The Ministry of Public Health is arranging health checks for personnel at smelting facilities in Prachinburi province’s industrial sector who unwittingly acquired a missing container of radioactive isotope from a power station.
The action comes after the Cesium-137 radioactive isotope cylinder, which went missing last week, was purportedly discovered during an examination of steel smelting factories in Kabin Buri district’s industrial sector.
Dr. Opas Karnkawinpong, Director-General of the Department of Disease Control, stated that health officials would be on the lookout for persons who display physical anomalies or feel nausea and vomiting. They will also keep an eye out for any significant decreases in the number of white blood cells.
Initial inspections will be conducted using urine tests, with a focus on individuals at high risk of exposure. Authorities have yet to identify anyone displaying concerning signs. Health officials will continue to prepare for future situations until the region is proven to be free of radioactive pollution.
According to the director-general, the half-life of cesium-137 is 30 years, which indicates that probable contamination might remain for three decades, regardless of whether it inhabits the environment or human organs.
