According to the findings, seawater samples taken from the water near the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant's No. 2 reactor several days ago were contaminated with radioactive iodine-131, seven and a half million times the legal limit, AP reported. More recent findings, however, indicated that the reading has dropped to five million as of Monday.
Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano confirmed on Monday that they had no other choice but to release water with low radioactive contamination used to cool down the plant's damaged reactors into the Pacific Ocean.
He went on to say that the water is no threat to health as the radioactive substances will disperse as they enter the ocean. Many experts, on the other hand, say exposure to high levels of radioactive substances, found near the Fukushima plant, will pose immediate health concerns.