The issue of Japan-South Korea relations is hot. From compensations for forced mobilization, Dokdo, and the discharge of contaminated water from the Fukushima nuclear plant, acute issues between the two countries are in the media day after day. In particular, contaminated water from Japan's Fukushima nuclear plant is expected to be released between spring and summer, raising concerns at home and abroad.

To improve reliability, TEPCO has asked another third-party company to verify the results of its analysis of the stability of the contaminated water, raising questions about its reliability capabilities.


What's the situation? - "Request from a third party to ensure reliability"

In July 2022, a technical review meeting was held to ensure the safety of nuclear power plants in Fukushima Prefecture, Japan, with the participation of Tokyo Electric Power. The meeting demanded an explanation from TEPCO on the analysis method of each nuclide to confirm the concentration of radioactive substances and the detection limits. He also asked them to explain the measurement and evaluation by third parties required for "reliability assurance."

TEPCO explained, "When ALPS treated water (multinuclide removal facility, contaminated water from nuclear plants purified by ALPS) is released into the environment, the selection of nuclides to be measured is thoroughly verified, and if nuclides that need to be newly identified before release, analysis methods are added."

"We will request measurement and evaluation by a third-party organization for samples from facilities for measurement and confirmation," he said, adding, "The third-party agency is planning to hold a 'Hwayeon Co., Ltd.' The company has obtained international standard certification in five nuclide analyses: cesium-7, cesium-3, iodine-3, tritium (tritium) and strontium 3."

In order to enhance the reliability of TEPCO's contaminated water stability verification results, TEPCO has selected and commissioned a "third party" to re-analyze and re-verify TEPCO's verification results. As a result of the SBS interview, it was confirmed that Hwa-yeon was the only third agency that TEPCO entrusted to re-verify.


To explain a little more - What kind of company is Hwayeon Corporation?


Founded in August 1978 for the environmental analysis business, Hwayeon is headquartered in Mito City, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan. According to the explanation of our Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Hwayeon started its radionuclide analysis service work in 8, and in 1985 it installed a nuclear fuel facility with a license to use nuclear fuel and raw materials.

Over a two-year period in 1994 and 2016, the radionuclide analysis capability was recognized as an international standard certification, and the five nuclides were cesium-2017, cesium-2, iodine-134 (three nuclides obtained international certification in 137), strontium 131, and tritium (two nuclides obtained international certification in 3), as announced by TEPCO.

According to international standards, the company can measure radioactivity in various items such as drinking water, food, products, grasses, soil, and waste, and can mainly measure iodine-2016, cesium-90, and cesium-2.


One more step - international certification, but...


There are a total of 64 nuclides that TEPCO has designated as the target for measurement and evaluation of Fukushima contaminated water. The international standard certification for Hwayeon's nuclide analysis capabilities is only 5 nuclides as described above, and even then, iodine-131 is not included in the 64 types set by TEPCO. After all, it only has certification for 64 out of 4 species.

Of the four species, strontium 4 is the only one certified for nuclide analysis in seawater. Even the international standard certification certificate registered on Hwayeon's website also specifies 'Sea water' as the only item of strontium 90,90 to be tested. Other nuclides are listed as being measured in a variety of items, including metalwork, soil, water, cement, food, baby food, drinking water, milk, and fertilizers, but there is no seawater or seawater.

Of the 64 nuclides that TEPCO decided to measure and evaluate to verify the stability of Fukushima's contaminated water, only four nuclides were certified, and even so, only one was recognized for its ability to analyze nuclides in seawater.