SEOUL, South Korea's vice oceans minister said Thursday the country plans to come up with testing methods to detect tritium levels in seafood by the end of this year amid growing concerns over Japan's release of wastewater from the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant.
"To address the public's concerns, the government plans to come up with testing methods and standards for tritium this year and bolster the testing of its levels in seafood, so that people can consume them without worry," Vice Oceans Minister Park Sung-hoon told a regular press briefing.
Tritium, which occurs naturally but can also be produced as a byproduct of nuclear reactors, is considered unstable and radioactive. It is known to increase the risk of cancer if consumed in extremely large quantities.
The latest remark came as there are currently no international standards on testing tritium levels in seafood.
Park also noted that the government is conducting regular tests on the ocean regularly, and that the local waters are managed safely.
Earlier this month, Japan began the second phase of the discharge of treated wastewater from the Fukushima nuclear power plant into the Pacific Ocean after the first phase was carried out within the established safety limits between Aug. 24 and Sept. 11.
Source: Yonhap News Agency