Traces of the dangerous isotope Caesus 137 found its special research team in 22 production facilities near Jakarta.
Officials said the infection was first found in a batch of shrimp transported to the United States in August by a local company, PT Bahari Makmur Sejahtera (BMS).
The Special Operational Team for Radioactivity infection then performed sweeping checks at Modern Cikande Industrial Estate, where the BMS headquarters were.
“The installation of shrimp production (BMS) has carried out an independent disinfection and has been securely declared by the Nuclear Energy Service,” Barra Hassimbuan spokesman spokesman told reporters.
Indonesia found widespread cesium-137 contamination in 22 facilities, including residential areas, in an industrial zone near Jakarta, stemming from a scrap metal melting plant.
The radioactive dust settled on surfaces, spread by air, and even reached scrap metal dealers and…
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The operational team did not announce what the other 21 production facilities are, but said they would immediately undergo disinfection procedures by the country’s nuclear power service.
Memories from Chernobyl and Fukushima
The Modern Cikande Industrial Estate, 68 kilometers from Jakarta, covers an area of 31,750 acres and includes more than 270 local and foreign companies, which, according to its site, operate in food processing to car processing.
According to the US Food and Drug Administration website, Caesius 137 is usually released in the environment as a result of nuclear tests or after accidents such as Chernobyl or Fukushima.
The origin of the dangerous radioactive isotal is unknown
Indonesia has no nuclear weapons or nuclear power plants, which may mean that Caesius 137 has arrived in Indonesia from abroad.
“The government has decided to enhance the restrictions on imports of metal scrap, which means that the Ministry of the Environment will not issue relevant recommendations for imports of metal scrap,” Hassimbuan said.
The operational team also defined the facilities of a PT PMT (Peter Metal Technology) plant as isolation facilities to store products found to be infected by Caesus 137.
