Nine Exposed To Radioactive Caesium In Indonesia’s Banten Province
JAKARTA, Oct 17 (Bernama) -- Nine people were exposed to radioactive caesium-137 (Cs-137) substance in Serang, Banten province, after traces of it were found at an industrial estate in Cikande, Metro TV News reported.
Tests on 1,562 workers and residents confirmed the exposures, following reports that shrimp exported from Cikande to the United States (US) had been contaminated with radioactive material.
A government task force detected 10 radiation hotspots at the Modern Cikande Industrial Estate, about 68 kilometres from Jakarta.
Four sites have been decontaminated, and the radioactive waste was moved to a facility operated by PT Peter Metal Teknologi, a steel manufacturing and scrap metal recycling company, which authorities identified as the source of the leak, the broadcaster said.
Meanwhile, Environment Minister Hanif Faisol Nurofiq, who heads the task force, said that the decontamination exercise, involving the affected factories and industrial zones, is expected to be completed by December 2025.
The National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) and the Nuclear Energy Regulatory Agency (BAPETEN) are focusing on two possible origins: imported iron and steel scrap, and leakage from industrial use of Cs-137 waste.
"The government has temporarily suspended import of iron and steel scrap until all agencies can ensure full monitoring and safety," he said in a statement on Monday.
BAPETEN earlier detected traces of Cs-137 at a shrimp processing plant run by PT Bahari Makmur Sejati (PT BMS), but further inspections found significant radiation levels at a nearby scrap metal collection site, which police have cordoned off.
In August, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reported that frozen shrimp from PT BMS contained Cs-137, raising concerns about long-term exposure risks.
Despite the import alerts, Indonesia's Marine Affairs and Fisheries Ministry (KKP) said shrimp exports to the US will continue. The KKP also confirmed last Friday that, as a US-recognised Certifying Entity, shrimp entering the country must carry a Quality Certificate to ensure trade continues safely.
Import Alert 99-51, issued by the FDA, applies only to PT BMS, while Import Alert 99-52 requires that shrimp be certified free from Cs-137 contamination, specifically for companies operating in Java and Lampung.
Products under Import Alert 99-51 are subject to automatic detention upon arrival in US ports, without requiring physical inspection, until the exporting companies can demonstrate compliance with safety requirements.
-- BERNAMA
