Tue, April05, 2011
By North Asia correspondent Mark Willacy, wires
South Korea has expressed concern to Japan about the pumping of radioactive water into the Pacific Ocean.
Japan says it is dumping more than 11,000 tonnes of low-level radioactive water into the ocean to make space for even more contaminated run-off from water used to douse overheating fuel rods.
The government says the release is needed to stabilise the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant.
South Korea's embassy in Tokyo has expressed concern that the release may be in breach of international laws.
"It's the proximity between the two countries that makes Japan's release of radioactive water a pressing issue for us," an unnamed official told South Korea's Yonhap news agency.
Tokyo Electric Power Co, the operator of the stricken plant, said the release of the water - the equivalent of more than four Olympic-sized swimming pools - would not harm marine life or seafood safety.
Traces of airborne radioactive material had already been detected in South Korea, but were said to be too minuscule to pose health risks.
Meanwhile, Singapore has suspended fruit and vegetable imports from another Japanese prefecture after raised radiation levels were detected in cabbages from the region.
The sample was from Hyogo, based around Kobe, 1,000 kilometres west of the Fukushima nuclear plant.
Elevated levels of radioactive iodine have also been found in young lance fish found off Ibaraki, about 140 kilometres south of the Fukushima plant.
Responding to public concern, the Japanese government says it will increase inspections of marine products.
Authorities have advised the public not to eat the species.
Singapore had earlier banned imports from 10 Japanese prefectures including Fukushima and Tokyo. sourced: ABC/AFP
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