Japan needs to release 1M tonnes of water from Fukushima nuclear plant

Re:Japan needs to release 1M tonnes of water from Fukushima ... by jsocuwl on Thursday May 25, 2023 @07:42PM (#36077897)

Banana don't have tritium in them. It's not a relevant comparison. Also, tritium doesn't penetrate the skin but can cause trouble when it binds in food nutrients and is absorbed through digestion. It will get in fish and people will eat that. This is not the first release TEPCO is doing and it won't be the last one. They lied so many times in the past that I don't trust them at all. All these little issues, they might compound you know...

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Japan needs to release 1M tonnes of water from Fukushima ... by yummypaint on Thursday May 25, 2023 @08:21PM (#36078206)

Tritiated water can be absorbed through the skin and it's also quickly flushed out with other water regardless of how it gets in your system. If i had to eat some activity of either 40K or 3H i would definitely take the tritium.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Japan needs to release 1M tonnes of water from Fukushima ... by jsocuwl on Thursday May 25, 2023 @10:54PM (#36079208)

You'll be lucky if you can choose your own poison. It won't be the case for animals and people who might be affected by the shortcoming of nuclear power industry.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Japan needs to release 1M tonnes of water from Fukushima ... by panny on Thursday May 25, 2023 @08:15PM (#36078163)

This is a great point. The mantra "dilution is the solution to pollution" can be undone by bioaccumulation in fish at the top of their food chains.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Japan needs to release 1M tonnes of water from Fukushima ... by credit_guy on Thursday May 25, 2023 @09:07PM (#36078538)

Tritium cannot bio-accumulate, because it is just hydrogen. In all chemical reactions tritium behaves identically with regular hydrogen.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Japan needs to release 1M tonnes of water from Fukushima ... by panny on Thursday May 25, 2023 @10:34PM (#36079070)

Sorry for the confusion, but I am not saying

>Tritium cannot bio-accumulate

I'm simply agreeing that if it is possible, then the justification for release is invalidated. If you would like to argue your point with the commenter I replied to, you are welcome to do that.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Japan needs to release 1M tonnes of water from Fukushima ... by jsocuwl on Thursday May 25, 2023 @10:56PM (#36079228)

I was refering to organically bound tritium (to food). This one takes longer to evacuate and can decay inside the body.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Japan needs to release 1M tonnes of water from Fukushima ... by robocat on Thursday May 25, 2023 @11:29PM (#36079463)

> In all chemical reactions tritium behaves identically with regular hydrogen.

False. For example there is a an increases the strength of water's hydrogen–oxygen bonds. Tritium acts similarly to Protium, however it has chemical differences (ignoring the radioactivity).

Even Deuterium has enough chemical difference to be poisonous in large quantities, even though it is not radioactive. Wikipedia: “When a large fraction of water (> 50%) in higher organisms is replaced by heavy water, the result is cell dysfunction and death.”

[ Parent | on HN ]