News Forum - Officials in Thailand say radioactive caesium-137 is contained, scholars disagree

[Thaiger]

The radioactive caesium-137 cylinder that went missing from a power plant in Prachin Buri province, central Thailand, was found to have been melted and turned into red soot with other scrap metal at a smelting factory around 10 kilometres away from the plant, sparking major health concerns for people in the area. Whether the caesium-137 …

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[kalyan]

completely over estimated in this issue, caesium-137 is absolutely dangerous and smelting and disposed as a molten material is going to create more complex problem in the coming years throught the path and site of the material.

i agree with the scholars as this is an real trouble.

[HolyCowCm]

This is now seemingly a huge problem from someone's stupidity of stealing to get money. Now a 30 year sentence for the thief would be justice as he has endangered way too many and potentially polluted a large area.

[KaptainRob]

2 hours ago, HolyCowCm said:

This is now seemingly a huge problem from someone's stupidity of stealing to get money. Now a 30 year sentence for the thief would be justice as he has endangered way too many and potentially polluted a large area.

Beware of glow in the dark Pattaya people!

[HolyCowCm]

14 minutes ago, KaptainRob said:

Beware of glow in the dark Pattaya people!

Yep. And good thing public urination is against the law too. Just have to watch out to not swim in the glow in the dark sea.

[LuckyStrike]

It turned an acute problem into a chronic problem. There won't be any short term health effects, maybe long term. The cesium in the capsule was probably a few grams and diluted into 12.4 tons. If I knew the curie content I could calculate the activity of the soot.

Handling the bare capsule (inside the outer container) for a short time would cause you lose fingers. Putting it in your pocket for a couple hours would most likely kill you.

It could take 2 or 3 months to clean up if you throw enough skilled bodies at it. The surface removable contamination limit for Cs137 is 1000 dpm/100^2. Since most people are scared, they will likely go for no detectable level, which cost more to achieve.

"Dilution is the solution to pollution"

Radiation protection is my field of career.

[Skip]

"It remains unclear who is responsible for the caesium-137 going missing from the power plant. No one has been criminally charged yet."

And it will remain unclear who is responsible due to lack of motivation

[HolyCowCm]

7 hours ago, Skip said:

"It remains unclear who is responsible for the caesium-137 going missing from the power plant. No one has been criminally charged yet."

And it will remain unclear who is responsible due to lack of motivation

Wasn't a security guard or something of the matter mentioned in some part of time?

[Aussieroaming]

I didn't see any signage in the photos of the Facility's installation location to indicate that there was a radiation source nearby, nor was the radiation gauge painted or locked in place. I am sure that normal conventions in regards to installing, using and maintaining radiation sources was completely ignored by this company, hence the company is as liable as the thief and scrap metal company for any environmental damage or personal injury caused.