A new leak has been discovered at Japan’s Fukushima nuclear power plant and officials worry that the “significant leak” may have already poured radioactive waste into the Pacific Ocean.
Officials examining the area found 12,000 gallons of contaminated water around a condensation unit of a water purification system.
According to the Tokyo Electric Power Co. almost all of the water is still found inside the unit but some “may” have reached the sea.
The head research of Kinki University’s Atomic Energy Research Institute told Businessweek:
“The source of the beta radiation in the water is likely to include strontium 90, which if absorbed in the body through eating tainted seaweed or fish, accumulates in bone and can cause cancer.”
The Tokyo Electric Power Co. has been attempting to fight off damage to the plant since March when an Earthquake and following Tsunami crippled the power complex and caused various smaller leaks to appear all over the plant.
After an examination of the power plant a French nuclear institute says the plant is responsible for the largest radioactive material spill in the history of nuclear power plants.
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