🕷️ Crawler Inspector

URL Lookup

Direct Parameter Lookup

Raw Queries and Responses

1. Shard Calculation

Query:

Response:

Calculated Shard: 132 (from laksa112)

2. Crawled Status Check

Query:

curl -X POST \
  'http://laksa132.int.ahrefs:8124/' \
  -H 'Content-Type: text/plain' \
  -H 'X-ClickHouse-Database: crawler3' \
  -H 'Authorization: Basic YXBpOg==' \
  -d 'SELECT getAhrefsURLFromUnparsed(src_unparsed) AS found_url, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(download_stamp), 0) AS crawl_time, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(props_url_first_seen), 0) AS first_indexed_time, download_http_code AS http_code, src_unparsed AS src_unparsed, src_root_hash AS src_root_hash, history_drop_reason AS history_drop_reason, meta_title AS meta_title, meta_descriptions AS meta_descriptions, attrs_boilerpipe_text AS attrs_boilerpipe_text, attrs_markdown AS attrs_markdown, attrs_readable_markdown AS attrs_readable_markdown, meta_canonical AS meta_canonical FROM crawler3.page_info_local FINAL PREWHERE (src_root_hash, src_unparsed) IN ((getAhrefsRootHashFromUnparsed(getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-23779561\')), getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-23779561\'))) FORMAT JSONEachRow'

Response:

