Japan radioactivity alert

High levels of radioactive toxins have emerged in groundwater at the Fukushima nuclear plant wrecked by the huge quake and tsunami that hit Japan more than two years ago.

More than 30 times the legal limit of strontium-90 has been found

There is also eight times the permitted limit of tritium.

Tokyo Electric Power Company which operated the plant, says it's likely to be the result of a leak in 2011.

(SOUNDBITE)(Japanese) TOSHIHIKO FUKUDA, TEPCO NUCLEAR POWER PLANT SITING DIVISION GENERAL MANAGER, SAYING:

"As it's near where the leak from reactor number two happened, and taking into account the situation at the time, we believe that water left over from that time is the highest possibility."

The power company said nearby seawater hadn't been affected.

But Tepco is keen to release what it calls water contaminated with low levels of radiation into the Pacific Ocean.

The discovery of rising levels of such radioactive material is likely to com