A nonprofit in Fukushima Prefecture has been checking for radioactivity in fish and seawater as the government prepares to release treated water from the crippled Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant later this summer.

Comprising 13 members, many of whom are mothers with no prior experience in taking scientific measurements, the group is driven by serious concerns over how the discharge of radioactive water into the Pacific Ocean might affect the environment and children's health.

Learning the monitoring techniques from experts, they continue to fine-tune their operation.