Anxiety mounts over nuclear waste found in Laem Chabang Port

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Anxiety mounts over nuclear waste found in Laem Chabang Port

By PRATCH RUJIVANAROM 
THE NATION

 

Photo from: Laemchabangnews

 

ACADEMICS HAVE urged authorities to fully disclose information about the radioactive waste found at Laem Chabang Port and investigate the shipment’s entire route.
 

The Office of Atoms for Peace (OAP) and the Port Authority of Thailand have said the radioactive waste was safely retrieved from the seaport in Chonburi yesterday, but there has been no detailed information about radioactive material detected inside an export container holding scrap aluminium.

 

Somnuck Jongmeewasin, a lecturer at Silpakorn University’s International College, noted that the radioactive waste was found last week, but all that’s been revealed is that it has the form of five-centimetre-long, needle-shaped pieces with an unsafe radiation level of 85.83 microsieverts per hour.

 

Photo from: Laemchabangnews

 

According to the Thailand Institute of Nuclear Technology (TINT), the acceptable level of radiation exposure for humans is 1,000 microsieverts per year. Exposure should be limited to 2.73 microsieverts per day or 0.11 per hour.

 

Somnuck said there was still no information about the kind of radioactive material or its isotope, half-life or origin, so it was impossible to determine the risks to anyone who might have been exposed or the level of radiation contamination in the environment.

 

“The relevant agencies have to fully disclose the details of this to the public as soon as possible so we can properly deal with it, because radioactive waste is a very severe threat to public health,” he said.

 

“Even though the radiation is far too low to cause instant sickness, the received radiation, when the level is high enough, will accumulate in the body, which can trigger serious sickness such as cancer in the future.”

 

The TINT has said that anyone accumulating more than 1,000 millisieverts or being exposed to more than 100 millisieverts per year is likely to eventually contract cancer.

 

Somnuck also demanded that the agencies involved investigate the background, since smuggling radioactive waste violates several laws. He speculated that this was not the first time such waste had been smuggled through Thai ports.

 

He suspects a connection with the trade in hazardous waste because disused machines containing radioactive parts are shipped to Thai recycling plants and the separated metal materials are transported overseas to be melted down for other uses.

 

OAP deputy secretary-general Ratchada Hempatavee said little had yet been revealed about the situation because her office, the Customs Department and the TINT must wait for permission from higher up the chain of command to make any announcements. The three agencies have finished analysing the radioactive waste and removed it from the port, she confirmed.

 

 “We urge the public not to panic because the situation has already been handled, and the Customs Department, which is agency with leading responsibility on this issue, will provide more information when we’re ready,” Ratchada said.

 

Meanwhile, Laem Chabang Port managing director Pol Sub Lt Montree Lergchumniel concurred that the situation was under control. And despite rumours, he said, the seaport had not been closed.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30358339

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-11-12

[Lupatria]

Radioactive waste probably fills the financial loss after prohibition of plastic waste tourism. Did any officials recently travel to Namibia?

[Oziex1]

The managing director of the port is a Police Sub Lt,  of course there are many opportunities for the entrepreneurial RTP at a port. 

[zaphod reborn]

2 hours ago, Lupatria said:

Radioactive waste probably fills the financial loss after prohibition of plastic waste tourism. Did any officials recently travel to Namibia?

Quote

it has the form of five-centimetre-long, needle-shaped pieces with an unsafe radiation level of 85.83 microsieverts per hour.

 

Nope, that's medical waste being exported, who knows where, maybe even dumped at sea.

[ChrisY1]

Probably an issue that Thailand would have prefered not to have been publicised

[overherebc]

44 minutes ago, Father Fintan Stack said:

As you should know, radiation is invisible, so my question is, how did they discover this material is radioactive?

 

A very worrying situation especially given the lack of information forthcoming from the authorities.

one of these.

or the container x-ray posts will pick up high levels

[stanleycoin]

1 hour ago, Father Fintan Stack said:

As you should know, radiation is invisible, so my question is, how did they discover this material is radioactive?

 

A very worrying situation especially given the lack of information forthcoming from the authorities.

Reckon someone grassed on someone.

maybe the Envelope was a bit light.

[Lucky mike]

Trust me it is not dangerous!

[Elkski]

With this dependency on tourism and the shown extent they will try to cover up rapes can we expect any truth about this?

[Scottjouro]

2 hours ago, Lucky mike said:

Trust me it is not dangerous!

