Japan says seawater radioactivity below limits near Fukushima

TOKYO - Japan's environment ministry on Sunday said tests of seawater near the Fukushima nuclear power plant did not detect any radioactivity, days after the discharge of treated water that had been used to cool nuclear reactors. The east-Asian nation on Thursday started releasing water from the wrecked Fukushima plant into the Pacific Ocean, sparking protests within Japan and neighbouring countries and prompting China to ban aquatic product imports from Japan. It said the seawater "would have no adverse impact on human health and the environment". A boat collecting seawater for monitoring radioactive materials in the sea is seen near the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, after the nuclear power plant started releasing treated radioactive water into the Pacific Ocean, in Okuma, Fukushima prefecture, Japan August 24, 2023. Photo: ReutersJapan's fisheries agency on Saturday said tests of fish in waters around the plant did not detect tritium.