{"found_url":"https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/science-environment-23779561","crawl_time":1772481323,"first_indexed_time":1493944111,"http_code":200,"src_unparsed":"uk,co,bbc!www,\/news\/science-environment-23779561 s443","src_root_hash":"2272746388958996332","history_drop_reason":null,"meta_title":"Fukushima leak is 'much worse than we were led to believe' - BBC News","meta_descriptions":["The scale of the water leaks at Fukushima is much worse than officials have acknowledged to date, say experts."],"attrs_boilerpipe_text":"\"It is much worse than we have been led to believe, much worse,\" said Mr Schneider, who is lead author for the World Nuclear Industry status reports.\nAt news conference, the head of Japan's nuclear regulation authority Shunichi Tanaka appeared to give credence to Mr Schneider's concerns, saying that he feared there would be further leaks.\n``We should assume that what has happened once could happen again, and prepare for more. We are in a situation where there is no time to waste,\" he told reporters.\nThe lack of clarity about the water situation and the continued attempts by Tepco to deny that water was leaking into the sea has irritated many researchers.\nDr Ken Buesseler is a senior scientist at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution who has examined the waters around Fukushima.\n\"It is not over yet by a long shot, Chernobyl was in many ways a one week fire-explosive event, nothing with the potential of this right on the ocean.\"\n\"We've been saying since 2011 that the reactor site is still leaking whether that's the buildings and the ground water or these new tank releases.  There's no way to really contain all of this radioactive water on site.\"\n\"Once it gets into the ground water, like a river flowing to the sea, you can't really stop a ground water flow. You can pump out water, but how many tanks can you keep putting on site?\"\nSeveral scientists also raised concerns about the vulnerability of the huge amount of stored water on site to another earthquake.\nThe storage problems are compounded by the ingress of ground water, running down from the surrounding hills. It mixes with radioactive water leaking out of the basements of the reactors and then some of it leaches into the sea, despite the best efforts of Tepco to stem the flow.\nSome of the radioactive elements like caesium that are contained in the water can be filtered by the earth. Others are managing to get through and this worries watching experts.\n\"Our biggest concern right now is if some of the other isotopes such as strontium 90 which tend to be more mobile, get through these sediments in the ground water,\" said Dr Buesseler.\n\"They are entering the oceans at levels that then will accumulate in seafood and will cause new health concerns.\"\nThere are also worries about the spent nuclear fuel rods that are being cooled and stored in water pools on site. Mycle Schneider says these contain far more radioactive caesium than was emitted during the explosion at Chernobyl.\n\"There is absolutely no guarantee that there isn't a crack in the walls of the spent fuel pools. If salt water gets in, the steel bars would be corroded. It would basically explode the walls, and you cannot see that; you can't get close enough to the pools,\" he said.\nThe \"worsening situation\" at Fukushima has prompted a former Japanese ambassador to Switzerland to call for the withdrawal of Tokyo's Olympic bid.\nIn a letter to the UN secretary general, Mitsuhei Murata says the official radiation figures published by Tepco cannot be trusted. He says he is extremely worried about the lack of a sense of crisis in Japan and abroad.\nThis view is shared by Mycle Schneider, who is calling for an international taskforce for Fukushima.\n\"The Japanese have a problem asking for help. It is a big mistake; they badly need it.\"\nFollow Matt on\nTwitter\n, external\n.","attrs_markdown":"[BBC Homepage](https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/)\n\n- [Skip to content](https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/science-environment-23779561#main-heading)\n- [Accessibility Help](https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/accessibility\/)\n\n- [Sign in](https:\/\/session.bbc.co.uk\/session?lang=en-GB&ptrt=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bbc.co.uk%2Fnews%2Fscience-environment-23779561&sequenceId=5a3f860a-f622-43d5-9242-956e38c2120b)\n- [Notifications](https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/notifications)\n\n- [Home](https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/)\n- [News](https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news)\n- [Sport](https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/sport)\n- [Weather](https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/weather)\n- [iPlayer](https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/iplayer)\n- [Sounds](https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/sounds)\n- [Bitesize](https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/bitesize)\n- [CBBC](https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/cbbc)\n- [CBeebies](https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/cbeebies)\n- [Food](https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/food)\n- [More menu](https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/science-environment-23779561#global-navigation-more-menu)\n\n[More menu](https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/science-environment-23779561#global-navigation-more-menu)\n\n[Search