IAEA publishes report on samples of treated water from Fukushima Daiichi plant
The International Atomic Energy Agency has released a new report on analysis of samples of treated and diluted water discharged into the ocean from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant.
It says the results are consistent with a 2023 report which "concluded that the discharge would have a negligible radiological impact on people and the environment."
The IAEA published the latest report as part of additional monitoring measures that began last year.
The number of locations for collecting samples was increased as part of the measures.
The report covers a sample of seawater collected near the plant in October last year.
It says experts from research institutions in China, South Korea and Switzerland took part in the analysis of the seawater collected near the plant.
Japan's Foreign Ministry says missions for conducting the additional measures have been carried out three times so far, and that further survey results are expected to be published in due course.
The ministry says Japan's government "will continue to maintain close coordination with the IAEA in sharing information with the international community in a highly transparent manner and fostering a better understanding of the safety of the discharge of ALPS treated water within both the domestic and international communities."
ALPS is the Advanced Liquid Processing System, used to treat water that accumulates at the plant.
Water used to cool molten fuel at the Fukushima plant has been mixing with rain and groundwater. The accumulated water is being treated to remove most radioactive substances, but still contains tritium.
Before releasing the treated water into the ocean, the plant's operator dilutes it to reduce the tritium level to about one-seventh of the World Health Organization's guidance level for drinking water.
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Japan Times
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Leaves shimmer in shades of verdant green. Sunlight reflected from a rippling creek dances up a tree trunk. Birds chirp, bullfrogs croak and earthy scents of plants and soil fill the air. A visit to a forest soothes our senses. But researchers say that volatile organic compounds released from the trees, whose concentration peaks from June through August in Japan, can do a lot more to make us healthier. Japan is the birthplace of forest bathing, or shinrin-yoku — the process of taking in the forest through your five senses as a means of relaxation. Coined in 1982 by then-Forestry Agency chief Tomohide Akiyama, the concept is now well-established in Japanese culture, and most people consider it a given that it's healing to spend time in the great outdoors. 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The results showed that phytoncide exposure in a nonforest environment alone had some effect, Li says. He estimates that the aromatic substances account for about 30% of the therapeutic benefits of forest bathing with the remaining boons coming from the other sensory experiences. How exactly is forest bathing different from regular hikes or nature walks? In forest therapy, the emphasis is on awakening your five senses through the mindful observation of nature without over-exertion, experts say. Since two-thirds of Japan is covered in forests, the nation has more than its fair share of forest bathing destinations to choose from. The Kitamoto Nature Observation Park in Kitamoto, Saitama Prefecture, is one of around 60 'forest therapy bases' in Japan certified by the nonprofit Forest Therapy Society. Just 90 minutes from Tokyo, the 30-hectare forest is blessed with a mixture of cypress, cedar, oak and cherry trees. The Kitamoto Tourism Association organizes forest therapy tours , including two-hour standard tour sessions and special tours combining walks and yoga or local history talks. Fees for most sessions, available in English or Japanese, are between ¥3,000 and ¥6,000. Forest therapy guide Sayuri Ide helps need trekkers not only along hiking routes but through different ways of acceptingf the positive mental benefits of forest bathing. | TOMOKO OTAKE During a recent guided tour, forest therapist Sayuri Ide asked me to pick up a fallen leaf at the park's entrance. When I tore it in half, it smelled like cloth incense. 'This is a camphor leaf, and it is used as an insect repellent,' she says. In the forest, Ide walks slowly, often pausing along the trail. She asks me to take a deep breath, listen to the rustling of leaves and the murmur of a stream, and notice the layered shades of green in the canopy overhead. We drop a leaf into the water and watch how its shadow looks more intricate than the leaf itself. We eat mulberries freshly picked from a tree, take a break for herb tea and, at the end of our two-hour walk, lie down beneath a big tree for a short, restful nap. At one point, Ide asks me what shape of leaves I like best. I say I like round ones, and she nods in agreement. 'We live in such a square world,' Ide says, referring to smartphones and PC screens. 'I want more people to appreciate the beauty of roundness in nature.' Li personally recommends Akasawa Recreation Forest , known as the birthplace of shinrin-yoku, in Agematsu, Nagano Prefecture. It is known for a cypress forest so full of phytoncides that it keeps mosquitoes away. The Okutama forest therapy base , featuring five 'therapy roads' whose distances range from 1.3 to 12 kilometers and which includes some barrier-free routes, is another good venue, he says. Even in central Tokyo, numerous phytoncide-rich spots offer relief, such as the Shinjuku Gyoen park in Shinjuku Ward, the Institute for Nature Study in Minato Ward and the Rikugien and the Koishigawa gardens in Bunkyo Ward.
