The Anxiety-Inducing Cesium-137

The finding of high-level radiation in an empty lot in Batan Indah housing complex in South Tangerang has led to widespread public anxiety. Despite the government’s rapid response, suspicions about nuclear power linger.

KOMPAS/HERU SRI KUMORO

The Mobile Brigade’s Radioactive Chemical Biology Technical Team prepares to measure the radioactivity level of soil and other objects at the Batan Indah housing complex in Serpong, South Tangerang, on Monday (17/2/2020), where Cesium 137 contamination was discovered. The soil and other objects have since been removed to limit exposure.

Radiation exposure at the location reached 200 microSievert (µSv) per hour, over 6,600 times the environmental radiation threshold of 0.03 µSv per hour. Nuclear Energy Regulatory Agency (Bapeten) head Jazi Eko Istiyanto said in Jakarta on Tuesday (18/2/2020) that the radiation was sourced from a single radioactive substance, namely cesium-137 (137Cs).

137Cs is the production of a fission process at a nuclear reactor. If 137Cs is sourced from a reactor leakage, it will appear alongside other radioactive substances, such as strontium-90.

Radiation detectors at the Serpong Nuclear Area (KNS) and other locations monitored by Bapeten showed radiation exposure lower than the threshold. The KNS’ GA Siwabessy multifunction reactor, located 5 kilometers from where the high-level radiation was found, is still operating normally. It is not damaged.

“This is not a nuclear accident or emergency. It is environmental pollution from radioactive waste,” Research and Technology Minister Bambang PS Brodjonegoro said.

More recently, 137Cs in medicine has been replaced by cobalt-60 (60Co) as it has a better performance and higher penetration.

If the reactor is safe, the radiation exposure may have come from non-reactor nuclear applications, such as industry or hospitals. 137Cs is used for cancer radiotherapy, measurement of thickness and liquid levels in tanks and the detection of pipeline leakages.

“More recently, 137Cs in medicine has been replaced by cobalt-60 (60Co) as it has a better performance and higher penetration,” Indonesian Nuclear Society chair Susilo Widodo said.

Therefore, it is highly likely that the 137Cs pollution is sourced from industry. Bapeten records 14,000 permits for thousands of institutions using the material. There are records of all 137Cs imported, transported and sent as waste to the National Nuclear Energy Agency’s (Batan) radioactive waste technology center. This should facilitate the investigation to find out who is responsible for the presence of 137Cs in the unusual location.

KOMPAS/RIZA FATHONI

Officials from the Nuclear Energy Regulatory Agency (Bapeten) and the National Nuclear Energy Agency (Batan) load radiation-contaminated soil onto a truck at the Batan Indah housing complex in Serpong, South Tangerang, on Tuesday (18/2/2020), following the discovery of Cesium 137 radiation at the location. The National Police are investigating the incident together with Batan and Bapeten. Nine residents of the Batan Indah housing complex have undergone a whole-body examination at the Batan Radiation Safety and Metrology Technology Center (PTKMR) in Pasar Jumat, South Jakarta.

Apart from investigations, the cleanup has also been speedy. Between Feb. 11 and 18, 199 drums of soil and plants from the area exposed to high-level radiation were removed. After the cleanup, radiation levels in the area have been reduced to 10 percent of the original radiation level of 200 µSv per hour.

Batan has also conducted a whole-body counting (WBC) of nine residents believed to often conduct activities near the radiation-exposed location. “It takes time to get results,” Batan head Anhar Riza Antariksawan said.

Despite the rapid radiation management, cleanup and health exam for residents, something has been neglected. The lack of a complete public statement regarding the incident and the effects of the radiation by the authorities has increased radiophobia, or excessive fear and suspicion of radiation and nuclear power.

The closer you are and the longer time you spend near radiation sources, the higher the exposure rate is.

Human beings can withstand radiation exposure of 1 milliSievert (mSv) or 1,000 µSv per year. Radiation at certain dosages can mutate or kill cells, thereby increasing cancer risks. Symptoms of high-level radiation exposure include nausea, vomiting and burned skin. “The closer you are and the longer time you spend near radiation sources, the higher the exposure rate is,” Susilo said.

However, people should not worry excessively. The area of the high-level radiation source is only 33 square meters. Outside this area, people can engage in normal activities freely. This incident serves as a valuable lesson in mitigating nuclear disasters. A rapid response from government authorities is important but public communication is also necessary to prevent widespread panic. Nuclear is not only about fear. It also has various benefits.