Radiation level in Fukushima water doubles

Radiation level of water from a drainage channel at the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Japan has more than doubled, the plant's operator, the Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO), said Thursday.

The water, extracted Wednesday at the channel near the tank that leaked 300 tons of highly toxic water in August, showed a record high 140,000 becquerels per litre of beta radiation emitted by radioactive materials such as strontium-90, compared with the previous day's reading of 59,000 becquerels, Xinhua reported citing local media as quoting TEPCO.

The operator said the spike may be caused by highly contaminated soil with radioactive substances entering into the drainage channel.

TEPCO is struggling to prevent leaks in Japan's typhoon season as rainwater accumulates inside the leak-protection barriers around the tanks.