No increase in radioactivity-levels detected in country's waters - Atom Malaysia

PUTRAJAYA: There has been no increase in radioactivity levels detected in the country's waters following the release of treated water from the Fukushima nuclear plant into the Pacific Ocean by the Japanese government, says the Department of Atomic Energy (Atom Malaysia).

In a statement today, Atom Malaysia said the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI) took people's concerns regarding the matter seriously, and was closely monitoring the situation.

It said a Gamma Spectrum Water Monitoring Station had been established in collaboration with the European Union to monitor any increase in radioactivity levels in 'real-time' as a precautionary measure.

The country's atomic energy regulatory body said data from the station was monitored round the clock at the National Centre for Nuclear Response Management (NCNRM) in Dengkil, Selangor.

Atom Malaysia said it always referred to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in carrying out regulatory activities, and in the latest case in Japan, the IAEA concluded that the approach and activity to release the water treated by Advanced Liquid Processing Systems (ALPS) were consistent with international safety standards.

According to Atom Malaysia, the IAEA found that the release of treated radioactive water into the sea was done in a controlled and gradual manner, with negligible effect on humans and the environment.

-- BERNAMA