Indonesian radioecologist concerned about Japan's plan to discharge nuclear-contaminated water into sea

JAKARTA, June 29 (Xinhua) -- Japanese government's plan to discharge Fukushima nuclear-contaminated water into the sea may have a negative impact on the ecology of the Pacific Ocean, an Indonesian nuclear expert said.

Murdahayu Makmur, a marine radioecologist with Indonesia's National Nuclear Energy Agency raised her concern about Japan's discharge plan in an interview with Xinhua recently.

The nuclear contaminated water contains the radioactive substance tritium, and with the discharge of a large amount of nuclear contaminated water, there is concern whether the content of tritium in seawater will increase significantly and whether it will have an ecological impact, she said.

In addition, the nuclear contaminated water may contain other radioactive substances besides tritium, the expert added.

Nuclear contaminated water discharged into the sea will be driven by ocean currents and continue to spread. Marine life which move with the currents and the migration of marine fish will also drive the spread of radioactive materials, she said.

The radioecologist noted that if the tritium content in seawater and marine life continues to increase, the entire Pacific coast, including Indonesia, will be affected.

Indonesia is very concerned about the environment and seafood safety in the surrounding waters, and will closely monitor the level of radioactive substances in the surrounding waters, she added.