It may not be depends on that type of radiation being emitted, if Alpha or Beta, than they pose little danger to humans unless you inhale the particles, gamma exposure will be the real hazard

[overherebc]

1 hour ago, Scottjouro said:

It may not be depends on that type of radiation being emitted, if Alpha or Beta, than they pose little danger to humans unless you inhale the particles, gamma exposure will be the real hazard

As you say depends on the isotope.

If it was Cobalt 60 then that's a whole different ball game.

Ref' inhale the particles. That won't apply unless the isotope has been powdered and is free floating.

It's the difference between 'exposure' to radiation, like an x-ray at hospital or the dentist and contamination from the actual isotope or fall out from a nuclear explosion.

Two very different things.

You can sit next to an isotope and receive radiation but you cannot be contaminated by it.

Edited November 12, 2018 by overherebc

[Jdietz]

As usual units and levels all over the place.

MilliSievert and MicroSievert per hour or per year.

 

85.83 microSieverts per hour is quite a bit higher than background, but not dangerous in the short run (weeks) unless ingesting (which will be uncomfortable being needles and all) or sleeping on top of a bunch of them for a prolonged period.

 

Natural radiation in milliSieverts/year (1 mSv = 1,000 microSieverts):

Radiation source	World[2]	US[3]	Japan[4]	Remark
Inhalation of air	1.26	2.28	0.40	mainly from radon, depends on indoor accumulation
Ingestion of food & water	0.29	0.28	0.40	(K-40, C-14, etc.)
Terrestrial radiation from ground	0.48	0.21	0.40	depends on soil and building material
Cosmic radiation from space	0.39	0.33	0.30	depends on altitude
sub total (natural)	2.40	3.10	1.50	sizeable population groups receive 10–20 mSv

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Background_radiation

[overherebc]

11 minutes ago, Jdietz said:

As usual units and levels all over the place.

MilliSievert and MicroSievert per hour or per year.

 

85.83 microSieverts per hour is quite a bit higher than background, but not dangerous in the short run (weeks) unless ingesting (which will be uncomfortable being needles and all) or sleeping on top of a bunch of them for a prolonged period.

 

Natural radiation in milliSieverts/year (1 mSv = 1,000 microSieverts):

Radiation source	World[2]	US[3]	Japan[4]	Remark
Inhalation of air	1.26	2.28	0.40	mainly from radon, depends on indoor accumulation
Ingestion of food & water	0.29	0.28	0.40	(K-40, C-14, etc.)
Terrestrial radiation from ground	0.48	0.21	0.40	depends on soil and building material
Cosmic radiation from space	0.39	0.33	0.30	depends on altitude
sub total (natural)	2.40	3.10	1.50	sizeable population groups receive 10–20 mSv

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Background_radiation

With isotopes of any kind you use what's called the 'inverse square law.' 

Basically if you get a dose of radiation (X) at 1 metre and you move to 2 metres you will get one quarter of the dose and so on so sitting on it or putting in your pocket will put you in a world of sh-t.

You still won't get contaminated unless you have it with your roast beef. ????????

Edit.

Comment on the OP.

The radiation will not accumulate in your body. It goes in one side and comes out the other.

The damage it causes as it goes through if very low may or not be repaired by your system but the more you get and the more often you get it will cause damage that if bad enough can be fatal or if not that bad cause problems and most likely cancer related problems.

PS.

On a long haul flight it's estimated you get about the same dose as a hospital

x-ray ????

Edited November 12, 2018 by overherebc

[radiochaser]

On 11/11/2018 at 10:31 PM, Father Fintan Stack said:

As you should know, radiation is invisible, so my question is, how did they discover this material is radioactive?

 

A very worrying situation especially given the lack of information forthcoming from the authorities.

Many countries, I think it includes Thailand, have radiation detectors set up to scan shipping containers for radioactive materials.  

Many places also have x-ray machines that are used to find contraband and may pick up radioactive materials.  

 

Off topic.

One time I drove to a military base in New Jersey, USA in my Recreational Vehicle (RV)  and chose the wrong gate to enter the base.  

 

The Military Police not only physical inspected both the internal and external storage spaces but X-rayed the 11 foot tall by 32 foot long RV for, stuff.  They would not tell me what they were looking for.  

 

 

[ksamuiguy]

detection equipment to expensive and time consuming to check all containers.