Earlier in the day, the NPP's operator, TEPCO, started dumping the treated waste water from the plant into the Pacific Ocean, having diluted it with sea water in advance.
"In connection with the announced and supposed release of contaminated water from the Fukushima NPP, Rospotrebnadzor has introduced an enhanced sanitary monitoring since July 8, 2023 ... Over 7 tonnes of aquatic biological resources and goods out of it have been studied, no exceeding of hygienic standards has been detected," the watchdog said.
It added that exports of all food products from Japan to Russia could be allowed only with a declaration that they meet the relevant regulatory standards.
Japan said that it had to discharge the treated water, as it urgently needed to free up space at the Fukushima NPP. The water is purified of all radionuclides except tritium. Japan’s decision to discharge the waste water into the Pacific has faced criticism from South Korea and China, who fear radioactive contamination. The International Atomic Energy Agency argued that the treated wastewater will have a negligible radiological impact on people and the environment.
The Fukushima nuclear disaster occurred on March 11, 2011. The plant was severely damaged by a magnitude 9 earthquake in the Pacific Ocean. This triggered a massive tsunami that hit the plant and caused three nuclear reactors to melt down. The accident is considered the worst nuclear disaster since the Chernobyl accident in 1986 and has resulted in widespread contamination of local soil and water. The disaster left 22,200 people dead or missing.