BBC](https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/search?d=NEWS_PS)\n\n- [Home](https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/)\n- [News](https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news)\n- [Sport](https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/sport)\n- [Weather](https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/weather)\n- [iPlayer](https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/iplayer)\n- [Sounds](https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/sounds)\n- [Bitesize](https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/bitesize)\n- [CBBC](https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/cbbc)\n- [CBeebies](https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/cbeebies)\n- [Food](https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/food)\n\nClose menu\n\n[BBC News](https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news)\n\n[Menu](https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/science-environment-23779561#product-navigation-menu)\n\n- [Home](https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news)\n- [UK](https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk)\n- [World](https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world)\n- [Business](https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/business)\n- [Culture](https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/entertainment_and_arts)\n- [Politics](https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/politics)\n- [Health](https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/health)\n- [Tech](https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/technology)\n- [InDepth](https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/bbcindepth)\n- [BBC Verify](https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/bbcverify)\n- [Climate](https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/topics\/cmj34zmwm1zt)\n\n[More](https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/science-environment-23779561#product-navigation-more-menu)\n\n- [Science](https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/science_and_environment)\n- [Family & Education](https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/education)\n- [In Pictures](https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/in_pictures)\n- [Disability](https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/disability)\n- [Newsbeat](https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/newsbeat)\n\n- [Science & Environment](https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/science_and_environment)\n\n## Get the news, your way\nSign in for podcasts, documentaries and analysis\n\n[Sign in](https:\/\/session.bbc.co.uk\/session?ptrt=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bbc.co.uk%2Fnews%2Fscience-environment-23779561&sequenceId=b9a721c6-8c74-4d69-a9e1-2cd34ef4bd64)\n\nor[Register](https:\/\/session.bbc.co.uk\/session?action=register&ptrt=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bbc.co.uk%2Fnews%2Fscience-environment-23779561&sequenceId=b9a721c6-8c74-4d69-a9e1-2cd34ef4bd64)\n\nMaybe later\n\n# Fukushima leak is 'much worse than we were led to believe'\nShare\n\nclose panel\n\nShare page\n\nCopy link\n\n[About sharing](https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/usingthebbc\/terms\/can-i-share-things-from-the-bbc)\n\n## To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\nThis video can not be played\n\nMedia caption,\n\nRupert Wingfield-Hayes travels to the source of the water being contaminated by Fukushima\n\nByMatt McGrath\n\nEnvironment correspondent, BBC News\n\n**A nuclear expert has told the BBC that he believes the current water leaks at Fukushima are much worse than the authorities have stated.**\n\nMycle Schneider is an independent consultant who has previously advised the French and German governments.\n\nHe says water is leaking out all over the site and there are no accurate figures for radiation levels.\n\nMeanwhile the chairman of Japan's nuclear authority said that he feared there would be further leaks.\n\nThe ongoing problems at the Fukushima plant increased in recent days when the Tokyo Electric Power Company (Tepco) admitted that around 300 tonnes of highly radioactive water had leaked from a storage tank on the site.\n## Moment of crisis\nThe Japanese nuclear energy watchdog raised the incident level from one to three on the international scale that measures the severity of atomic accidents.\n\nThis was an acknowledgement that the power station was in its greatest crisis since the reactors melted down after the tsunami in 2011.\n\nBut some nuclear experts are concerned that the problem is a good deal worse than either Tepco or the Japanese government are willing to admit.\n\nThey are worried about the enormous quantities of water, used to cool the reactor cores, which are now being stored on site.\n\nSome 1,000 tanks have been built to hold the water. But these are believed to be at around 85% of their capacity and every day an extra 400 tonnes of water are being added.\n\n\"The quantities of water they are dealing with are absolutely gigantic,\" said Mycle Schneider, who has consulted widely for a variety of organisations and countries on nuclear issues.\n\n\"What is the worse is the water leakage everywhere else - not just from the tanks. It is leaking out from the basements, it is leaking out from the cracks all over the place. Nobody can measure that.\n\n![The increase in storage of radioactive water at the Fukushima nuclear plant](https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/624\/mcs\/media\/images\/69414000\/jpg\/_69414872_fukushima_timeline_624.jpg)\n\nImage caption,\n\nSatellite images show how the number of water storage tanks has increased in the past two years. The tanks store contaminated water that has been used to cool the reactors.\n\n\"It is much worse than we have been led to believe, much worse,\" said Mr Schneider, who is lead author for the World Nuclear Industry status reports.\n\nAt news conference, the head of Japan's nuclear regulation authority Shunichi Tanaka appeared to give credence to Mr Schneider's concerns, saying that he feared there would be further leaks.