Japan releases nearly 8,000 tons of nuclear-tainted wastewater in 23rd ocean discharge

TOKYO, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- The 23rd round of ocean discharge of nuclear-contaminated wastewater from Japan's crippled Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant was completed on Friday, with 7,863 tons of such wastewater released, local media reported.

In this handout image provided by IAEA on June 24, 2026, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi (C) takes part in an inspection of treated water near Tokyo Electric Power Company's Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, in Fukushima Prefecture. (File photo: AFP)

The newly discharged wastewater contained approximately 1.2 trillion becquerels of radioactive tritium, according to Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings (TEPCO), the plant's operator.

The latest release began on Aug. 31. As of its completion, the cumulative volume released has reached about 181,000 tons.

Despite concerns and opposition from the international community, Japan unilaterally launched the discharge of nuclear-contaminated water from the Fukushima Daiichi plant into the ocean in August 2023.

According to data from TEPCO, as of Sept. 3, storage tanks at the plant still held about 1.232 million tons of nuclear-contaminated water.