Radiation level doubles in drain water at crippled Fukushima plant

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TOKYO, Oct. 24 -- Radiation level of water from a drainage channel at the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant in Japan has more than doubled, the plant's operator, the Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO), said Thursday.

The water, extracted Wednesday at the channel near the tank that leaked 300 tons of highly toxic water in August, showed a record high 140,000 becquerels per liter of beta radiation emitted by radioactive materials such as strontium-90, compared with previous day's reading of 59,000 becquerels, TEPCO was quoted by local media as saying.

The operator said the spike may cause by highly contaminated soil with radioactive substances entering into the drainage channel.

As the 27th typhoon approaches Japan, TEPCO is struggling to prevent leaks in the typhoon season as rainwater accumulates inside the leak-protection barriers around the tanks.

TEPCO said Thursday that it has started pumping out water from the barriers to underground tanks that three of them were found leaks in April.

The water that is being pumped out contains a maximum 970 becquerels per liter of strontium-90, local reports quoted TEPCO as saying.

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