On July 28, 2013 the Tokyo Electric Power Company said that it has detected a high level of tritium in water under the stricken Fukushima No. 1 Power Plant. The utility said that it has detected 8.7 million becquerels of tritium per litre in water which was taken on Friday from a cable trench which runs under the turbine building of the No 2 reactor.
The level f tritium was found at some 50 meters from the Pacific Ocean. Reports say that the reading is some 145 times the legal limit. However, increase in the level of tritium level is common in nuclear plants but the recent revelation came to light a day after the utility announced that the same water had 2.35 bbillion becquerels of cesium and 750 million becquerels of other named radioactive substances which includes strontium.
The substances which are found in water are likely to pose a threat to the human health and can cause a higher risk of cancer if consumed. So far Tepco has not been able to figure out the reason why the groundwater has been tainted with radiation.
According to the latest study by the utility, the water in the observation wells on the premises is being tainted by water from the cable trench.
Photo Credits: Enformable
