Japan's Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) completed its 21st round of nuclear wastewater discharge from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant on July 24, 2026, releasing approximately 7,900 tons of treated nuclear wastewater into the Pacific Ocean.
Details of the 21st Discharge
According to local media in Fukushima Prefecture, the latest discharge began on July 6 and concluded at noon on July 24. A total of 7,894 tons of nuclear wastewater was released, exceeding previous estimates. The wastewater contained approximately 13 trillion becquerels of radioactive tritium.
The 7,900-ton discharge exceeded TEPCO's previous projections, raising renewed concerns among neighboring countries and environmental groups.
Cumulative Impact Since August 2023
Japan unilaterally began discharging nuclear wastewater from Fukushima into the ocean in August 2023, despite strong opposition and质疑 from the international community. To date, a total of 21 discharge rounds have been completed, with a cumulative total of approximately 165,000 tons of nuclear wastewater released into the Pacific Ocean.
The discharges have drawn persistent criticism from neighboring countries, particularly China and South Korea, as well as from fishing communities in Fukushima who argue the releases have devastated their livelihoods. Environmental organizations have repeatedly called for greater transparency and independent monitoring of the discharge process.
Background
The Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant suffered a catastrophic meltdown following the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami. The resulting nuclear wastewater has been stored in over 1,000 tanks on-site, accumulating at a rate of approximately 100 tons per day. TEPCO claims that its Advanced Liquid Processing System (ALPS) removes most radioactive isotopes, leaving only tritium, which it dilutes before discharge.
However, critics argue that the long-term environmental and ecological impacts of releasing even diluted tritium into the ocean remain insufficiently studied, and that alternatives such as continued storage or solidification were not adequately explored.