\n\n\\``We should assume that what has happened once could happen again, and prepare for more. We are in a situation where there is no time to waste,\" he told reporters.\n\nThe lack of clarity about the water situation and the continued attempts by Tepco to deny that water was leaking into the sea has irritated many researchers.\n\nDr Ken Buesseler is a senior scientist at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution who has examined the waters around Fukushima.\n\n\"It is not over yet by a long shot, Chernobyl was in many ways a one week fire-explosive event, nothing with the potential of this right on the ocean.\"\n\n\"We've been saying since 2011 that the reactor site is still leaking whether that's the buildings and the ground water or these new tank releases. There's no way to really contain all of this radioactive water on site.\"\n\n\"Once it gets into the ground water, like a river flowing to the sea, you can't really stop a ground water flow. You can pump out water, but how many tanks can you keep putting on site?\"\n\nSeveral scientists also raised concerns about the vulnerability of the huge amount of stored water on site to another earthquake.\n\n![Graphic of water tank contamination at Fukushima](https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/624\/mcs\/media\/images\/69415000\/gif\/_69415268_fukushima_groundwater_v2.gif)\n\nImage caption,\n\nWater from the storage tanks has seeped into the groundwater and then into the sea. Efforts to use a chemical barrier to prevent sea contamination have not worked.\n## New health concerns\nThe storage problems are compounded by the ingress of ground water, running down from the surrounding hills. It mixes with radioactive water leaking out of the basements of the reactors and then some of it leaches into the sea, despite the best efforts of Tepco to stem the flow.\n\nSome of the radioactive elements like caesium that are contained in the water can be filtered by the earth. Others are managing to get through and this worries watching experts.\n\n\"Our biggest concern right now is if some of the other isotopes such as strontium 90 which tend to be more mobile, get through these sediments in the ground water,\" said Dr Buesseler.\n\n\"They are entering the oceans at levels that then will accumulate in seafood and will cause new health concerns.\"\n\nThere are also worries about the spent nuclear fuel rods that are being cooled and stored in water pools on site. Mycle Schneider says these contain far more radioactive caesium than was emitted during the explosion at Chernobyl.\n\n\"There is absolutely no guarantee that there isn't a crack in the walls of the spent fuel pools. If salt water gets in, the steel bars would be corroded. It would basically explode the walls, and you cannot see that; you can't get close enough to the pools,\" he said.\n\nThe \"worsening situation\" at Fukushima has prompted a former Japanese ambassador to Switzerland to call for the withdrawal of Tokyo's Olympic bid.\n\nIn a letter to the UN secretary general, Mitsuhei Murata says the official radiation figures published by Tepco cannot be trusted. He says he is extremely worried about the lack of a sense of crisis in Japan and abroad.\n\nThis view is shared by Mycle Schneider, who is calling for an international taskforce for Fukushima.\n\n\"The Japanese have a problem asking for help. It is a big mistake; they badly need it.\"\n\nFollow Matt on [Twitter, external](http:\/\/twitter.com\/mattmcgrathbbc).\n\n## More on this story\n- [Fukushima water leak 'emergency'](https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-asia-23578859)\n- [Steam seen at Fukushima building](https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/world-asia-23353049)\n- [Q\\&A: Fukushima leak problems](https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/science-environment-23779560)\n\n## Related internet links\n- [TEPCO - TEPCO](http:\/\/www.tepco.co.jp\/en\/index-e.html)\n- [International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)](http:\/\/www.iaea.org\/)\n- [World Nuclear Industry Status Report](http:\/\/www.worldnuclearreport.org\/)\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\n## Top stories\n- [Live. Trump says US took 'last best chance' to hit Iran, as Lebanon reports 52 killed in Israeli strikes](https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/live\/cy0dp1l57nxt)\n- [Starmer criticises Trump over Iran strikes, as he defends UK position](https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/articles\/cj0dnq2v0e2o)\n- [Three days in, we still have no idea where this war is heading](https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/articles\/c178z0p902vo)\n\n## More to explore\n- [Inside the Mar-a-Lago war room as Trump monitored US-Israeli strikes on Iran](https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/resources\/idt-24f9546d-9bc0-4c0c-a49f-776799a9d5c4)\n  \n  ![Trump in Mar-a-Lago war room](https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/385\/cpsprodpb\/d64f\/live\/912bc350-165d-11f1-801d-ed3cff6bf876.png)\n- [Why did US and Israel attack Iran and how long could the war last?](https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/articles\/cx2dyz6p3weo)\n  \n  ![A man wearing a red hoodie in Tehran is seen from behind watching an explosion and smoke rising in the distance through binoculars](https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/385\/cpsprodpb\/eb4d\/live\/57511b80-163f-11f1-9120-a910fc22c6ac.jpg)\n- [Sir John Curtice: Which issues will decide the elections in Scotland and Wales?](https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/articles\/cj6dnrwnx01o)\n  \n  ![A man wearing a grey jumper and a blue hat leaves after casting his vote at the Moniaive polling station in Dumfries and Galloway. The