The first analyzes of radioactivity levels in water of the damaged Fukushima nuclear power plant, which began to be discharged into the sea on Thursday, are conclusive, Tepco, the plant’s operating company, which carried out these safety checks, said today.

The levels of radioactivity in the samples taken are consistent with predictions and are lower than the ceiling which had been set at 1,500 becquerels (Bq) per liter, a spokesman for Tepco.

THE Japan it provided for the disposal of these waters – which have been treated to get rid of their radioactive substances, with the exception of tritium, a radioactive substance that is dangerous only in high concentration doses – after previously being significantly diluted with seawater , so that the level of radioactivity in them did 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 World Health Organization (WHO) for drinking water (10,000 Bq/liter).

“We will continue to analyze daily for the next month” and then at regular intervals according to the planned plan, the spokesman added. By communicating these efforts, “we hope to dispel the various concerns,” Tepco also underlined in its statement.

However, it remains to be seen whether these early results will be enough to satisfy China, which on Thursday further tightened trade restrictions against Japan, suspending imports of all seafood products of Japanese origin.

THE International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)which controls the discharge of Fukushima waters, had already found yesterday, Thursday, that the concentration of tritium in water samples, taken from the station before the start of their discharge into the ocean, was “well below the limit” of 1,500 Bq/litrewhich has been set for this operation.

Japan’s environment ministry is also conducting its own audits, the first results of which will be made public on Sunday. The Japanese fisheries agency is also taking samples from fish to verify that they have not been affected.

In total, Japan plans to release more than 1.3 million cubic meters of water stored at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the Pacific Ocean. This is rainwater, groundwater and water used to cool the power plant’s reactor cores that were damaged after the March 2011 tsunami that swept the country’s northeast coast.

Their rejection will be very gradual, until the beginning of the decade 2050according to today’s schedule.