Pacific Ocean radiation nearing normal 5 years after Fukushima
According to a study released, radiation levels near the Pacific Ocean have returned to normal, five years after the disaster at the Fukushima nuclear plant discharged gases and liquids into the sea. However, the study also said that the seafloor and harbour near the Fukushima plant were still highly tainted in the wake of the world's worst nuclear accident in 2011.
Fukushima: The Nuclear Accident
Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident occurred on 11 March in 2011 at the Fukushima plant in northern Japan was the second worst nuclear accident in the history of nuclear power generation. A major earthquake and tsunami disabled the power supply and cooling of three Fukushima Daiichi reactors which caused huge damage to the Fukushima plant. The main problem initially centred on Fukushima Daiichi units 1-3.
Chernobyl Accident: Largest nuclear reactor disaster
The Chernobyl accident, a catastrophic nuclear accident, occurred on 26 April 1986 at the Chernobyl nuclear power complex located in Pripyat in Ukraine. It is categorized as the largest nuclear reactor accident in history which led to the financial and economic problems, repercussions and the number of lives lost. The nuclear explosion was caused by an experiment on reactors to improve the electricity delivery system.
Effects of the Fukushima Nuclear accident on Environment and Health
One of the recent study suggested that the radioactive material released by the Fukushima nuclear disaster resulted in widespread negative impacts such as population decline and genetic damage in the animals, insects and wildlife of the region. Over 15,800 people died from the combined effect of the Fukushima accident. Food, milk and drinking water were also contaminated which led to the internal radiation exposure.
Fukushima disaster's far-reaching damages
According to Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO), a total of somewhere around 20 trillion to 40 trillion becquerels of radioactive tritium has gone into the Pacific Ocean since the Fukushima disaster first began.
Impact on west coast of North America
A study showed in year 2012 came to the conclusion that radiation from the Fukushima nuclear disaster could negatively affect human life along the west coast of North America from Mexico to Alaska "for decades".
