Japan has started releasing wastewater from the tsunami-wrecked Fukushima nuclear power plant into the Pacific Ocean. A Swiss lab has played a vital role in making sure the dumping of contaminated water meets international standards. The discharges continue to stoke fears among some locals and neighbouring countries like China. On March 11, 2011, a 9.1-magnitude earthquake struck off the northeast coast of Japan s main island, generating a tsunami that killed 18,000 people. When the deadly wave hit the coast, it also crashed into the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant. Huge amounts of seawater were needed to cool three of the reactors and burning fuel. Since the accident, over 1.3 million tonnes of wastewater have been collected, treated, and stored in over 1,000 tanks at the site. This includes groundwater and rainwater that has seeped into reactor buildings. The ongoing cooling process still reportedly produces 130 tonnes of contaminated water daily and space is slowly running out. What