News Forum - Recovered Caesium-137 cannister “not a threat to local Thai produce”

[Thaiger]

Thai officials say the recently recovered Caesium-137 canister is not a threat to local produce, despite it being smelted. The concerns over the effects of the tube’s radioactive properties were raised as contaminated furnace dust was discovered at a steel plant in Prachin Buri’s Kabin Buri district this week. Out of fear, customers cancelled purchase orders …

The story Recovered Caesium-137 cannister “not a threat to local Thai produce” as seen on Thaiger News.

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[longwood50]

To counter fears officials released photos of vegetables following the nuclear spill in Japan.

They are quoted as saying " See they are growing even more vigorously" 

[JustinMcLeod]

I'm somewhat surprised this was not detected before being melted. Are Thai mills not using Geiger counters, or other devices detecting and measuring radiation levels at scrap deliveries? In Europe these devices are standard practice at the mill entry gates, where every single truckload of scrap metal is checked automatically to avoid contaminated materials from being processed. The introduction of these systems happened right after the first Gulf war to avert the trade of massive battlefield  scrap, which could be recycled into new products. Battlefield scrap is easy to find ,  very cheap but extremely hazardous due to the use of modern weaponry and ammunition  such as depleted uranium shells. It is scattered around the huge deserts in the Middle East.

Without electronic aids, radioactivity can visually not be detected. You don't feel it, It's color and odorless but high/concentrated radiation levels will have an ugly lethal backwash.