building has white walls and the doorway is made of red sandstone. A sign on the left of the image says Polling Place.](https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/385\/cpsprodpb\/0985\/live\/24d6fab0-13d0-11f1-801d-ed3cff6bf876.jpg)\n- [Tour or residency? Top artists give their views on live music debate](https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/articles\/cy8ly0gpl1xo)\n  \n  ![Jade has long black hair, she is wearing a high neck green and pink pattern jacket. ](https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/385\/cpsprodpb\/1a08\/live\/1bb776e0-1627-11f1-9f25-83b60c226cca.jpg)\n- ['Doctors said my excruciating period pain was anxiety'](https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/articles\/cx2drw8l80no)\n  \n  ![Amy stands in a building entrance hall and smiles at the camera. She has long brown hair that is slightly curled. She wears a black coat with a white top underneath.](https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/385\/cpsprodpb\/c7e8\/live\/937ce360-1238-11f1-8cd0-fb461ac7fcc1.jpg)\n- [What can players and clubs do about 'AI slop'?](https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/sport\/football\/articles\/cy8pdr55219o)\n  \n  - Attribution\n    [Sport](https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/sport)\n  \n  ![Kylian Mbappe celebrates scoring](https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/385\/cpsprodpb\/a1bd\/live\/d9014b00-159f-11f1-801d-ed3cff6bf876.jpg)\n- [Actor Awards: The red carpet in pictures](https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/articles\/cj3286ym802o)\n  \n  ![Emma Stone, Wunmi Mosaku and Timothée Chalamet at the 32nd Annual Actor Awards Presented by SAG-AFTRA held at Shrine Auditorium and Expo Hall on March 01, 2026 in Los Angeles, California.](https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/385\/cpsprodpb\/def3\/live\/24fc5210-15f6-11f1-9120-a910fc22c6ac.jpg)\n- ['I knew the risks, I'd do it again' - Moody opens up in new BBC documentary](https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/sport\/rugby-union\/articles\/c5yqpqjkj95o)\n  \n  - 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The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. [Read about our approach to external linking.](https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/editorialguidelines\/guidance\/feeds-and-links)","attrs_readable_markdown":"\"It is much worse than we have been led to believe, much worse,\" said Mr Schneider, who is lead author for the World Nuclear Industry status reports.\n\nAt news conference, the head of Japan's nuclear regulation authority Shunichi Tanaka appeared to give credence to Mr Schneider's concerns, saying that he feared there would be further leaks.\n\n\\``We should assume that what has happened once could happen again, and prepare for more. We are in a situation where there is no time to waste,\" he told reporters.\n\nThe lack of clarity about the water situation and the continued attempts by Tepco to deny that water was leaking into the sea has irritated many researchers.\n\nDr Ken Buesseler is a senior scientist at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution who has examined the waters around Fukushima.\n\n\"It is not over yet by a long shot, Chernobyl was in many ways a one week fire-explosive event, nothing with the potential of this right on the ocean.\"\n\n\"We've been saying since 2011 that the reactor site is still leaking whether that's the buildings and the ground water or these new tank releases. There's no way to really contain all of this radioactive water on site.\"\n\n\"Once it gets into the ground water, like a river flowing to the sea, you can't really stop a ground water flow. You can pump out water, but how many tanks can you keep putting on site?\"\n\nSeveral scientists also raised concerns about the vulnerability of the huge amount of stored water on site to another earthquake.\n\nThe storage problems are compounded by the ingress of ground water, running down from the surrounding hills. It mixes with radioactive water leaking out of the basements of the reactors and then some of it leaches into the sea, despite the best efforts of Tepco to stem the flow.\n\nSome of the radioactive elements like caesium that are contained in the water can be filtered by the earth. Others are managing to get through and this worries watching experts.\n\n\"Our biggest concern right now is if some of the other isotopes such as strontium 90 which tend to be more mobile, get through these sediments in the ground water,\" said Dr Buesseler.\n\n\"They are entering the oceans at levels that then will accumulate in seafood and will cause new health concerns.\"\n\nThere are also worries about the spent nuclear fuel rods that are being cooled and stored in water pools on site. Mycle Schneider says these contain far more radioactive caesium than was emitted during the explosion at Chernobyl.\n\n\"There is absolutely no guarantee that there isn't a crack in the walls of the spent fuel pools. If salt water gets in, the steel bars would be corroded. It would basically explode the walls, and you cannot see that; you can't get close enough to the pools,\" he said.\n\nThe \"worsening situation\" at Fukushima has prompted a former Japanese ambassador to Switzerland to call for the withdrawal of Tokyo's Olympic bid.\n\nIn a letter to the UN secretary general, Mitsuhei Murata says the official radiation figures published by Tepco cannot be trusted. He says he is extremely worried about the lack of a sense of crisis in Japan and abroad.\n\nThis view is shared by Mycle Schneider, who is calling for an international taskforce for Fukushima.\n\n\"The Japanese have a problem asking for help. It is a big mistake; they badly need it.\"\n\nFollow Matt on [Twitter, external](http:\/\/twitter.com\/mattmcgrathbbc).","meta_canonical":null}

