The concentration of tritium in water from destroyed Fukushima nuclear power plantwhich Japan started dumping into the sea today, is much lower than the prescribed limitthe International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) announced.

“IAEA experts collected this week samples from the water that was being prepared for the first discharge,” the OHE agency, which oversees the operation, said in a statement.

“Independently performed on-site analysis confirmed” that the concentration of the radioactive substance tritium was “well below the limit of 1,500 becquerels (Bq) per liter”.

Japan foresees the disposal of these waters after having previously diluted them significantly, so that the level of radioactivity in them does not exceed 1,500 becquerels (Bq) per liter.

This level is 40 times lower than Japanese national standards for the presence of tritium in water, which are in line with international standards (60,000 Bq/liter), and is also about 7 times lower than the ceiling set by the World Health Organization (WHO) for drinking water (10,000 Bq/liter ).

The International Atomic Energy Agency, which oversees the disposal operation, gave the go-ahead in July, ruling that the plan complies with “international safety rules” and that its radioactivity impact “will is negligible to the population and the environment”.