Topics related to Japan's dumping decision are the top trends on Chinese social media platforms, with one saying "Research shows Japanese nuke-contaminated water to reach China in 240 days" having received millions of views as of press time.
The research, conducted by a team from Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School, was published in November 2021 in the journal National Science Review.
The team created a diffusion model of radioactive materials on the ocean scale from macroscopic and microscopic perspectives respectively to simulate the long-term effects of the Fukushima nuclear-contaminated wastewater dumping program, according to which the nuclear pollutants will reach the coastal waters of China 240 days after being initially dumped, and will reach the coast of North America and cover almost the whole North Pacific Ocean in 1,200 days.
The scientific model quickly sparked netizens' concerns over the biosafety of the marine environment and the whole world.