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Meta Title	Fukushima leak is 'much worse than we were led to believe' - BBC News
Meta Description	The scale of the water leaks at Fukushima is much worse than officials have acknowledged to date, say experts.
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Boilerpipe Text	"It is much worse than we have been led to believe, much worse," said Mr Schneider, who is lead author for the World Nuclear Industry status reports. At news conference, the head of Japan's nuclear regulation authority Shunichi Tanaka appeared to give credence to Mr Schneider's concerns, saying that he feared there would be further leaks. ``We should assume that what has happened once could happen again, and prepare for more. We are in a situation where there is no time to waste," he told reporters. The lack of clarity about the water situation and the continued attempts by Tepco to deny that water was leaking into the sea has irritated many researchers. Dr Ken Buesseler is a senior scientist at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution who has examined the waters around Fukushima. "It is not over yet by a long shot, Chernobyl was in many ways a one week fire-explosive event, nothing with the potential of this right on the ocean." "We've been saying since 2011 that the reactor site is still leaking whether that's the buildings and the ground water or these new tank releases. There's no way to really contain all of this radioactive water on site." "Once it gets into the ground water, like a river flowing to the sea, you can't really stop a ground water flow. You can pump out water, but how many tanks can you keep putting on site?" Several scientists also raised concerns about the vulnerability of the huge amount of stored water on site to another earthquake. The storage problems are compounded by the ingress of ground water, running down from the surrounding hills. It mixes with radioactive water leaking out of the basements of the reactors and then some of it leaches into the sea, despite the best efforts of Tepco to stem the flow. Some of the radioactive elements like caesium that are contained in the water can be filtered by the earth. Others are managing to get through and this worries watching experts. "Our biggest concern right now is if some of the other isotopes such as strontium 90 which tend to be more mobile, get through these sediments in the ground water," said Dr Buesseler. "They are entering the oceans at levels that then will accumulate in seafood and will cause new health concerns." There are also worries about the spent nuclear fuel rods that are being cooled and stored in water pools on site. Mycle Schneider says these contain far more radioactive caesium than was emitted during the explosion at Chernobyl. "There is absolutely no guarantee that there isn't a crack in the walls of the spent fuel pools. If salt water gets in, the steel bars would be corroded. It would basically explode the walls, and you cannot see that; you can't get close enough to the pools," he said. The "worsening situation" at Fukushima has prompted a former Japanese ambassador to Switzerland to call for the withdrawal of Tokyo's Olympic bid. In a letter to the UN secretary general, Mitsuhei Murata says the official radiation figures published by Tepco cannot be trusted. He says he is extremely worried about the lack of a sense of crisis in Japan and abroad. This view is shared by Mycle Schneider, who is calling for an international taskforce for Fukushima. "The Japanese have a problem asking for help. It is a big mistake; they badly need it." Follow Matt on Twitter , external .
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This video can not be played Media caption, Rupert Wingfield-Hayes travels to the source of the water being contaminated by Fukushima ByMatt McGrath Environment correspondent, BBC News A nuclear expert has told the BBC that he believes the current water leaks at Fukushima are much worse than the authorities have stated. Mycle Schneider is an independent consultant who has previously advised the French and German governments. He says water is leaking out all over the site and there are no accurate figures for radiation levels. Meanwhile the chairman of Japan's nuclear authority said that he feared there would be further leaks. The ongoing problems at the Fukushima plant increased in recent days when the Tokyo Electric Power Company (Tepco) admitted that around 300 tonnes of highly radioactive water had leaked from a storage tank on the site. ## Moment of crisis The Japanese nuclear energy watchdog raised the incident level from one to three on the international scale that measures the severity of atomic accidents. This was an acknowledgement that the power station was in its greatest crisis since the reactors melted down after the tsunami in 2011. But some nuclear experts are concerned that the problem is a good deal worse than either Tepco or the Japanese government are willing to admit. They are worried about the enormous quantities of water, used to cool the reactor cores, which are now being stored on site. Some 1,000 tanks have been built to hold the water. But these are believed to be at around 85% of their capacity and every day an extra 400 tonnes of water are being added. "The quantities of water they are dealing with are absolutely gigantic," said Mycle Schneider, who has consulted widely for a variety of organisations and countries on nuclear issues. "What is the worse is the water leakage everywhere else - not just from the tanks. It is leaking out from the basements, it is leaking out from the cracks all over the place. Nobody can measure that. ![The increase in storage of radioactive water at the Fukushima nuclear plant](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/ace/standard/624/mcs/media/images/69414000/jpg/_69414872_fukushima_timeline_624.jpg) Image caption, Satellite images show how the number of water storage tanks has increased in the past two years. The tanks store contaminated water that has been used to cool the reactors. "It is much worse than we have been led to believe, much worse," said Mr Schneider, who is lead author for the World Nuclear Industry status reports. At news conference, the head of Japan's nuclear regulation authority Shunichi Tanaka appeared to give credence to Mr Schneider's concerns, saying that he feared there would be further leaks. \``We should assume that what has happened once could happen again, and prepare for more. We are in a situation where there is no time to waste," he told reporters. The lack of clarity about the water