Japanese Lawmaker Drinks Fukushima Water To Prove It’s Safe

Japanese lawmaker Yasuhiro Sonoda drank a glass of water on Tuesday that had been taken from puddles underneath one of the Fukushima’s reactors. The Japanese lawmaker drank the water so he could prove to journalists that the decontaminated water from the area was safe to drink.

During the news conference Yasuhiro’s hands were visibly shaking as he drank the water and afterwords he said:

“Just drinking [the water] doesn’t mean safety has been confirmed. Presenting data to the public is the best way.”

The idea to drink the “decontaminated” water was presented in a challenge last month from freelance journalist Yu Terasawa at which time Sonodo told the Guardian:

“I don’t want it to be seen as some kind of performance, but if that’s the best way to prove that the water is safe then I would gladly drink it right here, in front of you, any time.”

Before drinking the water officials at the plant said it was free of radioactive iodine and caesium-134 and -137.

It should be noted that reactors 5 and 6 from which the water was taken were less damaged then other reactors at the plant.

Would you be willing to drink recently radioactive water just to prove a point that might not even be correct?

[Image via ShutterStock]