(AFP)Groundwater that flows directly into the ocean from the area surrounding the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant is highly contaminated with radioactive substances, the plant’s operator announced late Monday following sample testing.
The Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) took samples from a well at the site, which showed a spike in previously detected high levels of radioactive substances, including strontium, a known carcinogen.
Similar reports have been documented, but Monday’s findings forced TEPCO to admit that it “now seems more likely” that contaminated water tanks are leaking directly into groundwater—a direct outlet to the sea.
TEPCO said their new samples showed groundwater contained 3,200 becquerels of radioactive substance per liter, as compared to 10 becquerels per liter in drinking water considered safe.
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