situation and the continued attempts by Tepco to deny that water was leaking into the sea has irritated many researchers. Dr Ken Buesseler is a senior scientist at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution who has examined the waters around Fukushima. "It is not over yet by a long shot, Chernobyl was in many ways a one week fire-explosive event, nothing with the potential of this right on the ocean." "We've been saying since 2011 that the reactor site is still leaking whether that's the buildings and the ground water or these new tank releases. There's no way to really contain all of this radioactive water on site." "Once it gets into the ground water, like a river flowing to the sea, you can't really stop a ground water flow. You can pump out water, but how many tanks can you keep putting on site?" Several scientists also raised concerns about the vulnerability of the huge amount of stored water on site to another earthquake. ![Graphic of water tank contamination at Fukushima](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/ace/standard/624/mcs/media/images/69415000/gif/_69415268_fukushima_groundwater_v2.gif) Image caption, Water from the storage tanks has seeped into the groundwater and then into the sea. Efforts to use a chemical barrier to prevent sea contamination have not worked. ## New health concerns The storage problems are compounded by the ingress of ground water, running down from the surrounding hills. It mixes with radioactive water leaking out of the basements of the reactors and then some of it leaches into the sea, despite the best efforts of Tepco to stem the flow. Some of the radioactive elements like caesium that are contained in the water can be filtered by the earth. Others are managing to get through and this worries watching experts. "Our biggest concern right now is if some of the other isotopes such as strontium 90 which tend to be more mobile, get through these sediments in the ground water," said Dr Buesseler. "They are entering the oceans at levels that then will accumulate in seafood and will cause new health concerns." There are also worries about the spent nuclear fuel rods that are being cooled and stored in water pools on site. Mycle Schneider says these contain far more radioactive caesium than was emitted during the explosion at Chernobyl. "There is absolutely no guarantee that there isn't a crack in the walls of the spent fuel pools. If salt water gets in, the steel bars would be corroded. It would basically explode the walls, and you cannot see that; you can't get close enough to the pools," he said. The "worsening situation" at Fukushima has prompted a former Japanese ambassador to Switzerland to call for the withdrawal of Tokyo's Olympic bid. In a letter to the UN secretary general, Mitsuhei Murata says the official radiation figures published by Tepco cannot be trusted. He says he is extremely worried about the lack of a sense of crisis in Japan and abroad. This view is shared by Mycle Schneider, who is calling for an international taskforce for Fukushima. "The Japanese have a problem asking for help. It is a big mistake; they badly need it." 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Readable Markdown	"It is much worse than we have been led to believe, much worse," said Mr Schneider, who is lead author for the World Nuclear Industry status reports. At news conference, the head of Japan's nuclear regulation authority Shunichi Tanaka appeared to give credence to Mr Schneider's concerns, saying that he feared there would be further leaks. \``We should assume that what has happened once could happen again, and prepare for more. We are in a situation where there is no time to waste," he told reporters. The lack of clarity about the water situation and the continued attempts by Tepco to deny that water was leaking into the sea has irritated many researchers. Dr Ken Buesseler is a senior scientist at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution who has examined the waters around Fukushima. "It is not over yet by a long shot, Chernobyl was in many ways a one week fire-explosive event, nothing with the potential of this right on the ocean." "We've been saying since 2011 that the reactor site is still leaking whether that's the buildings and the ground water or these new tank releases. There's no way to really contain all of this radioactive water on site." "Once it gets into the ground water, like a river flowing to the sea, you can't really stop a ground water flow. You can pump out water, but how many tanks can you keep putting on site?" Several scientists also raised concerns about the vulnerability of the huge amount of stored water on site to another earthquake. The storage problems are compounded by the ingress of ground water, running down from the surrounding hills. It mixes with radioactive water leaking out of the basements of the reactors and then some of it leaches into the sea, despite the best efforts of Tepco to stem the flow. Some of the radioactive elements like caesium that are contained in the water can be filtered by the earth. Others are managing to get through and this worries watching experts. "Our biggest concern right now is if some of the other isotopes such as strontium 90 which tend to be more mobile, get through these sediments in the ground water," said Dr Buesseler. "They are entering the oceans at levels that then will accumulate in seafood and will cause new health concerns." There are also worries about the spent nuclear fuel rods that are being cooled and stored in water pools on site. Mycle Schneider says these contain far more radioactive caesium than was emitted during the explosion at Chernobyl. "There is absolutely no guarantee that there isn't a crack in the walls of the spent fuel pools. If salt water gets in, the steel bars would be corroded. It would basically explode the walls, and you cannot see that; you can't get close enough to the pools," he said. The "worsening situation" at Fukushima has prompted a former Japanese ambassador to Switzerland to call for the withdrawal of Tokyo's Olympic bid. In a letter to the UN secretary general, Mitsuhei Murata says the official radiation figures published by Tepco cannot be trusted. He says he is extremely worried about the lack of a sense of crisis in Japan and abroad. This view is shared by Mycle Schneider, who is calling for an international taskforce for Fukushima. "The Japanese have a problem asking for help. It is a big mistake; they badly need it." Follow Matt on [Twitter, external](http://twitter.com/mattmcgrathbbc).
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