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

TOKYO, Aug. 17 (Xinhua) -- The 22nd round of ocean discharge of nuclear-contaminated wastewater from Japan's crippled Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant was completed on Monday afternoon, discharging 7,888 tons of such wastewater, said the plant's operator, Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings (TEPCO).

The newly discharged wastewater contained approximately 1.3 trillion becquerels of radioactive tritium, TEPCO said.

The latest release, also the fourth round in fiscal 2026, began on July 30.

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. As of the completion of the 22nd round, the cumulative volume released has reached about 173,000 tons.