worrisome radionuclides in the wastewater. Nuclear experts from environmental organization Greenpeace say the level of the radioactive isotope carbon-14 in the wastewater will remain hazardous for thousands of years with the potential to cause genetic damage.

The oceans are mankind’s shared property, and no country can afford to stay aloof. Since the discharge of Fukushima nuclear wastewater into the sea will affect the marine environment, food safety and human health, how the wastewater is handled is no longer a domestic issue for Japan. Tokyo must reevaluate the issue and duly respond to the serious concerns of the international community, neighboring countries and its own people.